A Week Of Rain!

       Monday marked the sixth consecutive day of rainfall in Amarillo.  6 DAYS!  The all-time record was 11 days back in June, 1960.  Since I live within a short distance of the TV station I watch for news I assume I got the same amount they received at the TV station .... 5.20 inches this week!  Remember in 2007 we received only 7.02 inches of precipitation (rain, snow) for the entire year!  At my house I have not even had any hail ... that in itself is amazing.  Usually if we get rain likely as not we get hail with it.
      A little more than 200 miles SW of my town is Roswell, NM.  New Mexico has been receiving rain all week as well. I thought I would share this photo (below).  Because the ground in TX & NM is so hard it just can't absorb all the rain so we have lots of areas that look like this cemetery.  God Bless those 4-H'ers for getting the flags out no matter what.  photo on Facebook via NewsChannel10

      This photo was taken in Roswell this weekend as dedicated 4-H students honored our Veterans. Thanks to Chelsey Eoff for sharing the photo.

    

     I didn't go to any of the numerous Memorial Day activities today.  Because of my severe depression there are some things that I just can't handle.  Hearing Taps, talk of fallen veterans, just seeing the flag, flowers, memorials on TV makes me bawl, in person I just lose it.  I don't mean tears trailing down my cheeks like most everyone else at those type functions, I mean chest heaving sobs.  Hymns effect (or is it affect??) me the same way.  I use to love church so much but I haven't been in years, since that hospital visit of mine.  I  used to be there whenever the doors were open but now I just have to take care of myself and not put myself in the position where I might just fall totally apart.  I am scared I will fall apart that bad again.  I feel bad that I didn't go to any "honor our fallen" events but I would if I could.  A year or two ago when a local soldier died, one that I did not even know, I told my psychiatrist that I had cried and bawled all day for days over his death (as if he were my own child) and asked was that normal (because how would I know what normal is?  as the cartoon says "Normal?? It is just a dryer setting in our house").  She looked at me and said ahh, NO.  So, this is letting you know something that few people know about me.... that I am ashamed to be so weak, and I realize it is an illness I did not ask for, but I wish I could be there putting flags on grave sites, and put my hand over my heart with everyone else, and listen to Taps and just have normal tears like everyone else.  But everybody's got something, right?  Oh, that reminds me, I want to read Robin Roberts new book ... that is the title ... Everybody's Got Something.

No Where To Go ~ 60 Minutes ~ 26 January 2014

Sen. Creigh Deeds

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     Sunday night I watched 60 Minutes.  One report was an interview with Senator Creigh Deeds.  My heart goes out to him.  Last year Senator Deeds was stabbed 10 times by his son, Gus.  

     Gus's friends said he idolized his father, was a loving soul, kind, big hearted.  Senator Deeds has said Gus was a perfect son, loving, musically brilliant, a successful college student on the Dean's List, and bi-polar. 

   The interview gives you a glimpse of how the Senator tried to get help for his son on that day. If you missed it, and are interested, you can see a little clip and read the transcript here http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mentally-ill-youth-in-crisis/

     On November 19, 2013 Gus was obviously in trouble, but as the case with many ill people, Gus did not want help.  He could not understand that he was sick. His father was able to get a court order, a 6 hour court order, to get help for his son and deputies took Gus to the ER.  There was no bed available in those 6 hours so he was sent home.  

      Hours after being in the ER Gus attempted to kill his father.  The physical scars left on Senator Deeds body are the least of it.  Gus died from his mental illness that day.  The system failed him.  

      I know someone with a little experience with ER's and trying to get help for children.  Three of her children suffer with a mental illness, as does she. The kids were all teenagers at the same time.  They looked perfectly normal but they were ill.  Try dealing with that.  Thank goodness she had psychiatrists and a hospital to help.  She felt like she was in the battle of her life, and theirs, for years.  If a state Senator, a man with power AND money could not get help for his son what chance do regular people have?

     Know your child is in trouble and needs to be hospitalized?  Well, don't go up to a mental hospital's door and say please let us in.  It does not work that way.  I know, she tried that.  

     Go to the ER ... if you can get your child there.  When those with a mental illness need help the most they think they don't need help at all --- you must be the one who needs help because they are just fine.  

      Back to the ER ... Sit in the waiting room full of other people for hours and hours ... if you can get your child to do that.  Mentally ill people typically don't want to be in a room with lots of other people who are coughing, sneezing, bleeding, moaning ... especially if they think it is stupid to be there in the first place.  Ever try to get a teenager to do something they didn't want to do? Now imagine if they were mentally ill on top of that.

    Finally your child will be seen by someone and your child will need to tell them they are suicidal and be able to describe their "suicide plan" ... if they will talk to medical personnel, or they can not be admitted to a mental hospital. At least where we live, and I think that is fairly typical.  

    Think you will just skip the ER and call your child's psychiatrist directly to get them admitted because they know how ill your child is?  Nope, the office will say go to the ER.  I know, she tried that.  

     Get real lucky and you make it through the ER and there is a bed available in a mental hospital and your child is going to get help?  Well, there have been budget cuts. The Dr's, nurses, therapists, staff want so desperately to help your child but funding is gone.  They will do the best they can. Insurance companies will pay for a patient to stay just long enough to get past the current suicidal thoughts.  Usually up to 3 days max.  Suicidal thoughts have passed?  Ok you can go .... never mind that you still have the mental health issues that brought on the suicidal thoughts in the first place.

      Don't have a psychiatrist?  Well, good luck there.  It can take months and months to get in with one in most places.  Expect at least a 3 to 6 month wait in most areas, if not longer.  

     Need help before then?  Go to the ER.  See steps listed above.  Plan on being there awhile.  I hope you ate your Wheaties because you will need all the mental and physical strength you can find to get through this experience of trying to get your child some help during this one ER visit.
     And if your child is over 18, you are in deep trouble unless they want help, and a bed is available.   Senator Deeds can tell you about that.

     Think this topic does not apply to you?  What if Gus had not attacked his father but instead had entered an elementary school, like Sandy Hook?
      Please write your political representatives and tell them to please cut out ridiculous spending and use that money for important things like caring for veterans, the elderly, hungry kids, and the mentally ill.