Turning point?

Saturday morning I was at work. My cell rang. I usually do not answer it at work, but since Jason has been sick I have been breaking the rules more often. It was Valley Hope. They apologized but said they were not able to handle someone with Jason's level of psychosis. He refused to go to class and just sat in his room all day. I had noticed when I dropped him off, and on the phone, that nobody seemed to bat an eye when I mentioned his psychosis. When the admitting nurse asked why he wanted to come to rehab he told her he needed to get rid of the voices in his head. She just went on to the next question. I thought this meant they were used to dealing with meth addicts. Now I think they did not understand what we were talking about. They wanted me to come pick him up. They were going to recommend he go to Prairie View. I had no idea what that meant. I told them I would come, but that it would be evening before I arrived. They seemed relieved.

I was on my way when they called again. Jason had tried to escape so they were transporting him to Prairie View themselves. I called my sister who is a nurse in the Wichita area. She looked up Prairie View and told me it looked like a good option. I called the facility. They told the visiting hours for Saturday and Sunday. I was not going to make it in time for that night. I stayed the night in Wichita and came as soon as I could on Sunday.

The minute they told Jason his mom was there he smiled and put on his jacket. He knew I was coming to rescue him. I told him we should talk about what was best for him. This place may be a good idea. He showed me his room, before we realized that was against the rules. He was mad when I suggested he stay. He told me to leave and went to his room to lie down. Knowing him as well as I do I sat down and read a magazine. The staff seemed nice. I liked the way they interacted with the patients. I had been surprised to see that he was in the psych ward instead of in the rehab portion of the building, not because he did not need it, but because I did not know it existed. I thought this was just another rehab facility.  The patients here all seemed to like the place. I talked to some of them and did not here any complaints.

Jason came out two more times to talk to me. He was pissed each time I suggested he stay and give the place a try. Finally, I told him what I had just been told a few minutes before, I did not have a choice. He had been committed and could not leave without being released by doctor. I made sure they would not let him leave without contacting me. I was worried about him being lost outside in the cold without a heavy coat, money, or cell phone. After several hours in the waiting room I decided to drive back home. It broke my heart to leave him while he was still angry with me.

I was still driving home when Jason's father called me. Upon leaving the facility I had called him with Jason's contact information. He had called Jason and he was not angry anymore. Several times during the phone call he had made his dad promise to call me and apologize for how he had treated me. It lightened my heart a little, but I knew he was still hurt. I also knew this was probably the best place for him. Monday morning he would meet with a doctor. This could be the turning point.

Monday evening I called him. He had liked his doctor. His medicine had been changed to a faster acting anti-psychotic. My son was cheerful. There was yelling in the background. He told me he needed to go because he was watching a football game with his friends. This is what it is supposed to be like when you call your 19 year old son I thought as I hung up. That night I slept better than I had in months.