Day by day

At our last visit to the clinic on July 15, Patrick sat himself next to me and said that he really wanted to come home and pleaded to be once again part of the family. (He had certainly had enough of the isolation at the clinic.) He wanted to play games, work in the yard, watch movies, eat popcorn together, etc. Simple activities, but those that he could not pursue during the heightened stages of his illness the past 18 months. He isn’t ready for them yet. However, the family remains confident that he will—eventually. That hope comes from small improvements that we see every other day or so.

Since we picked him up on July 17, three weeks ago, he has made significant strides.

He has:

• Spoken to us briefly and greeted us warmly virtually every day.

• Kept to a regular schedule of bathing.

• Gave himself a shave and a haircut.

• Spent most of his days outdoors in the sun, walking, stretching, and meditating.

• Helped with the family cooking and its cleanup, including a long joint session with his sister, and otherwise making his own meals.

• Done his own laundry.

• Called the university and asked for the compassionate withdrawal paperwork, which I submitted for him.

• Made and attended his physician’s appointments.

• Been taking his medication more or less regularly to the best of our knowledge.

He still doesn’t have the capacity to:

• Be in the same space as me.

• Leave the property.

• Spend any time with the dog.

• Regularly work on the lawn and garden.

So, we haven’t watched TV, gone on a hike, or shared a meal together. It’s the togetherness that I had hoped he was ready for but, the illness remains a plague and it’s clear that Patrick’s mind is overly saturated with chatter—a large part of those the delusions still. Even so, we are very glad that he is home and that the road he is on is one of recovery. As long as he keeps putting one foot ahead of the other, his family will be there to lend him a hand, if he stumbles.