Med Check

[Ron. Lavalette]

He spends all of a whopping twenty minutes sitting with his client and her psychiatrist, evaluating the effectiveness of her laundry list of meds.

She tells him how her bones ache in the morning, is vague about her sleep patterns, and remains unable to explain her irresistible need to repeat herself and repeat herself and repeat herself.

She tells him about her upstairs neighbor who jumped out his window, splattering his skull the day after their landlord served him with eviction papers, and finishes the tale by smiling sweetly and saying she’s pretty sure he’s better off because the rent’s probably a lot cheaper in the graveyard anyway.

He tells the shrink that, all things considered, he thinks she’s generally doing okay; manages to get herself up and out almost every day, isn’t sleeping around as much as she used to, and—despite the mayhem and desperation everywhere around her—hasn’t made any overt threats toward others or displayed any significant self-injurious behaviors.

All of them recognize success when they see it; no problematic side effects are noted,
no med changes are planned.

Refills are ordered, and he offers her a ride to the pharmacy, leaving the doctor to dictate his notes before his next appointment arrives.

[Robert Crisman]

Medicine and specifically psychiatry as warehouse maintenance. Twenty minutes and out the door. Golf in the afternoon?

[Mike Handley]

Splendid telling, Ron.

[Gita]

This woman, who is not physically described, immediately for me became Small Alice, a character in a series I wrote about homeless people.  I say this because one of the signs of progress you mentioned was  "isn’t sleeping around as much as she used to."  That is difficult to verify. It's self-reporting. And men were a problem for Small Alice and for all mentally ill women who are out there. There are so many good reasons TO sleep around: shelter, protection, comfort, drugs, sex, money. It's so complicated.   As Teresa said, Thank you for all you do for these people.  

[bolton carley]

what a situation.  i always wonder how people deal with what they get handed.  nothing is simple any more.  and i love the tone of your cheaper in the graveyard and the repeat herself repeat herself.  nice touches!  great read!

[Sandra Davies]

Bleak, that triplet of supposed support.

[Teresa]

That repeating herself over and over, like a tic, OCD.  Poor woman, but she does sound about as okay as any of the rest of us.  Thank you for all you do for these people.  Sincerely.

[Joey Delgado]

Man, psychiatrists have so much power. They think a patient is okay and the patient IS okay. Because he/she said so. I love her sweet smile while she jokes about graveyard rent being cheaper. That's a nice touch. Chilling and funny.