all they left her with is the shirt on her back

Really, that is all she has left. The police found Sis wandering around the streets of Sacramento late at night on June 15 wearing only a shirt. Her phone was gone. Her pants, underwear, socks, and shoes were gone. The police were compassionate and told her she should find a thrift store because she should not be walking around naked. She explained she did not have any money and had been without her medication for almost a week. They eventually decided to take her to the ER.

Earlier that day Sis became so desperate for medication she decided to leave C who still does not have an apartment and is having her own breakdown and make the nearly 3 day bus ride to Duluth. She is becoming paranoid of C and having negative thoughts about her. She did not feel capable of making the journey but has few choices. She waited at the bus station for hours because the bus was full. They kicked her out because she was loitering. She's extremely sick and didn't want to go back to C's hotel. She is out of her mind.

Dad frantically wired her some money so she could stay in a hotel. The last he heard from her she was entering a cab and on her way to pick up the cash. She did not answer the phone even though he called several times. She never picked up the money. Dad was convinced she was dead.

What happened to my sister between getting into the cab and wandering around the streets nude? You fill in the blanks. I prefer not to.

Sunday morning the hospital called for billing information. They wanted to get paid first and foremost. Dad called the hospital back and talked to the nurse. She was very nice and said, "There is no way she is capable of a long bus ride or even getting on a bus in the state she is in."

refusal to provide anti-psychotics

On June 10 Sister's meds and wallet including all forms of identification were stolen. Apparently heaven does not exist even in California.

She contacted the ACT Team for assistance. Dr. Glick decided to freeze her meds and instructed the rest of the ACT Team to refuse to help my sister. Is this a normal response when a patient is in crisis?

Every day health care professionals go to extreme measures to help their patients. I don't think providing medication to a mentally ill person is above and beyond the call of duty, it's simply doing your job. Doctor Glick and the ACT Team prescribe and monitor her medication. They are the people to contact when there is a problem. It is impossible for her to receive medication without their assistance. If my sister had any other disease she would not have had to fight to receive her medication. We're not talking about medication that gets you high, we're talking about anti-psychotics! ANTI-PSYCHOTICS!!!!!

My sister is a vulnerable adult. She was without medication for over a week. She did not have any money or any form of identification which would have made obtaining medication easier. She is extremely sick and becoming unable to function. She told C she could no longer drive because she was seeing things that were not there. My sister primarily has auditory hallucinations but began having visual hallucinations due to lack of medication.

My parents have been going to a mental illness support group. It's primarily a peer to peer group for people with a mental illness but they've welcomed my parents. The majority of them have had great experiences with their doctors and have actually said the words, "My doctor saved my life." That is the kind of care we want for Sis. Instead I have to write a stupid blog about refusal of care!

Do you think we should go to extreme measures like making a few phone calls to facilitate a mentally ill person's reception of anti-psychotics?

heaven and california

I haven't written lately because Sister has been pretty quiet. She's very sad because she has begun to realize that there's something wrong. I hope she does not remember everything she did and said while she was psychotic because the guilt will eat her alive. She's always been the type of person who beats herself up for any slight hurt or discomfort she may have caused another person. I forgive her. My parents forgive her. We just want her to be ok.

I didn't hear from her for a few days. Dad said, "I think she's coming out of it!" He's been saying that every other day since Christmas only to be disappointed when her delusions rear their ugly heads again. On May 23 she called me ranting and raving and screaming hysterically. I was at work so I turned off my phone. I can't take her abuse anymore. I can't. Her friend C is moving to California and wanted Sis to drive there with her. C and Sis would drive the car while C's daughter and a friend drove the U-haul.  Dad surmised the trip was stressing Sis out. Stress makes her voices worse - meaner and louder. Dad begged her not to go.

Sis left for California on May 24. She has $10. C promised to pay for everyone's expenses including their bus tickets home. C is Sister's oldest (literally and figuratively) Duluth friend and has schizophrenia. I don't know what she will do without C. C's moving so far away is going to be really difficult for Sis. We didn't hear from Sis for a few days. May 28 she called me screaming obscenities and condensed her usual 15 minute rant into 90 seconds.

C bought a new car for the move to California. One of the reasons she invited Sis on the trip is C is paranoid about driving and wanted Sis to do most of the driving. Sis is also paranoid about driving. When she called me I was afraid that they had an accident. When I pleaded with her to tell me where she was she kept repeating, "I'm on my way to heaven, you fucking ugly cunt! You won't be able to stop me from committing suicide now will you, you disgusting bitch?" This terrified me.

Dad called Sis and found out that the apartment C had reserved was no longer available. She is trying to find an apartment but she has bad credit. Sis called me when C was at an interview. She was finally alone and able to let her pent up stress out... on me.

I don't know what is going on out there in California but it can't be going that well if she's talking about suicide and going to heaven.