Quote:
Originally Posted by SamIam
I think this confusion may be due to a condition called encephalopathy in the med articles. Apparently the brain becomes damaged by the high amount of toxins in the blood of someone with severe liver disease. The condition only worsens from what I can tell from my reading.
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It's the Holy Shit Syndrome: Where all you can think is Holy Shit.
Or maybe it's hard to think after someone says you have a terminal illness and you aren't going to make it. Instant confusion. You don't even have to add water.....
And while you are seeing the doctors the confusion and stress increases and they start jabbing you with things etc. etc...and you leave the office and you are sure, the old up is the new down or something. It helps to have someone there with their head on at least halfway if not straight- is my only point. I did this for my husband because he gets stressed out, confused, and can't remember everything that was said or what happened, or could even remember what questions he wanted to ask, and ask them. (sometimes he'll even remember asking the question and not know the answer)
They never asked me if we were related by the way. They assumed.
Don't ask HIPAA for their opinion. It's apropriate always to help your friends in the best way you know how. If that means being their spokesperson for a minute because of the huge wave of crap landing on them...do it. It's not a sneaky thing you are doing...... If you are in the examination room with him you are obviously close enough to him to ask the important questions when he cannot. They don't expect their patients under extreme duress to manage every little detail by themselves I'm sure. It is expected that the terminally ill is accompanied by the closest at hand. (well, in a sane world)
Don't sweat that teeeny tiny stuff. If your friend needs answers, well, get them. You don't have to pull a doctor aside, your friend needs to know his own condition and has a right to have it explained in the terms, and when he can understand it.
Oh yea....and good luck...lemme know if you need anything!!!