Rages and hospital transfers

[Guest guest]

We are on the waiting list to see Dr. Cohen. We have been working on this

since October and have been told that it could easily be another six months

before the kids are seen. They did say that if our son needs to be hospitalized

again that they would accept a transfer. He has been in the hospital five times

this school year.

Our DS has a ? diagnosis of bipolar II. He has fluctuating moods that change

ten times in ten minutes. He has been stable for the past year on 0.125 mg

risperdal. He has had severe pain since September and we have tried

various drugs. Recently he took Periactin and Elavil which made him gain

about 40 pounds. He is now about 150 lbs (15 yrs old). He is now off those

meds but his mood has not improved much. His mood, which had been

stable, started fluctuating when he started the Elavil. I am worried that he

will

hurt himself. He has a history of cutting. He is on neurontin for pain control

(some help, maybe). This evening after the rage he started vomiting for about

an hour. He also had a bloody nose. Then his headache went up. It had been

about a 6 all day but went up to 8-9.

At what point to I ask that he be hospitalized again and at what point do we

ask for a hospital transfer? How do we know if Dr. Cohen is even there?

He has no mito diagnosis at this point. Just a diagnosis of probable metabolic

disease from two neurologists after autonomic testing and blood work.

[Guest guest]

Try calling Cohen's nurse directly. She will be able to tell you if he is there or not. Also he is very good on returning phonecalls, usually the same day. I understand your frustration about getting an appointment with him, I have been through it. It is hard to accept, but he has a hard enough time keeping up with his established patients. He really does try, there is just a lack of good mito doc's. Once you finally get your appointment, you will understand he really is a very compasionate person.