“But she was gone.” We returned multiple times over the next few weeks. She remained gone.
Until our reunion, where we found Emily in her usual place. She had gone shopping and not back to the hospital as we had feared.
On the previous visit, Emily’s blood pressure had been erratic yet on the low side, so we prescribed a lower dose medication. When we caught up with her again, her pressure was even lower, so we stopped the hypertension medication altogether. Her blood pressure remained normal as we continued our follow-up visits. However, other medical and mental health issues began to emerge.
We saw that Emily’s space at the motel was getting more and more crowded with the items that she had been accumulating. There was little space for her to maneuver, much less the MedStreet team. Her neighbors reported said that she was talking to herself and had become very leery of others, even neighbors whom she knew well. She was clearly self-isolating. She had become a hoarder and was complaining about the “voices” that kept talking to her. The voices chattering throughout the night keeping her awake. She was eating poorly and had generally started to decompensate. Her hygiene continued to decline.
MedStreet’s medical focus is now on Emily’s mental health and hygiene issues. We have prescribed and are monitoring psychiatric medications, and her conditions seem to be improving some. But she is not out of the woods.
Emily’s story is a typical one for MedStreet. We see it all – hypertension, diabetes, respiratory problems, psychiatric issues. But, caring for our neighbors – no matter the situation – is all we do. One person at a time. One place at a time. Our all-volunteer teams bring healing and hope to those who are less fortunate, those whose access to medical care is slim, if nonexistent.