Withdraw….

April 20, 2017

Den stopped using the Fentynol patch last night. I made sure he got his melatonin pill before bed and prayed for the best. Surprisingly, Den slept OK. I was bracing for a terrible night with the opioids taken away. Maybe it is a sign of good things to come and an easy withdraw. (I would be proven wrong in the coming days.)

I asked Den when he got up this morning, if he wanted a NORCO pill. He said no. I was shocked that he didn’t want it, since I could see he was in a little pain, but I was not going to argue with him on this one. He said that he was going to start doing the exercises that the doctor had suggested to help strengthen his weakened back muscles. He started with doing 10 reps of 5 of the sitting sit-ups. When he was done he said that he could feel the muscles working and that he would do them every morning and every evening.

April 21, 2017

Den had a very hard time sleeping last night. I told him that it was the withdraw from the pain meds, but he was too worked up to hear me completely. Neither one of us slept much, but I have to go to work today. It’s going to be a very long day.

Den called me several times during the day. He is going through withdraw and all I can do is calm him down and try to get him back to an even keel. It is working for the most part, but I know that he wishes that I was home today to help him through the day.

I picked up Em after school and dropped her off at home. I told her what the day had been like and reminded her to take it easy on her dad. She said she understood and I told her to call me if it got out of hand at home. She agreed and I went back to work.

I did check in with them both before the end of my workday. Em was close to the end of her rope with the strange and constant requests from her dad. She said that at times he would be irrational about the smallest thing and go off on her. I reminded her that it was the withdraw causing the sudden swings in his mood and that it would only last for a few days. She was calm again by the time we hung up and I know she was glad when I got home to take over helping Den.

Den was a little irrational and very irritable. I know what she must have gone through with him while I needed to be at work. We all did the best we could and I kept reminding myself and everyone that this was just a temporary state. It was all going to smooth out in a few days and then we could all get back to what was normal for us.