I always figured that I would never post about patients here because of confidentiality issues, but ... here goes. Allow me to explain.
Today I saw a long-term patient with bipolar disorder. She is elderly and lives with her son and daughter-in-law. Since moving in with them, she has done wonderfully. She and her son were here for her 3-month check-up, and she appeared to be doing great.
Now, for years she had told me that she was working on a book. I figured that she was telling the truth, but a small part of me always wondered if she was having a mild delusion about being an author one day. Then, today her son said that she had made the local paper because she had published her book. There was a nice feature article on her life story and her comeback after a coma and multiple medical problems. The story was released on the AP newswire and has been picked up and published by the Richmond paper. Who knows where else her story will spread.
So, imagine my surprise and joy when her son gave me a copy of her new book, Timothy Meadowmouse. She signed it for me, and now I'll have something special to read to Nolan. She and her son talked about reprinting the article for my office use to inspire people with chronic mental illness. With that offer, I knew they wouldn't mind me sharing her story with you guys.
Wait, that didn't come out right. Or maybe it did.
Rita's story Timothy Meadowmouse
