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Part I | Part II | Part III

I decided the best thing to do was to stay silent and hopefully Andy would forget I even existed. Andy’s delusions were becoming increasingly elaborate. Phil turned out to be his former best friend and housemate. Andy was now in the magistrates court and everybody in the ward was a character in this delusion.

For example the urinal bottle was now a jug of water and Andy would periodically fill his glass… from the urinal bottle – much to the nurses’ distress. Psych Guy 2 was letting Andy wander around the room. And he accused one of the other men in the room of stealing his mobile phone the only problem was the mobile phone was the controller for the TV.

Here I was in bed with the covers over my head (that’s how I like to sleep) I am unable to move at all and there is a potentially violent crazy person wandering around the room. Most of what I’ve described above is put together simply from what I heard.

I must have drifted off to sleep, because the next thing I remember is Andy yelling at me right next to my bed. All he would need to do is reach out and disconnect the hose from my ventilator (this properly wouldn’t kill me as I can breathe a little on my own) or worse throttle me.

I was too busy freaking out to actually hear anything he was saying. Although I was calmer than I thought I would be in this situation.

Me: Look I am not Phil. You have got me confused with somebody else. I do not owe you $70,000.

Andy: Bull-fucking-shit, You Bastard!

This seemed to wake psych guy two up and he managed with great difficulty to wrestle Andy back into bed. I immediately tried to call out the nurse with zero response. I’ve waited five minutes and called out again…no response.

Andy was walking around the room again and thankfully was choosing some of the other residents to pick on. The others were very sick, but at least they had a chance of defending themselves. He got into an argument with the guy next to me and the guy told told him to piss off. On his way back through the bed he grabbed hold of the foot of my bed and gave a shake. This gave me a hell of a fright, what was he to do next push me out of bed?

I was still yelling out the nurses every five minutes and I still had no response. I asked one of the other guys in the room to press their buzzer. To my astonishment they all refused.

Cancer Dude One: why don’t you just shut up?

Me: I… by haven’t you heard what I explain to Andy? I can’t move this is the only way I could call out. For fuck Sake (I said this last part quietly)

I have experienced this before, when a weaker person is being picked on by a bully people will often side with a bully rather than stick up for the weaker person-especially if that person is irritating. Eventually Psych Guy Two saw what was happening and pressed my buzzer for me.

About 10 minutes later a nurse finally came in. The relief I felt was like nothing I’d ever felt before it was actually a few moments before I was able to speak. Almost suppressed fear and paranoia threatened to bubble to the surface.

Me: somebody is threatening me.

Nurse One: Who?

Me: Andy.

Nurse One: Andy is harmless.

Me: try telling Andy that. He has been wandering around shaking my bed arguing with everybody and he thinks that I owe him $70,000. Do you understand why I am scared?

Nurse One: Jesus. We will have to get you out of this room.

Finally my nightmare was over. Five minutes after this my stepdad and friend arrived. Andy went completely off the deep end. He kept screaming out for the magistrate. Andy was now had a nightmare of his own. The most stressful part of his life was being replayed in his head, it had something to do with his former best friend Phil and the $70,000.

Eventually he became violent and the nurses were first to call a code grey. Three large men came into the room picked him up and held on to the bed and while they strapped him down and injected him with a sedative. This should have been enough to put an elephant to sleep but Andy was still straining against the restraints and screaming at much reduced volume.

I was moved to a new room and then finally to a new ward. I don’t feel any anger towards Andy as he was sick and it would be really difficult to be in his position. I am a little angry at the Austin hospital, somebody like him should be in a psychiatric ward or at least a private room where he is unable to threaten other patients. I was very angry at the government of Victoria government as there obviously is not enough psychiatric beds and they should fund more of them.

The Austin has probably saved my life on more than one occasion all the staff are usually very good and overall they do a good job. It is just a shame that this episode has shaken my faith in this hospital.

Part I | Part II | Part III