Control

Nathan has been in the hospital for several days. Over the last couple of days he has felt pretty well, but is just here isolated to his room. He can't do much and way too many things that he has to do (take medicine, get a daily shot, etc, etc) are dictated by others. He is definitely feeling the loss of control and beginning to rebel against it by attempting to assert control. Quite unfortunately, and probably none too surprisingly, he has chosen two things that he can have no control over to attempt to refuse. He tries to refuse receiving his nightly shot. He is here in the hospital because he got a fever while his immune system is compromised. The shot helps boost white blood cell production. We can't skip that. (Susan and I have a few control issues over this one as well since when at home we can do this via IV but here they insist on doing it via shots). The shots are actually no big deal. He has received them hundreds of times probably over the last three years and they don't really hurt him much at all. He just doesn't want them.

The other thing has has begun to try and refuse is to wash his hands after he uses the restroom. We really can't have that. This morning we stood in his bathroom for about five minutes with him saying, "I am *not* going to wash my hands". Finally he gave in. I hope our stays in the bathroom don't get any longer. I had the nurse explain the importance of hygiene this morning. Sometimes he listens better to others than he does to me.