Encephalopathy

en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy
Pronunciation: in-"sef-eh-'läp-eh-thE

A disease of the brain involving alterations of brain structure. The hallmark of encephalopathy is an altered mental state. Common neurological symptoms are: Progressive loss of memory and cognitive ability, subtle personality changes, inability to concentrate, lethargy, and progressive loss of consciousness. Other neurological symptoms include involuntary twitching of a muscle or group of muscles, rapid, involuntary eye movement, tremor, muscle atrophy and weakness, dementia, seizures, and loss of ability to swallow or speak.


Mom: Please get me out of here. Please Jill. Please. I can't take it anymore.

Jill: Mom, you're in the hospital. They're taking care of you and when you're strong enough to go home you will.

Mom: Please. Please, Jill. Please take me home.

Jill shakes her head.

Mom: I've thought about suicide. I'm going to kill myself. I can't stay in this hellhole. They don't feed me. They don't wash their hands. They don't help me. They don't know I'm here.

Jill: Mom, you're not thinking clearly. You are OK. You're being taken care of...please don't talk that way. They'll put you in a sanitarium if you keep it up. You ate two eggs for breakfast. Do you remember?

Mom: I'm going to call your father and pay him any amount of money that he wants to get me out of here. I know you did this to me. I'll never forget that you put me in here. Please, take me home. Please get me out of here. I'll run away. I'm leaving. I'm not staying.

Jill: Mom, they've got restraints on you because you can't walk. You fell down last week and broke your sternum. Please, please relax. We love you and want you to get better. You just need to relax. You're OK. Say it with me now, You're OK. C'mon, you can say it...so I can hear you.

Mom: I'm not OK. My group is waiting for me. I need to catch the bus. I need to leave with my tour group.

Jill sighs deeply: The tour bus will wait for you mom, it's OK.