Regarding insulin sheets

[KaTee]

I have spent the last hour trying to find an image of an insulin sheet online to no avail. I drew a picture but don't know if I attached it properly. It was basically made out of the same material as a straight jacket. There were either 3 or 4 sets of straps( two per tie down )made of the same cloth attached along the sides with one set of straps on each corner. It covered me from neck to ankles. First staff would tie down one side of the bed including the corners to the bed rails then they would cinch it down tightly on the other side of the bed and finally tie off the last two corners. One time I managed to put my head under the sheet and the staff took the restraints, ( the leathers with a metal bar that went through a slot) turned them and placed it around my neck and latched me to the bed that way, but they were told that it could be a choking hazard! Like they gave a flying flip. One time they also restrained my upper arms with cuffs and attached them at the top of the bed. Kind of like those muscle guys who cannot close their arms. I bet you not even one of those staff could tolerate restraints for more than a few hours. Ah well, what can ya do?

[attachment=0:2q9pjgpa]insulin-sheet.jpg[/attachment:2q9pjgpa]

[Che Gookin]

wow.....

O.o... God damn. Did they ever take into consideration claustrophobia for the patients? I'm leaning towards probably not.

[Anonymous]

You leaned correctly Che. Their regard for patients was more along the lines of how much can we torture them. They were also more interested in scaring the other patients. It worked on me. I tried to blend into the walls as much as possible.

[KaTee]

Those folks take nothing into account. Like I said I could not even find a PICTURE of one. Part of my whole problem in restraints was that when I was asleep I would pull out of them sometimes. Big mistake there folks. Other times I could not take it anymore and would start taking them off. If you got a hand out and then used it to loosen the knot in the restraint cuff you could press the oft used leather together and slide it up over the slot making the hole nice and large. One day the patients and staff came back to the unit from the regular Wed. night off unit dinner and meeting to find me in just waist restraint with everything else lying about. It was the best two hours I had. I still think of it as my Christmas present to myself. Unfortunately the reprisals were swift and well....sorry still cannot talk about it. Glad the crude drawing was sufficient.

 :feedtrolls:

KaTee

[Che Gookin]

The picture leaves very little to the imagination and quite effectively portrays your intended point.

[iamartsy]

KaTee,
You hit the nail on the head. I remember the rush of men with the sheets and the screams that were muffled from down a hall. I remember the staff chasing people through those tiny wings and phsyically carrying them back to to their rooms. Then I would not see them for months, and if I dared walk near their room...You know what would have happened.

Then people went from restraints->room->room with DM->large lounge->classes->out the door (insurance ran out at 2-3 years). Time spent in restraints was usually 2 weeks - months on end. Room was about 9 months to one year. That was one year right there. Many people left with the psychosis of room and restraints still in place. I, too, used to worry about fires and the people in restraints as well as the rest of us. Those double locking cubicles would have been impossible to escape from in a fire.
IAmArtsy