Preview III - Rollercoaster Ride

Bumps In the Road

Chapter Fourteen

May 21

Larry was back to being argumentative, disagreeable, cantankerous, belligerent, self-centered and downright unpleasant. He also became even more unmotivated. If I didn't agree with him about something; he became very angry. He wouldn't discuss anything. He was very upset that he hadn't heard anything about the date for his Driving Assessment. It was another bump in the road. I e-mailed the ICBC therapist to let her know that he'd become very anxious about not hearing of a date for when he will be having the Assessment. She responded that she had heard nothing either.

June 9

Larry still had not got a date for his Assessment and was becoming angrier and more frustrated with each passing day. The ICBC therapist came to visit him and said, "I hear you've been getting a little bit cranky, Larry." She explained to him that things take time and he wasn't the only one waiting. She said that's bureaucracy.

Larry had earlier angrily called the ICBC coordinator and said he was going to drive the motorhonme to Kelowna on the first of July whether he had his license back or not. She told him she would make sure there were roadblocks up if he did. I began to wonder if they had slowed the process for him obtaining his license because of his high frustration and high irritability level as they did when they kept him in the hospital longer because of his poor behavior. I suggested to Larry that perhaps this was the case. I also suggested that they were not the ones to be having temper tantrums with because they were the ones who hold the powerr and determine when things are going to happen. He just became angrier with me.

During this period of time Larry continued to be very difficult. He was unable to contain his anger and frustration and took it out on me and the young grandchildren particularly. He seemed to be able to make an effort for other adults though. I tried talking to him in an effort to get him to attempt to contain his anger and frustrations but he always insisted that no fault lay with him, insisting instead that his problems were me, ICBC, the doctor or somebody else. He kept insisting that he didn't need an Assessment to get his license back; he knew how to use a clutch and a brake. I tried to explain that it was more than that; it was a cognitive test as well as a physical assessment. He insisted that if it took much longer, he'd drive anyway.