Sunday, August 13, 2017

Peace Shattered by an Alert

For the past two weeks, I’ve experienced a situation that threatened my inner peace. My contentment. This posting recounts the highlights of the saga!  

About three weeks ago, I signed up to use an alert system. Because of the vertigo caused by Meniere’s Disease and because my compromised vision has affected my balance, I opted for a “fall” pennant to wear around my neck. It would alert the company if I fell and perhaps became unconscious and so couldn’t press the recessed button. I could also press the button if I needed other medical help.

The box with the equipment—help monitor with aerial, fall pennant, regular pennant, wrist pennant, and lockbox—arrived a week later. However, before I even opened the box to activate the system, three firemen showed up at my door at 7:00 am because they’d received an alert. Relieved that I was okay, they were puzzled by an alert from an un-activated system.




That afternoon, my sister-in-law activated the system for me. However, the problem persisted. Within the next ten days, I received seven calls from the company saying they’d gotten an alert from my home. Was I okay?

Each time, I told them I was fine and that I’d pressed no button. In fact, I wasn’t even wearing the pennant. I’d laid it flat on a table with a ceramic cup over it so that it wouldn’t be accidentally jostled by one of the cats.

I felt as if I were living with a time bomb.

At any time, whether I was in the house or not, some ghost, goblin, or poltergeist might press the button. Or . . . more likely . . . a piece of defective equipment might go off. If I weren’t in the house to answer the call from the alert company, the firemen would show up. If that happened more than twice, I’d be paying an extra fee.

Daily I feared getting a call during the early hours of the morning and not hearing it. Because of Meniere’s, I’m deaf in my left ear. So if I sleep on my right ear, I can’t hear the phone. If the company called to say they’d gotten an alert, I wouldn’t hear the phone ringing. The company would then call the fire station. That’s what happened when the unopened box was on my kitchen table. I didn’t want it happening again. So my sleep became restless.

Midway through the two-week period, I endeavored to cancel the service, but I let the rep convince me that all would be well. Yet nothing changed.

So this past Saturday morning, after being awakened at 1:10 am with an alert, I canceled the contract. I’ve sent back the equipment and, after mailing it, shouted “Free at last! Free at last!” as I reentered my home. Last night I slept well with no worry that I’d be receiving a card to interrupt my dreaming.

The idea of an alert now that I have more physical problems was a good one—but the actuality stressed my life. I’m now trusting that “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be exceedingly well” as Julian of Norwich said so many centuries ago. Her words got me through Meniere’s. They will, I trust, be with me as I journey into an older and older version of Dee Ready.

That experience left be bereft of contentment for two weeks. During that time a maelstrom of emotions swept through me: frustration, anger, tiredness, confusion, exasperation. I also felt a great deal of trepidation, but little genuine contentment. It’s contentment that I hope to write about next week. Peace.

Photograph from Wikipedia


26 comments:

  1. I can see how all those false alerts could drive anyone crazy--I hope you find peace!!

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    1. Dear Fishducky, now that the contraption is out of my house, I feel as if a great burden has been lifted from my brow! Peace.

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  2. I thought hard about an alert system, and that was back in 2010, when I had the stroke. I cannot wear anything around my neck, so as good as I found the idea intellectually, I couldn't do it practically. Then I realized my phone was as good as a button. I carry my phone in my pocket, and don't leave home without it. Could you do this?

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    1. Dear Joanne, thanks for this excellent suggestion. I've never really gotten used to cellphones, but given the frustration of this experience, I've decided to act on your suggestion and carry mine around with me in the house. I wear shorts or jeans or sweat pants all the times--so a pocket is always available to carry the phone in. It's curious, but that just never occurred to me! Thanks again. Peace.

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  3. Like so many things the Alert system is brilliant when working as it should - and a major stressor at other times.

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    1. Dear EC, did you see Joanne's suggestion in the comment above? I'm going to get used to being a cell phone user and that will serve as my ability to get help. Peace.

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    2. I did see Joanne's suggestion. It is a start, but doesn't help if you are unconcious or have lost control of your hands.

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    3. Dear EC, you're right, the cellphone is a start, but the being unconscious is something else. That happened to me with Meziere's. I fell in the kitchen and banged the back of my head on the linoleumed floor. I don't know how long I was unconscious. When I came to, I was still in the midst of an acute rotational vertigo episode and so I crawled to the couch and crawled up on it and tried to enter the episode and simply be within it. That's how I came to peace with meniere's. Peace.

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  4. That was a nightmare. You hung in longer than I would have. Perhaps because it was lying flat on the table, it thought you were flat on the floor. Regardless, surely not worth the aggravation.

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    1. Dear Patty, the company tells a new subscriber not to wear the pennant while in bed. I was told to lay it flat on a table so I could reach it during the night. The company doesn't want anyone to wear it while sleeping because of the hazard of "getting strangled"--that's what the rep said--with the neck cord. Peace.

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  5. That's a great idea about the cellphone. And there sure was something wrong with that alert system! Yikes!

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    1. Dear DJan, yes, something definitely wrong with the system--I'm thinking defective equipment. As to the cellphone idea, please look at Elephant Child's second comment above. It's worth pondering. Peace.

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  6. there are more than one company and product. Research to find the most dependable. And see if the supplier can hook you up with a representative who will work with you, teach you how to use the pendant.

    My mom had one, used it, and it saved her life.

    While the cell phone is useful, E.C. is absolutely right. It does not help if you can't use it.

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    1. Dear Susan, I'm going to relax from the stress for a few days and then do that research you suggest. I know it could be life-saving to have such a device. Peace.

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  7. Yes cell phone is my choice. Both Buddy and hubby have one and carry them in case needed as do I . At night mine is in airplane mode on my night thable and I reach for it to see time now and then. If I feel unwell I leace it in call mode. I have Siri activated and can say hey Siri cal l ... and it asks to confirm and call is made by Siri. You can preset phone to use as speaker phone so you can talk directly to help. It does not help if one is passed out .
    And this is the iPhone system.There are others.
    Glad peace is returning.

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    1. Dear Heidrun, I'm going to research more companies and other options and then try again. Peace.

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  8. I am a community healthcare worker and I hang those alert bells on countless necks each week and I have never heard of this. In fact, they have to be tested monthly to make sure they are actually working. The company should have sent you a new one immediately. With your condition I encourage you to try a different company or even the same company with a different pendant.

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    1. Dear Birdie, I will do some research and then try to figure out just what to do because I am sure that some system is trustworthy and could be life-saving. Peace.

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  9. It's so aggravating when something that should relieve stress actually causes it. I'm so sorry that happened to you, Dee.

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    1. Dear Rian, yes! I'm going to try again, but oh, I'm dreading doing so because this first experience was so stressful. Peace.

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  10. We have set up Alexa dots in a few rooms. We have downloaded an app that I think is "Call My Buddy". If one of us is hurt or in need of help, we just call out to Alexa to call my buddy and it contacts five people we have chosen to alert that we are in trouble. We tried it out and it works, although it has its limits. We do like our Alexa dots ($35 to $50 each).for many reasons (including listening to music) but this app makes us feel safer.

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    1. Dear Arleen, thank you for all this good information. I'll do some research on an Alexa and the app and make some decisions. Like you, I want to feel safe in my home. Peace.

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  11. Oh dear Dee! What a harrowing experience! I've known others to have had such success with these medical alert devices and you obviously received one that was defective, but I think you're right for now to just trust all will be well! Maybe another time you'll be ready to try again or maybe there will be another similar device you could trust. I'm glad you're now sleeping better and experiencing greater peace of mind! ox

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    1. Dear Debra, so delightful to know you've come to the blog and left a message. Thank you. I am so glad that alert system's equipment is out of my house! I will try something else when I feel equal to the task . . . right now I'm being sort of lackadaisical. I've so enjoyed what you've shared of your Amtrak trips. Peace.

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  12. Dear Dee, thank you for the lovely comment you left on my last post. I'm feeling better already but a lot is changing now and I don't know yet what life has in store for me. I hope it all goes well.
    As for your alert troubles... I can see how that can be increadibly stressful. I hope you're getting a good nights sleep and some peace and quiet.

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    1. Dear Baiba, I'm relieved that you are feeling better. The thing is, life is one change after another and we live in hope and expectation that all shall be well. And the truth is that somehow, at least for me, all does work out for well.

      I am sleeping better! Peace.

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