Paul Schommer
Donation protected
4/26/19 Update: NOTHING (not even treatment of the physical injuries or ambulance ride) will be covered because this was self inflicted, so we are updating the goal of this fundraiser. Paul has been transferred to Psych today where they are looking at beginning an expensive treatment Monday which is 90% effective for people with treatment resistant depression. Please keep in mind this site takes its cut so if you would like to send something to the house along with words of love, support, and encouragement it would be greatly appreciated.
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Instead of traditional insurance Paul is part of a co-op so they can choose not to cover anything. Paul has been getting treatment for what he called his medical resistant depression for quiet a long time and it has never been covered at all and completely out of pocket. In addition to the ambulance ride and hospital treatment for his physical injuries he will be going to in-patient treatment for mental health and the last thing I want him worrying about is how much it costs.
I would like to start off by pointing out this was NOT a cry for help. If left without interference my dad would have been successful at ending his life.
On Friday I talked to my dad on the phone around 6:30 p.m, my mom got a text from him around 9. He was supposed to join my mother in Walnut Grove for Easter on Saturday and even talked to his dad on Friday and said he would be stopping in Winsted on his way out there. My mom became increasingly worried as she called and texted and had no answer. Eventually she called the neighbors and asked them to check on him. They had a key and she told them if he doesn’t answer to go in anyways. They found him unconscious on the garage floor with severe carbon monoxide poisoning. I was told he was talking before he left the house by ambulance. They had to take him to Hennepin County Medical Center because that is the only hospital that had the treatment he needed.
The treatment he needed for carbon monoxide poisoning is the hyperbaric chamber I’ve also heard this referred to as a pressure chamber and dive. When my mom first saw him, she said he was grey and looked dead. There was a high concern about organ failure and muscle deterioration when he was first admitted. While traveling I received some text message updates from my mom, “They said he recently got back from the pressure chamber. While he was in the chamber they gave him something to calm him so he isn’t as restless.”
“While a person is down for as long as he was their fluids in the body backs up and turns brown. He is being filled with fluids to help move things and get his kidneys working. He is peeing. That’s good. I think he has a long road ahead of him physically and it will be up to him when he will be evaluated mentally. I have him on the prayer network at Saint Paul’s.”
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While his physical symptoms have been improving each day, we are still highly concerned about the future of his mental health. I truly believe what caused him to take action was withdrawal from a prescription medication, however this does not give me much hope that he may find himself hopeless again which is why we are going to try more intense and invasive options.
What Paul wants you to know:
In his words it is an indirect result of a medication side effect. To help others understand the emotional pain he was in he said it was worse than when his son Josh died. He now asks for your support and forgiveness.
A message from Ann (Paul’s wife) 4/29/19:
I needed time to process what has happened in my family before sharing with all of you. As hard as it is to write this I realize it is important to share to help educate for Mental Health.
I know Paul has touched many lives in a positive way and I think it is important for him to know who you are. Many of you know he has been battling with depression for a very long time. It is my hope by opening up and sharing Paul’s story and how it affects others than I can see something very positive come out of this horrific journey he has been on.
It also is important to know I am a very private person and it has taken prayer and discerning to come to this point to open up and become vulnerable. Understand it has always been very hard for me to accept help from others. Today I realized I cannot walk this path alone. I do need help. With that in mind be patient with me as I am at the crossroad of always being the helper to the receiving side of life. I know I will not always know what help I need and will continue to do things in life myself. Understand I may not always be able to take your call or reply to an email/text. With this site it is my hope to be able to keep you updated and informed with Paul.
Most importantly it is to help Paul on the road to recovery and to continue the amazing journey life can and will be.
----
Instead of traditional insurance Paul is part of a co-op so they can choose not to cover anything. Paul has been getting treatment for what he called his medical resistant depression for quiet a long time and it has never been covered at all and completely out of pocket. In addition to the ambulance ride and hospital treatment for his physical injuries he will be going to in-patient treatment for mental health and the last thing I want him worrying about is how much it costs.
I would like to start off by pointing out this was NOT a cry for help. If left without interference my dad would have been successful at ending his life.
On Friday I talked to my dad on the phone around 6:30 p.m, my mom got a text from him around 9. He was supposed to join my mother in Walnut Grove for Easter on Saturday and even talked to his dad on Friday and said he would be stopping in Winsted on his way out there. My mom became increasingly worried as she called and texted and had no answer. Eventually she called the neighbors and asked them to check on him. They had a key and she told them if he doesn’t answer to go in anyways. They found him unconscious on the garage floor with severe carbon monoxide poisoning. I was told he was talking before he left the house by ambulance. They had to take him to Hennepin County Medical Center because that is the only hospital that had the treatment he needed.
The treatment he needed for carbon monoxide poisoning is the hyperbaric chamber I’ve also heard this referred to as a pressure chamber and dive. When my mom first saw him, she said he was grey and looked dead. There was a high concern about organ failure and muscle deterioration when he was first admitted. While traveling I received some text message updates from my mom, “They said he recently got back from the pressure chamber. While he was in the chamber they gave him something to calm him so he isn’t as restless.”
“While a person is down for as long as he was their fluids in the body backs up and turns brown. He is being filled with fluids to help move things and get his kidneys working. He is peeing. That’s good. I think he has a long road ahead of him physically and it will be up to him when he will be evaluated mentally. I have him on the prayer network at Saint Paul’s.”
----
While his physical symptoms have been improving each day, we are still highly concerned about the future of his mental health. I truly believe what caused him to take action was withdrawal from a prescription medication, however this does not give me much hope that he may find himself hopeless again which is why we are going to try more intense and invasive options.
What Paul wants you to know:
In his words it is an indirect result of a medication side effect. To help others understand the emotional pain he was in he said it was worse than when his son Josh died. He now asks for your support and forgiveness.
A message from Ann (Paul’s wife) 4/29/19:
I needed time to process what has happened in my family before sharing with all of you. As hard as it is to write this I realize it is important to share to help educate for Mental Health.
I know Paul has touched many lives in a positive way and I think it is important for him to know who you are. Many of you know he has been battling with depression for a very long time. It is my hope by opening up and sharing Paul’s story and how it affects others than I can see something very positive come out of this horrific journey he has been on.
It also is important to know I am a very private person and it has taken prayer and discerning to come to this point to open up and become vulnerable. Understand it has always been very hard for me to accept help from others. Today I realized I cannot walk this path alone. I do need help. With that in mind be patient with me as I am at the crossroad of always being the helper to the receiving side of life. I know I will not always know what help I need and will continue to do things in life myself. Understand I may not always be able to take your call or reply to an email/text. With this site it is my hope to be able to keep you updated and informed with Paul.
Most importantly it is to help Paul on the road to recovery and to continue the amazing journey life can and will be.
Organizer and beneficiary
Elizabeth Gaedke
Organizer
Andover, MN
Paul Schommer
Beneficiary