Wasting the Day in Bedlam/7

Please note: These entries were transcribed from illegible handwriting and the bracketed words may or may not be correct.

First month, 20th day, 28 ABY

Mail call today, and to Zuckuss’s surprise, he received a letter! The letter was from Miss Cami Sookanado, Zuckuss’s former cellmate. Miss Sookanado provided Zuckuss with an address for [illegible] further [correspondence], and she discussed how her life has been. She is soon to be attending classes in psychology and she expressed interest in becoming an advocate for former hunters who are dealing with the same troubles as ourselves. Zuckuss is happy for Miss Sookanado and wishes her the guidance of the mists to see her through.

Zuckuss also had read through the [illegible] pamflets [sic] and other material provided to him, and conversed briefly with Dr. Karastee concerning his upcoming shocks. He is also to receive an exam and diagnostic testing to assess his heart in preparation.

He is scared. He will not mince words; he is scared. Did he make the right decision? He knows that he signed the flimsiwork, as Zuckuss is a bit better at monitoring his actions when the Corellian is in [illegible] control. He can even talk to the Corellian, and the Corellian talks to him. So, Zuckuss [knows] that he consented to the treatment.

The pamflets [sic] detailed the procedure and provided imagery. The information, while it assuaged some concern, has only prompted others. Zuckuss is scared. Will it hurt? He knows that he will be asleep for it, but, he is still concerned. And what of the effects on his memory? How bad will they be? Did he make the right [illegible] decision?

Dr. Karastee offered to allow Zuckuss to see the treatment room and further explain the equipment [involved]. She also told him that his treatments will be done in the OR, where it is air locked and can be filled with ammonia, as Zuckuss cannot wear his mask during the procedure. He is [illegible] to receive a course of six treatments, [illegible] three treatments a week, and then a "maintenance" treatment after a few months of assessment.

Zuckuss is scared. He is scared that he may be making a [illegible] big mistake...

''Doctor’s note: Zuckuss’s concerns on ECT are valid, as the procedure does cause some memory loss. This amnesia is usually limited to the time directly before and immediately after the treatment, and is usually accompanied by some confusion. However, this usually clears up within hours. There have been some reports about individuals experiencing bad outcomes, in which large portions of their memories had been irreparably damaged, but these reports are outweighed by positive outcomes experienced by many other patients. Unfortunately, the parts that the general public focuses on are usually the bad outcomes.''

''In my own practice, my patients fared better after a course of ECT. Therefore, I am confident that this procedure will benefit Zuckuss in a shorter amount of time than yet another course of drug therapy. His current medication causes side-effects that are distressing to him, and if he were to be started on a new course of medication, the side-effects would only get worse. Drug therapy, particularly antipsychotic medication, runs the risk of the patient developing sometimes permanent neuromuscular defects, such as twitching and other involuntary movements. Zuckuss already displays a tremor in his hands, and additional medication will only make it more pronounced.''

''You will notice in this entry that Zuckuss’s derailment is less prominent. When the Uncanny One is present, Zuckuss’s disorganized thought pattern is not as evident. He is more lucid, he is able to stay on topic, and he is less withdrawn. It is interesting to note that this personality is not prone to the hallucinations or delusions. This is the personality that I am trying to help Zuckuss make more prominent, while his Corellian personality is the one that I would like to integrate. Seeing as how the latter is the more active of the two and allocates time to the Uncanny One, this will prove to be a long and difficult road. However, the goal is to return Zuckuss to a level where he can function independently in society, and once we get his schizophrenia into remission, then we will be a step closer toward his recovery. &mdash;Dr. Gawynn Karastee''