of Lyonesse, Tristram

Reason for Visit: psychiatric episode

Patient Intake Information-

Weight: 9.88 stone

Height: 68 inches

Blood Type: AB+

Blood Pressure: 100/78

X-rays: NA

MRI: Obvious signs of abnormalities

CT: NA

The patient was found wandering outside of the hospital by a maintenance employee. He claims that he was looking for Camelot and the employee explained that he was currently at the Camelot ER. The employee notices that the patient did not comprehend where he was and decides to bring the patient into the lobby. Front desk employees admit patient to room 10 for a psychiatric assessment. The patient is asked if he knew how he got to the ER and he began to tell a story that he claimed was his own. Some of the story is nonsensical, but most is understandable. Patent claims to have begun his journey with setting out to Cornwall. He said that while on this adventure, he did many glorious deeds including "saving King Arthur from an enchantress." At this time a fMRI is ordered by the psychiatrist to check for signs of schizophrenic tendency signs in the brain. When the patient returns, he continues on with his story, speaking of a meeting with his royal true love. Patient claims that he soon found out that his dear friend had been writing secret love letters to his queen. At this time the patient is growing angry and his blood pressure begins to rise to an abnormal level. An IV of nicardipine is promptly administered. Patient continues on to say that one of the letters found its way into his own hands. He states that he then decided to advance towards his two betrayers with his sword before his traitor of a friend jumped out of a window to avoid the blade.

The patient begins to then laugh maniacally as he explains that he was determined to find the coward, and even cut off the head of a horse whose rider got in his way. He says that he continued to ride his own horse until he was deep into a forest and happened to find a friend. Then he explains that his heart was so heavy that the sight of his friend caused him to unmount his horse and sleep at his feet for three nights. He claims that a damsel found him and woke him up from slumber. She consoled him, but he claims to want to feel the pain... and that he would try to hide from the woman to "void her kind words." He states that he finally was able to flee, and make his way to his lover's castle once again. A security guard is ordered to post up at the room when he continues on with the story, claiming to have attempted to starve himself when given food by the castle servants. Again, he makes the statement of wanting to feel pain as he said that he made his way back to the forest, stripped of all clothing and armor. He states that all he needed to have covering his skin were his tears. He claims to have been regularly beaten by men of the forest, and that they cut hair from his beard and head. He says that the only enjoyment he had in life was playing tricks on those passing through the forest, as he would assault them.

At this time, the patient's story becomes difficult to follow. It was understood that the patient essentially became a madman of the forest. He then attempts to claim that he single-handedly killed a giant. Upon killing this giant, he says that the people of the land were grateful for his bravery....and therefore decided to return to the castle yet again. He says that the only one who actually recognized him upon his arrival was his dog. The patient now begins to sob uncontrollably as he continues on by saying that a rumor had been spread by his own woman, Isolde, that he had died. He concludes his story by saying that he was banished from Cornwall for seven years, and decided to make his way to Camelot at the request of King Arthur.

At this time, the psychiatrist orders for a room to be made available for the patient in the psychiatric ward of the main hospital branch in Downtown Camelot. Transportation services are called and scheduled to arrive within the hour. The patient will undergo treatment until he no longer believes that giants are real (minimum). Assessments will continue on a weekly basis and medications will be ordered accordingly. *No information on patient address or contacts are available at this time.

Author's Note: The story of Tristram's madness was one of my favorite to read in the text by Maude Radford Warren. It was one that made me laugh due to its exceptionally extreme response of Tristram by hearing that another man was sending his woman love letters. I thought it was great that when Tristram chased him down, he decided to jump out of a window to avoid death. Some people are able to handle information like this much better than Tristram did, as he basically went mad. I was not aware of how Tristram became a character in the life of King Arthur, but I really appreciated how this story gave some of that background information. It did, however, make me question as to whether or not King Arthur would have invited him to Camelot if he was aware if the recent crazy acts that Tristram had just done. I had a really good time writing this story, as it isn't far off from many of the stories that I had sadly heard when I volunteered at a local ER. Some people are so mentally ill, that they need long-term help in institutions like psychiatric wards or in-patient facilities. (This is also where I learned that nicardipine is administered via IV to lower blood pressure.)