MONDAY MUSINGS: MY LEAST FAVORITE PLACE TO BE

 If you had to pick your least favorite place to be, where would that be?

It is not a difficult answer for me because if I had a choice I definitely would not have been there so much lately. In fact, the day I had to call my brother and inform him of my decision to go there with my Dad, he actually had to bring me my Dad's wallet. 

You might be wondering why I would need my Dad's wallet.  Any ideas?

If you guessed the hospital, you are 100% correct. 

My Dad had not been feeling well, in fact, the previous day while we were at a musical presentation, my Dad was bent over by the end of the hour. I thought maybe he had fallen asleep but when I persisted in asking him if he was okay, he reluctantly told he had a cramp in his side. Needless to say, we skipped going out to lunch. I got him home without conversation- Not normal for my Dad.

Upon his return home, there was a visit to the restroom with the pain subsiding and his color somewhat returning. I kept him sitting up trying to get him to drink water. He never drinks enough water but asked for some warmed-up milk with his jello snack. Ok, a liquid.

He looked better but exhausted and took his daily afternoon nap on time. His day continued as normal as far as I knew.

The following day we had another LifeQuest class to attend but it was an earlier morning class. I had decided before arriving if he did not want to go, we were not going. He was dressed when I arrived but his color was worse and he was moving very slowly. I asked him how he felt and if he felt like going. His aide responded my brother had come over to take his blood pressure after the night aide called him with concern. It was low, but that is not abnormal for him.

I looked at his color again and discussed with the aide that I felt he was dehydrated. After a couple of calls, I discovered neither his doctor's office nor the urgent care centers give IVs. Hmmmm. 

We, my brother included, would be going directly to the ER (emergency room) arriving unknowingly on the day after the hospital had their busiest day ever. One lady had been waiting for a room since early that morning. 

Dad's vitals were taken and symptoms discussed. We waited and waited and there was just a handful of folks waiting. Blood work followed as did an MRI and finally an IV which took more than one try.   

By midafternoon we were taken into an examination room where he was whisked away to be scanned again. Had the IV done the trick?His color was still off but he seemed better. His heart rate was up but whose wouldn't be?

Then came the consult. Dad would need to stay overnight in the hospital. He had an infection and would receive the antibiotic in the drip and in the morning he would be scoped about a kidney stone issue and to see something else was going on. He would be moved from the examining room when a hospital bed was available. I ran home to get some essentials for him and my brother stayed with him.  

I returned and relieved my brother. A hospitalist had visited with my brother. After my brother took off, the urologist who had been practicing 35 years enters with a big smile as it turns out he was one of my Dad's students. He had very good news that big kidney stone was old and not blocking anything. Good news indeed but my Dad would need to still be scoped and drained as something else was going on...

So the 'move' wait began. An hour passes and I need to use the rest room but I could not open the door to the hallway. It was like the Twilight Zone. Had I closed it incorrectly? My worst nightmare stuck in a hospital. BUT my Dad was sleeping and not wanting to disturb my Dad who held the call button, I waited and waited until I could wait no longer and finally buzzed the nurse. From the other door marked staff in came a nurse who informed me the entire hospital was on lockdown due to some crazy and it was serious and I could not leave the room. I told her adamantly, " I really have to go." She leaves and returns with one of those potty chairs. Well, when you gotta go, you gotta go. 

That lockdown lasted 3 hours and I made up my mind during that time, it could be morning before a room was available, I was going home to sleep when that door unlocked. (You see there was just a desk chair in that room for me to sit on. The nurse did promise to contact me when my Dad had a room.

The call never came and when I returned by 7 the following day, his examining bed was emptied and made. You've seen those movies, my heart skipped a beat. I opened the friggin staff only door to stand its doorway to ask about his whereabouts. He had just been moved upstairs. 

The bad drained stuff 

The saga continued. Another MRI in the morning, and in the afternoon an unsuccessful scope via the liver demanded an investigative radiologist insert the drain using the side rib cage as an entry. If this drain was refused, he would not live 'til his 97th birthday next month. Okay, a no brainer.

Nothing much would happen as the weekend was upon us. His color returned and morphine made his weekend comfortable but today, Monday, those found gallstones will be blown into his lower intestine to let them pass naturally and a side drain will be installed in case of an emergency. 

So the gal who hates hospitals who has had her fill, knows she is not done with hospital visits...

PS Yesterday the cardiologist who will be on his team ran down to say hello as he also was one of his students. His heart will also be in good hands!