Fifth floor town

Exhausted....

We are in a new town on the fifth floor. I am trying to make friends with the Sheriff and still trying to figure out all the deputies. ;). 

To say it is overwhelming is an understatement. Observing yesterday, I noticed that most of the nurses on this side of town do not try to see what he is saying, and then do the very opposite of what he is asking because they didn’t pay attention. I spoke for him more times than once; many more times than once. 

Him, with long pauses and out of breath saying, ‘I...need...my...medicine...’

Nurse, did not hear; preoccupied. 

I spoke for him. 

‘He is saying he needs pain medicine.’

Nurse: ‘you can’t have more until three hours.’

And he went on to explain he gets 1 pill every three hours instead of two every six hours. 

‘Nope,’ says she.  ‘You were offered one or two. You only wanted one, now you have to wait three more hours.’  

And so the conversation goes on and on. I excruciatingly watching him try to explain. Wanting to interrupt and make sure she is listening and understanding his words that come out as if he just ran 200 miles. I have to let him try defend himself on this floor. I’m not always there and he needs to ‘practice push through’ for the times I’m not there. 

Did she hear or understand?  No. Nor did she change her mind. My turn to speak. And in the end, he got his pain med, only because another nurse with her backed us up. 

Are all nurses like this?  No. This floor is HUGE. I do not know the nurse to patient ratio. I asked and they said it was against policy to say. They, also, are overwhelmed. 

But he needed his pain medicine. 

Exasperating... because I can’t be there 24/7. The Doctors on this floor are completely  inaccessible.  I mean, like, really. 

‘Could yo have the Doctor call me so we can make sure all the nurses know his pain management routine?’  I say that enough times and then they proceed to do what I am requesting, this time being, pain meds...now. 

I am not saying it as a threat. I’m saying it because I want to talk to the doctor.  But apparently, it is the way of this new town (floor).  However, I have new arsenal for my pocket; ‘could you have the doc call me?’ Hey, a girls got to do what a girls got to do.  

I did accomplish a few things on Thursday and Friday with one of the ‘deputies.’ The one who speaks to me in condescending tones. The one who said, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. The security guards aren’t available to notarize your medical power of attorney; nor are there any volunteers to be witnesses, but we will do it first thing tomorrow morning.  Ok?’

Hmmmm....so I secretly dash off to see for myself. I did find one, however, he said today was the last day they were going to be able to notarize POA’s.  ( for whatever reason) but he would do it one last time. It’s hard not to feel like I was being sabotaged. 

David has been off one of the very powerful narcotics that prevented me from obtaining a POA. It had just dawned on me to try to move forward with that since he was on a new floor, he’s not incapacitated by strong drugs and all the powerful ‘sheriffs’ work 9-5 Monday through Friday.  I did not want to go through a whole weekend not being updated fully or talked to condescendingly with vague replies and flat out lies.  (Without going through all the details...)

Notary in hand. No volunteers to be found, however. The witnesses must live in Texas and not be an ‘employee’ of Texas Health. 

I was more than a little apprehensive to ask the ‘first person to walk by.’  Most people visiting a hospital, means they have their own crisis, and how rude to ask someone in the same boat I am in to ‘help...’. 

But I did. Even though I had serious pangs of guilt, they were quite pleasant and caring. And it lightened my guilt a little. But not much. It was uncomfortable beyond. But they were so very nice and caring. 

You see the occasional balloon, ‘it’s a boy!’ And happy faces with a happy reason to be at the hospital. One happy per 20 unhappy ratio?  

So...POA in hand, and NOW my voice will be heard. (After repeating myself more than once; a lot more than once.)

Had I not been able to accomplish it, I would not have been able to do it the next day anyway; one they had to give David morphine for the pain from, yet another minor surgery, and two, there would no longer be notaries anymore. 

Two more chest tubes in the left lung, which was collapsing in two different places. Yes, I said left lung; the lung that had been ‘mostly’ stable until now. 

So he has 3 chest tubes on the left side now, to suck fluids and air in hopes of the lung inflating and holding its own. 

The right lung, which was the worst from day one is now completely inflated and the Doc had the tube clamped to see how well the lung could remain inflated without the tube, without ‘removing ‘ the tube just yet, just to take extra precautions. 

The fear is that once the tube is out, the scaring and damage could easily cause it to collapse again. I appreciate there caution. 

The pulmonary Doctors that have looked after him from the beginning are still  in the picture, with their focus being solely on the lungs. Whereas the fifth floor doctors cover everything else; the ones who cannot be reached. 

But our pulmonary docs are the best and continue to keep me updated and ‘calm.’  I could not ask for better Docs. And it does make the transition to different floors a bit easier to bear. 

The Pulmonary Doc on duty came into his room and talked with us for thirty minutes. To update us on the X-rays of the day, to express his bright outlook and just to ‘hang out’ for a minute. He told David how lucky he was to have such an advocate for him and if it were one of his family members, he would do the same. Validation; I love that word lately.

‘If I promise not to bug you and call you everyday, could I still call you when I feel panic?  Since these other doctors are so hard to reach?’ And before I could even finish he said yes.... Heavy sigh...and heart calmed all in one swift word.... ‘yes.’

David struggles to breath, is in quite a bit of pain, uncomfortable, ready for it to be over, and annoyed just about everything imaginable. 

He pushes the call nurse button, however most of the time it takes an awful lot of energy just to push it. 

He hasn’t been too keen at all with pics and videos. ‘No please, not right now.’  I mean, I don’t blame him, for sure. But every once in a while I remind him how many people are checking everyday on his status, and love the eye candy since they can’t come to visit him. Doesn’t work. All his ‘new tricks ’ are old now and he is just annoyed beyond. 

I mean, I get it. Be annoyed with me all you want, you wonderful man.’  Just use it for fuel to press on!

It’s hard to hear him talk and struggle for air. And wait quietly for the one sentence he is trying to say that takes over five minutes to say. 

On the home front, we have our moments of sometimes good and also those melt down moments. There have been a lot of those these past three days. 

Yet hope is still there, I think...It may be small most of the time, but hope is hope. 

We love you. Thank you for your care and concern. And for your help in all the ways you have assisted us. We have a long road ahead. Being enveloped in his daily progress is excruciatingly painful. Up....down...up....down. And knowing you care, makes it easier. Just knowing we are not alone and you are there. 

Thank you times infinity!

Love,

His-shell 

Ps.  Kind neighbor helped ‘our drooping ceiling’ and we are safe from ‘the sky is falling! The sky is falling!’ every time we go into the garage. 

The sky is not falling and we are safe... it’s amazing the power of a hammer and nail. 

https://www.gofundme.com/whileyouweresleeping