an angry tone

Father is in a Rehab. Nursing Home. 
No diagnosis.
Day by day, Hour by hour,

his situation changes.

Energy, Mood, Attitude, and Cognition . . .

swing from

one extreme

to another.

Expected to go to work tonight . . .

got a call . . .

my Patient is back in the hospital.

(my three days off . . . what happened!)

Rats!

I want him better & I want him home,

where I get to take care of him.

poured a little

When did I leave Michigan

and move to Seattle??

a few years ago,

(after a heavy New England winter!),

we had a

Spring and Summer

where it Rained

like this . . .

Seattle had a drought

that year.

PS
patient is coming home
therefore I will be back to work.

Still many questions about the
cause of Dad's problems,
but may be going to Rehab soon.

murdering the time!

I.  Made it HOME and back.
   A.  way too short
        1.   full day driving there and a full day driving back.
        2.  two days to clean and air the house
        3.  two days to straighten the yard
             a.  re-cut two large beds (75X5ft and 40X12ft)
             b.  spread two Large pickup loads of mulch
             c.  pick up winter debris and remove broken fence
             d.  chop back the invasive vines & trim roses
             e.  clear and sweep walkways 
       4.  Not nearly enough time to even SEE friends.
(I love and miss you all terribly and it was sooo hard to not get to see you.)

II.  Dad had a good week while we were gone but . . .

     A.  Started stumbling the next day (Friday)

          1.  usually means infection

               a.  started antibiotic

     B.  Post 24 hr. more stable feeling better

          1.  Mom and I went to a Community theater musical

          2.  post intermission received this message:

I'm on the FLOOR resting.

           3.  raced back and power lifted 240 odd lbs to a chair

           4.  cleaned up ALL the broken glass

(don't ask)

           5.  found out he had been too embarrassed to call 911

A SECOND TIME

in one night!

REALLY!

    C.  Monday - many falls and itchiness later, went to MD          

          1.  Hoped to change antibiotic

          2.  Continue antibiotic and add Benadryl

               a.  is already less stable . . . do we really think THAT will help

               b.  I'm starting to wonder about this Doc.

(OK, not actually starting!)

    D.  Wednesday     911/ER

         1.  six falls since Saturday

         2.  itchiness unrelieved

         3.  wildly swinging blood sugars on an already historically brittle diabetic

         4.  6am woke up to someone screaming                       

              a.  Dad is "asleep", with C-pap on, in his chair . . .

then screaming

 and

I am unable to wake him up

     E.  Thursday  Med/Surg Floor 

          1.  urine, blood work, x-ray, and ct-scan 

          2.  responsive, "loopy" still, and sleepy during the six hours we visited

          3.  6pm Hospital MD met "linda blair"

               a.  I call it "psychotic dementia break"

               b.  I've been blamed for it . . .

"well, it's because it's you . . .

 he  wouldn't do it with somone else"

"you just push each other's buttons"

              4.  7pm I spoke with the MD

                 a.  prior to dementia . . .

has he ever had a psych diagnosis? - No

                 b.  FINALLY . . . 

I am not crazy and it is NOT me!

  

            5.  restrained and watched constantly

      F.  Friday

           1.  Alert, awake, pleasant

           2.  MD feels she has just met someone else 

III. My patient

     A.  First surgery done

           1.  infection - dehisced 

     B.  Second surgery

           1.  this time a medically induced coma

           2.  He looks good

           3.  I'm out at least 2 weeks 

                a.  1 week Home - 1 week dealing with Dad

for me,  just as well

my patient and his family . . .

not so much