How the stress began 1

 

All photos taken day after surgery while i waited to pick him up next day. I took about 40 photos while waiting 15 minutes, I am always early.

My shutdown of blogging had a reason.

Stress began with  3 months of Bob completely out of commission and me the ONLY man  Able Person in the house.

3 months AGTER he turned down a knew knee, he chose to get one

We had 3 weeks to fit in finding a Cardiologist of which he has never had one, and all the other doctors and tests completed.

7 appointments in 3 weeks

OV VEY stress

The last test was Pre-register and Final Test 3 days before surgery.

RN set him up on a monitor and his BP was Fine, his Pulse was 32, it has been 57 to 60 for 37 years. NEVER down or up. 

Another Monitor showed 32 pulse. She did an EKG even though he had one 3 days before.

EKG bounced 32 to 60 - 32 to 60

RN said if he gets up with it low tomorrow, call your Cardiologist.

He woke up to 43, I called, Dr. he said cut BP pill in half, that should take care of it.

Stressed ME not him.

I am FINE! oy vey!

The day of surgery came.

Covid-19 has all of our hospitals closed except for patients.

I was allowed to go with him to preop set up only.

After that I must leave the hospital and not come back until they called me

 to pick him up at the front door.

Date of surgery, Aug 16, we arrived at 9:45,

We walked in to preop, he laid down, I sat

and the RN asked questions that we had answered 10 times before, hung IV, and Doc came in at 10 initialed the knee so he did not do the wrong one

As, the surgeon left the TINY room, he Said

"It will not be long, I have to do a Quick Hip replacement and you will be next."

OY VEY! 

 I said to RN when is he scheduled, how long does a hip take?

She said Bob is at 11:15. Another 90 minute to wait. stress!!!

RN says we will get his port set up now. in now and she looks out the door at a young NURSE TO be and says, you want to try this one? The girl looked terrified.

 she swabs his arm, and starts to thump, and thump and thump. She can't find the vein. 

I am watching with heart in my throat. The nurse tells her something and she continues to press on bobs arm, a good 5 hours minutes, and I can tell she is nervous.

RN leaves Room, I follow and say

 I am concerned and do not want her to put that port in!

RN comes back in the room, the girl has backed off,

she over heard what I said.

I say to the girl and RN, I am sorry but my friends best friend came here and the port was put in the artery not the vein and they did not know it, and shot the meds in and she had a massive stroke 2 years ago and has never been the same, she was in a nursing home for a year after the nursing home found it in the wrong place. Her husband died while she was in the home.

All because the port was in the artery, not the vein.

RN says lets look at the other arm, she goes to the other side and thumps and said to the girl, see this one? She nods, and I said I don't want her doing it,

RN said I am right here, I will make sure it is right.

Girl pokes him and  the port is in the nurse says to me, It's IN and not in the artery.

STRESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

We wait and at 11 am they roll him out and I go home 

and Wait for call. 1 pm, Surgeon calls says he is in recovery for about 2 hours, with a new knee.

When he is in his room THEY will Call you.

the hospital is much to large to get a photo of the entire building, this is just two sections of it

To This Day I never got a call.

STRESS

3:30 hospital calls but it is them wanting to set up therapy, which we had done as out patient. they could remember to call to get more money, but not if he is in room. 

I tell her this and she transfers me to his room with out telling me which one.

9 rings and he groggily answers and I say are you in the room?

He says I am FINE, oy vey 

and I said have you been up? no they haven't done that yet.

I wait thinking that is when they will call.

5:30 pm no call has arrived, I call and have a go round with operator.

get room number and Bob answers.

I say did they get you up yet? He said they could not, my leg is still numb. He had a spinal and a leg numbing instead of anesthetic due to be 85 years old.

He assure me he is good and the next morning, next morning I call him and he says

I am FINE, no they did not get me up, but I got up twice during the night and used the walker to go to the bathroom.

OOOOY VEYYYYYYY!

 I call the nurses station and tell her all of this. She said the nurses are giving out meds, this was at 7:30 am, and I will give them the message when they are done.

I say, 

THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE I want to talk to someone NOW to make sure they know he will get up and walk out, he has done it before.

She came back after 6 hours hold time, and said he is in therapy now, I am transferring you to his therapist that is working with him. She is waiting for the call.

I told the therapist the tale, she said I am so sorry we did not call. blah blah blah

She said I am sorry blah blah blah and I can have him at the front door at 10:30 for pickup. 

He is determined to go home and I think he will do better at home.

I killed 15 minutes taking photos, drove under the pickup shelter and

I waited and waited for 10 minutes to pass as I sat in my car.

19 hours after surgery the therapist pushed him out in a wheel chair, He stood up while she screamed Wait. Slow Down, Easy.

 I got out and opened the back of the SUV and she literally  threw 3 bags and a folder in the basket back there and said to me with wild eyes

You need to get him to slow down, he is doing to much..

She did not even give me the promised caregiving list, just said it's in the folder and raced back in the building... leaving me to drive home in all the traffic. The hospital is on the river front, prime property and in the busiest intersection in the county.

to be continued

Don't panic, I tooke these going INTO the hospital while sitting through the light.

This is really long, but I want this so I can remember this tale