I wonder……..

The drive home from dropping Dorothy back at her facility from the ER was full of questions to myself:

• How can you send someone to the ER with just a upset stomach especially someone with dementia- it’s like sending a three year old – they do not know what is going on    because that is protocol- especially with Covid and the pandemic
• How can you let a demented person walk around unescorted in the ER area? I cannot come up with a rational explanation for this one- except maybe-  understaffed
• How was it ok for me to go to the ER and take mom back to her facility- I can’t even go see her because they are on lockdown   it was the thing to do, I was happy to do it, and thankful to be able to do it, and it was free- no ambulance fee going back
• How can this Covid pandemic get any stranger?  The rules are created in the moment? No rhyme or reason? Set up by who is in charge at the time?   It is what it is – this too shall pass

Oh my!   The things I think about and try to rationalize.  (-:

I call mom before the end of the day to see how she is feeling, and they tell me she is feeling fine- just a little tired.   I end the day thankful for everything that happened- life is good!  

I wake up the next day and call mid-day to check on mom’s status.  I get to talk to her and she informs me she has diarrhea and she wants me to come and get her because she does not want to be embarrassed with having an accident.   I get it!  She doesn’t talk long and hangs up.  I call back and talk to the nurse and am told that she did have diarrhea earlier in the morning and that she has been resting and staying in her room.   Good, I think, rest is what she needs to get over whatever it is she has.

I get a call midafternoon from the hospital- it’s the lab department informing me that mom has E. coli in her blood   ???  explains the upset stomach and the diarrhea.   They ask me how she is feeling and if she has a temperature.  I tell them about my conversation with the nurse earlier that morning and ask if I can have the facility call them directly.  So, that’s what happened.    The nurse called me back to let me know that they are going to let the hospital know if there is any changes with mom.   Nothing I can do.

I can’t help but wonder if the pandemic wasn’t here how much easier this would be- I’d be with mom during the day- making sure she was resting, making sure she was showered and clean- making sure she was drinking enough liquids.   But as things are, I have to have faith that the facility is doing all those things for her.

I have called back to the hospital to see if any other tests have come back for Dorothy- they would not give me any more information they directed me to her online patient portal.  I try to get this on this site- and am instructed to send them an email for access.  They respond saying they do not have the POA (power of attorney).   So, I send them that and I am awaiting a response.

Sigh!   Everyone needs someone to be an advocate for them.  I wonder who mine will be (-;

Love and Light,

Cheryl Doreen