Friday, September 4, 2020

Friday, September 4, 2020

Tonight's picture was taken in September of 2008. Mattie was in his second month of treatment. I think this gives you some idea how small the room was for THREE people. Nonetheless, Mattie loved his cardboard boxes. The boxes served as great diversions. As he could decorate, build, and play with them. Back then, you wouldn't believe what a God sent a box could be. Peter and I needed every tool in our toolbox to keep Mattie comfortable, entertained, engaged, and not shutting down emotionally. 

Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins. 

• number of people diagnosed with the virus: 6,187,336
• number of people who died from the virus: 187,464

Every day, I am under some sort of delusion that it will be an easier day! FORGET IT! Bright and early I received a text message from my dad's physical therapist. This PT is an incredible person. Medicare has approved of NO MORE visits, so we are paying Jon out of pocket. Yet Jon is giving us a very reduced rate! However, in my opinion Jon is worth his way in gold. He lives about five minutes from where my parents are and he says he will respond to them 24/7! Who on earth does that these days? An incredibly caring professional! 

Jon wanted me to know that he has been reflecting on my dad's leg and felt he needed to say something to me. He said that the leg was looking awful yesterday during their PT session and that my dad kept wiping his leg from the oozing blisters running down his leg.  

After I got Jon's text message, I reached out to my dad's caregiver and told her I wanted her to take a photo of my dad's leg today. I also asked her whether the leg was improving. She indicated that it was healing. I bought that until I saw the photo! Thank goodness I asked for a photo!

So this was Tuesday's, September 1, leg photo! I did not like the look of the infected insect bite then, but look at today's!

This is the leg today (September 4). Does this look like an improvement to you? I saw this photo and lost it. I then contacted the home health agency to see if the wound care professional could come out today! Of course she couldn't with it being Labor Day weekend. My dad's visiting nurse was also out of town for the weekend. 

So then what? I called my mom, who said she made a dermatology appointment for my dad on Tuesday of next week. I told her that would be too long to wait, especially if this infection spreads! We want to avoid a fever and it moving into his bloodstream. My mom and today's caregiver weren't as alarmed as I was, until I sent them both Tuesday's leg photo! You can't deny comparing the photos that things are not improving but instead getting worse.

I am quite sure I drove my mom nuts today. Not my intention, as I reminded her, I am trying to prevent another crisis, emergency, and hospitalization. Thankfully my dad saw the dermatologist today and he now has him on oral antibiotics, topical hydrocortisone cream and a soak with something called Domoboro medicated powder. The powder mixed with water is supposed to provide relief from itching caused by oak, sumac, poison ivy, mosquito and insect bites, redness and irritation.

Meanwhile, a family friend who lives near my parents told me that Los Angeles is expecting rolling black outs because California has to conserve energy, especially with 110 degree heat. Really NOT what I wanted to hear, as electricity is important to all of us, but especially for older adults. Our friend assured me he had a back up generator and would come install it if they lost power. Another angel! Given that my mom was on overload, I text messaged this angel to see if he would pick up all my dad's scripts. Which he is! I am thankful to have this friend, because he can be there on the ground when I can't.