Tonight's picture was taken in March of 2007. We took Mattie to Key West for spring break to visit with Peter's parents. Along our journey we came across this wonderful traveler's palm. We explained the importance of this palm to Mattie..... in that it captures rainwater, which can be used in an emergency as a drinking supply. Mattie loved the whole notion, not to mention the beautiful fanned shape! You may not be able to tell, but Mattie was wearing his favorite ball cap (from Legoland) and sunglasses (Lightning McQueen themed)!
Quote of the day: The lack of patient engagement is the Achilles heel of health care delivery. ~ Terry McGeeney
I was at the hospital bright and early, by 7:30am! Since I wasn't sure how this hospital system works, I wanted to be there in case doctors rounded in the morning. I came to find out that this particular attending physician on duty never holds round on patients! Interesting, and I wasn't happy.
Needless to say, I pulled a 14 hour day in the hospital today. But my presence was crucial. Literally I fought hard to get my dad's pacemaker procedure done today as promised. The first cardiologist who came into our room this morning wanted me to know that there were more pressing medical cases in front of my dad's and therefore his pacemaker placement may need to wait until Monday! NOT what to tell Vicki when tired. I lost it on him and on every other person I interacted with today.
If I were at Georgetown, I would turn to Patient Advocacy and they would actually assist! At Virginia Hospital Center, you can forget it. I had to call them multiple times and then even after that there was NO return phone calls as promised or follow up! That only made Vicki angrier. Needless to say, I appreciate that my dad is in a more stable place than some other cardiac patients, but I see the WHOLE picture, not just his heart.
Leaving my dad stuck in a hospital bed for three more days would lead to more atrophy, bed sores (as his skin is super sensitive), and definitely he'd be more confused cognitively. So when I factor all of this together, I made a very strong case for the need for the procedure to happen today!
I was like a dog with a bone. In fact, I even wrote to the Associate Vice President of the Emergency Room, a woman I got to know on Thursday during admissions. She runs an excellent service and I wanted to share with her our experience there and her wonderful employee, Althea (patient liaison of the ER). Althea made our 7 hour stay in the ER manageable and almost pleasant. A kind soul can truly make a bad situation MUCH MUCH better. Turns out that my email today, will earn Althea a gold star award! Very well deserved. However, in my glowing email, I also explained my less than stellar experience in the in-patient unit. I now have the name of the manager of my dad's unit, and tomorrow he is getting a reality check.
I can't imagine what this hospital experience would be like for my dad if I wasn't there around the clock. For one thing, he wouldn't have gotten a pacemaker today. My dad is quiet, so he can fall under the radar, and can blend in. Meaning people don't believe me about his significant dementia. I don't like when healthcare professionals do not take me seriously. Especially when it is a subject matter I know better than them..... my father.
I put many people in their place today and I am on a rampage about the need for improving communication with patients and families. I feel like my dad's unit is like a ghost town. Rarely do I see his nurses and I have to work hard to track them down. Not acceptable, and I have NO IDEA how my dad would be able to do this physically or mentally if I weren't around. Simple things are needed like hooking him up to an IV, emptying out the container capturing his urine, and so forth. Not to mention that I had his nurses help turn him today so that he doesn't get pressure sores. I am exhausted from managing people all day and my dad's needs.
My dad has to wear a sling on his arm until Sunday night, he can't shower for five days, and for a month can't lift his left arm higher than his shoulder or carry anything heavy. In addition, we apparently are coming home with a home base device that records data on the pacemaker and sends it back to the doctor. I feel like I have a lot to learn and I am NOT taking my dad home until I feel he is stable enough. Certainly I can't take him home with a sling on, as he won't be able to use his walker. Again these are things his care team won't be thinking about, which is why I need to get myself back to the hospital early again tomorrow.
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