Tonight's picture was taken in July of 2002. Mattie was three months old. By that point I already nicknamed him Mattie Moo! So our family's unofficial name for this photo was Mom and Moo! I am not kidding, if you go to our electronic folder, this is how this photo is classified!
Quote of the day: I’m gettin’ tired way past where sleep rests me. ~ John Steinbeck
Literally tonight, I am writing in bullet points! Why? Because I have been at the hospital today from 11am to 9:30pm. I am worn out on every level!
- I herded my mom to the hospital this morning. I wanted to get there by 10am, but mornings are not my mom's thing. I literally packed up her breakfast to have in the car and told her we had to get to the hospital before my dad's physical therapy assessment.
- Keep in mind that the hospital wanted to discharge my dad on Sunday. I advocated for that NOT to happen, particularly because no one saw my dad get out of bed and walk. If he could not safely do those things, I wasn't taking him home, because he would fall again.
- When we arrived at my dad's room, we found he had a bowel movement and was sitting in it. While addressing this, Beth, the physical therapist, arrived. Therapists will say they DO NOT control where the patient goes (discharge or to rehab), but that is NOT true. Their recommendations drive the decision.
- Any case, I made it clear to Beth what had transpired at the hospital since July 9, and that I blamed the hospital for my dad falling at home. Beth listened and did a great evaluation of my dad. When I asked her what the plan was, because I knew the hospital was going to discharge him today.... she looked at me and said.... YOUR DAD IS GOING NO WHERE! He is NOT safe for discharge! I told her I wanted to kiss her! It was the first person who saw exactly what I was reporting!
- The entire team understood that I wanted my dad to get into the hospital's acute rehab program! Truly this is the only facility I will leave him in, because it is connected to the hospital and my dad's rehab physician runs this program.
- In the middle of managing my dad's care and multiple health care team visits, I also met several people who represent hospital leadership. They received my grievance and I have been told the letter has gone far up the leadership chain and a formal investigation is now underway. I was interviewed (round one) for this grievance today.
- By 2:30pm, I went down to the hospital's cafe to purchase lunch for my mom and me. While there, I ran into Althea! Who is Althea? She was the patient advocate in the ER back in 2022, when my dad was admitted for a pacemaker. Althea is younger than me, she is from South Africa, and she is truly an angel. She was so supportive to me and my mom back in 2022, I never forgot her. In fact, at that time she connected me with her boss, and her boss is now the director of nursing at the hospital. Someone I remain connected with, who truly is motivated to provide outstanding patient care.
- Althea did not remember me, but I told her what a difference she made to my life. She was so touched by our conversation, she actually came up to my dad's room and spoke to all three of us for 90 minutes. She is working on getting a certification on mindfulness and hopes to help first responders. Naturally we got into discussing mental health and traumas.
- At 7pm, we transferred my dad into the hospital's acute rehab. The last time my dad was admitted to that program was in 2022. So it is not new to me, and of course we know the director of the program, which gives me peace of mind. My dad is exactly where he needs to be and my focus is to try to get rest, because I am close to not being able to function.
- Of course in the midst of this, I always ask myself, how could my husband not be here to help and support me? I have no answers! Tomorrow, July 15, would have been our 30th wedding anniversary, and it would have marked 37 years together (dating and marriage). 37 YEARS! Not 37 months, not 37 week, not 37 days.... BUT YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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