And yet, they are still here…

~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

Picture this –
You host the whole family for Thanksgiving and one of them gets very sick. After 11 days in the hospital, he comes home with an IV and needs home nursing. Because his spouse asks for your help with the IV procedure, you help with that and continue to be their chauffeur to doctor and hospital appointments. This is not the holiday you have imagined. You have quilting to do and presents to finish.

Oh, and did I mention they brought their extremely big fur-shedding dog with them?

Just when you were looking forward to having your life back – the guy ends up in the hospital again – this time with C-Diff as well as colitis from Covid. Because he is so contagious he cannot share a bed with his spouse, so NOW she and her big dog will be hanging out in your other guest room.

This nightmare scenario is what my hubby’s sister and bro-in-law have been dealing with this holiday season. They changed their holiday trip to see the grandkids. Now, it looks like their New Years’ party won’t happen as they hoped either. Sigh. Covid is possibly going to start their New Year as well. I’m not as afraid of Covid as getting the C-Diff crap. The more we researched it, the more we read about this evil bacteria and now we know way more than we ever wanted to.

3 days since known exposure to Covid. Asthma is rearing its head, and my chest is tight but with no fever. It is Christmas, so I won’t be able to get a test at CVS until Monday the 26th if they are doing them. I have been immersed in the virus, so I am quarantining and wearing a mask whenever I go out.

I am planning on playing “Elf Bowling” this weekend. For those curious about the program, it is created by NVision Design. Google “Elf Bowling” to find more info. Warning: it is addicting and fun. I highly recommend it for those in quarantine, it is a form of solitary, using elves instead of cards.

I need a nap. After I bowl over some rebellious elves of course…

TTFN

And the Hits Just Keep on Coming…

~ JodiLea ~ Leave a comment

After 11 days, hubby is out of the hospital. However, his IV-delivered medicine has to keep happening every morning. The first day home a nurse came to show us how to prep the lines and flush them, then do a bunch of stuff like mixing the meds into the bag, prep the tubing, hooking that up into the bag, and hanging the bag. The meds take 30 minutes to get into hubby’s bloodstream. Once those are done, everything is unplugged and taken down and the leads get flushed out and capped. Until the next time.

  And yes, it is as complicated as it sounds. Each step is easy on its own. When you must do all 40 of these steps in the correct order, in a timely manner, with the patient and his sister watching every move you make, it is overwhelming. Did I mention that the IV tubes on the outside of his arm, that I work with, do not feed the veins in his arm like the typical IV does? The tubes were surgically planted into his heart to deliver this crucial medication. I rather not know that detail, but it’s too late now.

Three days after his discharge I am still filling out paperwork for the home care and the infectious diseases doctor. Each medical entity has its own form, so I got one to fill out at urgent care, one in the ER,  one in ICU, and one for the physician. One for the Home Care people, the Home Care pharmacist, the visiting nurse, and now for the new specialist we see two days from now. 

Has no one in this town ever heard of a xerox machine?

My daughter asked me how I was doing, and it was right then I realized I was depressed. A typical reaction for me, once the emergency or danger passed, is to fall apart. I allow all the fear, panic, and emotions to finally hit me.

This grumpy curly haired child expresses herself exactly how I feel. Society frowns on grown women pouting in public. Only cute kids can get away with it, so Miss grumpy locks here is my Avatar.