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Well, as you guys know I take care of 97 year old grandmother and my 73 year old mother in the late late late stages of alzheimer, which means she does not know I'm her son anymore, just some nice guy in front of her. The good new is she's mostly happy as a clam.
Anyways first of December gram had some breathing problems. Too make a long story short, we had 4 doctor visits, tons of tests and a mess that got worse from 12-1 too 1-16.
On 1-17 ended up having to call the ambulance, found her in her room on the floor when I went over too cook breakfast. This ended up in a five day stay, diagnosis, severe dehydration and her kidney was functioning only at 10%.
The day they were releasing her to rehab hospital I got in a heated discussion about her breathing, they said it wasn't an issue and it would be taken care of in rehab.
Third day in rehab I'm all over these folks, this breathing is not right, we need doctors now. They assured me they'd have a cardio pulmanary guy in a few hours, xrays ( of which she probably already had 5 in last 6 weeks ) and a plan of action. I told them if i didn't not get some rest I'd get sick so I needed to go home and sleep. Next day I show up, no doctor had seen her, of course I did not go berserk I just had them bring a doctor ASAP, and lo and behold doctor agreed with me, this ain't right, should of have the cardio guy come in yesterday, they had just made an appointment for two days hence.
So, we end up back at the original hosp in emergency room and it's ER TV scene in spades, 8 people in ther room, yelling, equipment moving, etc. etc., of course I'm there the whole time and they are like, uhmmm, this is CRITICAL.
So, we end up in ICU or CCU depend on where you live, machine doing her breathing, totally sedated, etc. etc.
Now, I finally get a doctor that is interested in MY STORY, which I'd been telling everyone who cared to listen. Just like training, I got a complete log of medical going back 15 years on her, with all the information.
On a side note, when folks now ask me about my grandma, I tell them she's just like your average 12 year old, totally independent, wants to be left alone, you need to keep an eye on them, handle the money, and not let them drive. Other than that she's as capable as you and me, that means she takes care of herself and walks all on her own with no help.
Anyways, so this doctor listen, after 20 minutes, in which she took all kinds of notes, she said, I'll talk to you tommorrow.
Next day they draw a litre of fluid out of her right lung. Which is half a coke bottle. So, jeeeze, what do you think the odds are if a person can breath they can get real healthy real quick. After the fluid was gone, next day took her off sedation and breathing machine, and two days later off to rehab hospital.
Now, my point, I ran a construction company for 20 years, my bread and butter hospitals.
So, over last month I've been in 3 hospitals, and on 6 different wards, and you know what, everyone has a private room, everyone. All of those rooms were designed for two people, and now they only house one. The major hospital, maybe 70% full, rehab one the same, the other maybe 85%.
We were allowed 24-7 access in two of the hospitals and of course you could rome wherever you wanted without anyone saying jack crap.
Talking with a doctor was like trying to go to the moon, you can do it, yet, you gotta have a plan, a commitment to do it, and take your shot and hope it works out.
The favorite form of communication is xyz handles that, I'll let them know, but, I will give no commitment on what will happen other than they will take care of it, of course when you act like they do and write things down and aks for dates and times of answers all of a sudden red lights flash and some supervisor is there in five minutes, who says the same thing, yet, ends up being scared shitless when you document shit, and something does end up happening when they say it should with a real answer.
Anyways, healthcare costs, I'm somewhat shocked, seriously that everyone gets there own room, but you can't talk to a doctor.
fwiw, the ccu doctor was like, ummmmmmmm, a few days later when she was out of ccu, this should have been caught much earlier, of course by then I knew that, a simple inet search tells you that with 5 clicks, it's like basic 101, when very old people have hard time breathing, and they have prior heart issue, grams has a pace maker, water on lungs is always on the checklist, guess they missed that one, yet, hey we got a private room.
Today she's doing great getting strength back, should be home in a few weeks.
Anyways first of December gram had some breathing problems. Too make a long story short, we had 4 doctor visits, tons of tests and a mess that got worse from 12-1 too 1-16.
On 1-17 ended up having to call the ambulance, found her in her room on the floor when I went over too cook breakfast. This ended up in a five day stay, diagnosis, severe dehydration and her kidney was functioning only at 10%.
The day they were releasing her to rehab hospital I got in a heated discussion about her breathing, they said it wasn't an issue and it would be taken care of in rehab.
Third day in rehab I'm all over these folks, this breathing is not right, we need doctors now. They assured me they'd have a cardio pulmanary guy in a few hours, xrays ( of which she probably already had 5 in last 6 weeks ) and a plan of action. I told them if i didn't not get some rest I'd get sick so I needed to go home and sleep. Next day I show up, no doctor had seen her, of course I did not go berserk I just had them bring a doctor ASAP, and lo and behold doctor agreed with me, this ain't right, should of have the cardio guy come in yesterday, they had just made an appointment for two days hence.
So, we end up back at the original hosp in emergency room and it's ER TV scene in spades, 8 people in ther room, yelling, equipment moving, etc. etc., of course I'm there the whole time and they are like, uhmmm, this is CRITICAL.
So, we end up in ICU or CCU depend on where you live, machine doing her breathing, totally sedated, etc. etc.
Now, I finally get a doctor that is interested in MY STORY, which I'd been telling everyone who cared to listen. Just like training, I got a complete log of medical going back 15 years on her, with all the information.
On a side note, when folks now ask me about my grandma, I tell them she's just like your average 12 year old, totally independent, wants to be left alone, you need to keep an eye on them, handle the money, and not let them drive. Other than that she's as capable as you and me, that means she takes care of herself and walks all on her own with no help.
Anyways, so this doctor listen, after 20 minutes, in which she took all kinds of notes, she said, I'll talk to you tommorrow.
Next day they draw a litre of fluid out of her right lung. Which is half a coke bottle. So, jeeeze, what do you think the odds are if a person can breath they can get real healthy real quick. After the fluid was gone, next day took her off sedation and breathing machine, and two days later off to rehab hospital.
Now, my point, I ran a construction company for 20 years, my bread and butter hospitals.
So, over last month I've been in 3 hospitals, and on 6 different wards, and you know what, everyone has a private room, everyone. All of those rooms were designed for two people, and now they only house one. The major hospital, maybe 70% full, rehab one the same, the other maybe 85%.
We were allowed 24-7 access in two of the hospitals and of course you could rome wherever you wanted without anyone saying jack crap.
Talking with a doctor was like trying to go to the moon, you can do it, yet, you gotta have a plan, a commitment to do it, and take your shot and hope it works out.
The favorite form of communication is xyz handles that, I'll let them know, but, I will give no commitment on what will happen other than they will take care of it, of course when you act like they do and write things down and aks for dates and times of answers all of a sudden red lights flash and some supervisor is there in five minutes, who says the same thing, yet, ends up being scared shitless when you document shit, and something does end up happening when they say it should with a real answer.
Anyways, healthcare costs, I'm somewhat shocked, seriously that everyone gets there own room, but you can't talk to a doctor.
fwiw, the ccu doctor was like, ummmmmmmm, a few days later when she was out of ccu, this should have been caught much earlier, of course by then I knew that, a simple inet search tells you that with 5 clicks, it's like basic 101, when very old people have hard time breathing, and they have prior heart issue, grams has a pace maker, water on lungs is always on the checklist, guess they missed that one, yet, hey we got a private room.
Today she's doing great getting strength back, should be home in a few weeks.
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