I have mentioned before that we need a revolving door and a secretary. I sometimes feel like Derek's hostess, "I can fit you in at three. Would you like to have a seat and wait?"
Derek still has several teams actively involved with him: PM&R (Physical Medical and Rehabilitation)(Dr. K), Trauma (Dr. Perdue, Dr. Diego, Dr. Doogie), OT (Sam and Dan), PT (MJ), Nueropsyche (Dr. West), Urology, Endocrinology, and Gastroenterology. Infectious Disease and Respiratory no longer come around. Add to that the social workers, nurse case manager, Red Cross, finance, SFAC, Eucharistic Ministers, AW2, squad leader, Liaisons, WTB, etc., and the room never stops. The best visitors are Sgt Archie, Bobbie and Laura Lee, the facility pups and their mommies!!! Puppy therapy is the BEST therapy!
Yesterday, a woman from the Federal Recovery Coordination Program came in. This was the program last week who was rude to Krystina and was questioning why she was in the room. I spoke with that woman last week and told her I would schedule an appointment with her when we were ready to meet with her. I guess this new woman didn't get that message because she walked in, pulled up a chair and sat down without asking us if it was a good time.
She prefaced the meeting with telling me that she heard I was very on top of things and had a good handle on Derek's needs. She then proceeded to lecture me on why I needed her. She asked me if I had done the Social Security forms. I held them up and said I was in the process of filling them out when she walked in. She asked me if I had filled out the TGLI forms. I told her I had the phone number to call on Tuesday. Her program is for outpatient. We are not there yet. We will not be there for at least a month.
I was polite for the first ten minutes. I finally told her she had to leave. She argued with me that I needed her! I told her we did not. She told me she disagreed. I do not care whether she disagrees or not. I explained to her that with so many medical teams and volunteers around, I could not process her information as well, and I needed her to leave. I do not appreciate being argued with by someone who claims she is there to help. So, please leave.
I am juggling too many teams, too many volunteers, too much information. I have too much on my plate. I do not need information for a month from now. Just go away before Mama Tiger's claws come out. Now.
I had made a small sign for the door, which I thought got a nice little message across. The floor came over and took my small little sign down. They typed it up and made it large! I love it! It says: "Please do not: - remind us to order food; - disturb when the curtain is closed." Why the sign? I have been feeding my children for 23 years. I really do not need to be reminded to do it now. It wouldn't be an issue, and I really wouldn't mind it if they didn't wake Derek and me up to remind us. If they simply reminded us, it would be okay. But when I close my eyes for a quick cat nap, or when Derek is sleeping and they yell in the room at 4pm to order dinner, it aggravates me. Also, when the curtain is closed and the nurses are changing Derek and a volunteer comes walking in around the curtain, that is plain rude. Hence, the sign. I thought a small sign would be polite and get my message across. The floor wanted it to be really plain.
The good news is that Derek is making progress by leaps and bounds. He moved himself over today without help. I am so proud of him. He made another video blog today and spoke a lot about me. I cannot believe him. Makes me tear up, and I am not an emotional person.
Derek is getting a pass for Thanksgiving, so we can actually get off base! Woot! HUGE step!! Dr. K from PM&R said it's a go! I cannot wait to have all of my kids together again. I miss them so much. The hardest part of this, besides watching Derek suffer, has been being away from my other children. I am missing so much of their lives. But they understand that Derek needs me right now. Thank God they are good kids and understand.
As of Monday, Derek starts at the Matc in the America Building on a regular basis. That is a big step. He worked out in the Matc yesterday, and he is scheduled to go there tomorrow. He almost didn't get to go tomorrow because of Urology.
Tonight, at 5:15, the team walked in and said they had him scheduled for a procedure tomorrow. Really? Without notice? Without consideration for someone else's schedule? And then they did not even bother to bring the consent with them. So, we said no. We talked to one of the doctors, and they will exchange the supra pubic catheter at bedside around Derek's schedule tomorrow. But they put it in the computer for him to be NPO for tomorrow. No. He needs to have breakfast before working out in the Matc at 9. The NPO happened after I left with a migraine tonight. I cannot leave that room. Whenever I leave, something happens. Thankfully, it worked out.
I was talking to Derek's nurse from today and a corpsman who has a special place in my heart. I finally told him why he will always have a special place in my heart. The night that Derek should have been in the ICU due to severe respiratory distress, Willie (corpsman) and Janea (nurse) tended to him all night. Tonight, Willie told Angela what happened that night. He remembers the details. He was in charge of the corpsmen that night and he went into the room and stayed the night because of Derek's condition instead of assigning someone else as Derek's one-to-one. I thanked him for being so caring.
Hope your Thanksgiving plans are in full swing and your turkey or tofurkey is ready and waiting! Enjoy your time with your family. May your blessings be many and your heartaches be few.
Remember our deployed military this Thanksgiving. Raise your glass on Thanksgiving Day for them, and bow your heads in prayer for their safety. Because of our military, we can rest easy knowing that our freedom is assured. God bless them and keep them all safe so that they may return to their families soon.
Good night and God bless, everyone!
No comments:
Post a Comment