Yesterday I planned to go to morning yoga class, as usual, but before I went, I called my parents' doctor to make an appointment with her. Then I called my dad's room and talked to Susie, the caregiver. She told me to cancel the appointment for my dad because he needed to go to the hospital, so Richard took my mom to her appointment while I sat in the same hospital emergency room with my dad.
Luckily, the emergency room was empty when we came, a first. My dad got taken right away, and admitted pretty much immediately, but there was no room in the hospital proper, so we stayed in the emergency room area until a room should come up (it didn't, though we were there from 7:30-5 PM. The nurse said she'd have him put into a hospital bed if nothing came through.
Seems that my dad woke up early in the morning in terrible pain. Probably it was a blood clot in his leg, where it attaches to the hip. He couldn't walk, his speech was slurred, and he couldn't see either. Susie wanted to call the ambulence, but he wouldn't let her. He didn't want to go to the nearby Memorial Hospital, but to have me take him to UCIMC. But Susie had the notion that he didn't want me to be called either, though he denies this is what he meant.
Anyhow, when I asked, Susie said to take him to the hospital, which I did. He was limp as a noodle and didn't talk at all until we got to the hospital. I pulled right up outside with my handicapped sticker, and somehow I got him up the ramp.Most of the day he slept. I had to feed him, but he really couldn't eat much, a first for him. But by the evening, he was his old self, sly and manipulative. He wouldn't say whether he wanted heroic measures taken, should something go awry, but put the decision squarely on me, where he always puts it.
I think he'll be okay this time. But it was scary.
3 comments:
Did a doctor see him? My gosh, did you all just sit in the ER all day with no test, no doc, nothing? Doesn't that just make your whole body ache? So much tension.
Have your parents filled out advanced directives? If not, they need to do that, put down your name, give copies to hospitals and doctors, and carry one in your purse that you can pull out and show.
oh, Robbi - take care -- thinking of you~
Hi Lou. Lots of doctors saw him--optometry, neurology, cardiology, internist, etc. He had every test under the sun. They took absolutely wonderful care of him, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I had a book to read, and I read 3/4 of it while I was there, while he slept and was tested.
RE: advanced directives, my mom did, but my dad won't do it. I don't know what happened to mom's advanced directive. I'll have to do another.
Thanks Reb.
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