BroadBean of Celeste
Jan. 11th, 2018 07:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ismoI've been much occupied this week with concern for my mother, with the usual phone calls, email, etc. going on. Yesterday, the Duchess took her for a swallowing study appointment, to determine why she sometimes has trouble swallowing. The results of that weren't too bad. In general, she's okay and is not aspirating food or water. However, she has a little muscle pocket that has formed because of tight muscles in her esophagus, and sometimes a bit of something gets stuck there and makes her cough.
I've been watching Mother anxiously ever since Thanksgiving. She has been undergoing some kind of steep decline in cognitive and motor skills. It has accelerated this past week. I was hoping the Duchess would see it for herself yesterday--but yesterday Mother seemed much better and more energetic, or so the Duchess thought. After hearing her report, I thought to myself, "Oh, this is BS. Something is going to happen."
Sure enough, first thing this morning I got a text from the Duchess. She was in the ER with Mother, who had been taken there after apparently falling. I say apparently because she denied having fallen, and had no memory of it. However, the staff found her sitting on the living room floor, and found that all the items on her bathroom counter had been knocked off. She was assessed in the ER, and they didn't find any fractures or evidence of bleeding, and a CAT scan showed no signs of a stroke. So they sent her home. However, it seemed to the Duchess that she was very confused and disoriented, and having trouble with her motor skills, so the Duchess stayed with her while trying to get an appointment with her PCP. When she finally made connections with the PCP, they said there was no point in bringing her in, since she would probably just get sent to the U of M ER anyway. So the Duchess got the ambulance to come back--staff recommended that she not be transported by the Duchess--and drove herself to the U of M ER, some 20-30 miles away, to meet the ambulance. When she got there, she learned the ambulance had taken Mother back to the local ER again, instead.
To make a very long and frustrating story short, Mother has finally been admitted to the local hospital for observation. This happened at the last minute , after a new doctor came on shift and learned that Mother and the Duchess had not seen a doctor all day, but only the ER nurse, who was consistently rude, dismissive, and unhelpful. They were about to discharge Mother--again--and the Duchess and I were on the phone discussing what to do when the new doc showed up and said that Mother should be observed for neurological problems. So at least she's in a safe place overnight. We don't know what's happening tomorrow. I had my bag packed in case I was needed, but tomorrow there will be freezing rain, so I don't know if I can go there even if I'm wanted. I spent the day on the phone, getting and sending texts and calls, keeping Mr. Science and Queenie in the loop and supporting the Duchess. This health care system is so messed up . . . .
I've been watching Mother anxiously ever since Thanksgiving. She has been undergoing some kind of steep decline in cognitive and motor skills. It has accelerated this past week. I was hoping the Duchess would see it for herself yesterday--but yesterday Mother seemed much better and more energetic, or so the Duchess thought. After hearing her report, I thought to myself, "Oh, this is BS. Something is going to happen."
Sure enough, first thing this morning I got a text from the Duchess. She was in the ER with Mother, who had been taken there after apparently falling. I say apparently because she denied having fallen, and had no memory of it. However, the staff found her sitting on the living room floor, and found that all the items on her bathroom counter had been knocked off. She was assessed in the ER, and they didn't find any fractures or evidence of bleeding, and a CAT scan showed no signs of a stroke. So they sent her home. However, it seemed to the Duchess that she was very confused and disoriented, and having trouble with her motor skills, so the Duchess stayed with her while trying to get an appointment with her PCP. When she finally made connections with the PCP, they said there was no point in bringing her in, since she would probably just get sent to the U of M ER anyway. So the Duchess got the ambulance to come back--staff recommended that she not be transported by the Duchess--and drove herself to the U of M ER, some 20-30 miles away, to meet the ambulance. When she got there, she learned the ambulance had taken Mother back to the local ER again, instead.
To make a very long and frustrating story short, Mother has finally been admitted to the local hospital for observation. This happened at the last minute , after a new doctor came on shift and learned that Mother and the Duchess had not seen a doctor all day, but only the ER nurse, who was consistently rude, dismissive, and unhelpful. They were about to discharge Mother--again--and the Duchess and I were on the phone discussing what to do when the new doc showed up and said that Mother should be observed for neurological problems. So at least she's in a safe place overnight. We don't know what's happening tomorrow. I had my bag packed in case I was needed, but tomorrow there will be freezing rain, so I don't know if I can go there even if I'm wanted. I spent the day on the phone, getting and sending texts and calls, keeping Mr. Science and Queenie in the loop and supporting the Duchess. This health care system is so messed up . . . .
no subject
Date: 2018-01-12 04:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-13 02:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-13 05:00 pm (UTC)holding you all in the light
Date: 2018-01-12 05:53 am (UTC)Re: holding you all in the light
Date: 2018-01-13 02:29 am (UTC)