Thursday June 18

Yesterday was a very trying one for me. Even though "all" the nurses were "trained" in using the wound vac (a great video showing the use of a wound vac is here: wound vac change) I know the 2 nurses working on dad really didn't know what they where doing or how dad's wound was supposed to look. It will be changed again tomorrow and the nursing administrator will watch and look at dad's wound. This makes me feel tons better as I really think the wound doesn't look as good as it should. Also one of the problems they were having yesterday was doing the wound vac and trying to work around the open wound left from where dad had his feeding tube. I was really stressed watching all of this.

Today everything went ok for dad. Until.......the wound from the feeding tube starting draining a ton all at once. The problem was getting someone to change the dressing. The CNA's weren't allowed to do this, it had to be a nurse. I went to get dad's nurse but he was working with a patient that the EMT's where picking up (some lady had just had a stroke) so I told one of the CNA's I needed a nurse -- any nurse would do. I waited, waited, and then went looking for dad's nurse again (all the emergency people had left with the stroke patient) and he finally came in to look at the dressing and he left. I thought he was leaving to get stuff for the dressing change. But he didn't show back up so I went looking for him again. Couldn't find him, I stood in dad's doorway until he showed up again. He said he was taking care of it. And I waited......I went to the nurse's desk again and this time he told me that a "treatment" nurse had to do the change (never before had a treatment nurse been mentioned and it had always been dad's regular nurse that changed that dressing) so I told him that I wasn't aware of that and I went back to dad's room. And I waited in dad's doorway again. Someone came and asked me was I waiting on someone and I said yes, I was waiting on someone that apparently wasn't going to come. She went looking for who knows who. Finally dad's nurse comes back and says the 2 treatment nurses that were there had left (hmmm......maybe because he waited so long to find one that their shift had ended?) and so he did the dressing change. It took around 40 minutes (if not more) from the time I told someone the dressing had to be changed to have the nurse who "couldn't" do it to come and do it. I was waiting outside the room while he did the dressing change (he ran me out, weird yesterday when they dressed the huge surgerial wound I stood at the foot of the bed, watched, guided and helped the 2 nurses that were there), and while I was standing there the nursing administator walked by and asked me to send the nurse to her when he was finished because she said "I know you will be standing there when he comes out." Humm....wonder if someone had told her the problems I was having.

The nurses may have started to hate me, but I am not going away. They will take care of my dad. And if I have to spend even more time there I will.

Oh, good news. The physical therapy people have raised the amount of weights dad is using. Getting stronger! And the very best (as far as dad is concerned) they have upgraded his diet and he can now have regular liquids! No more thickened liquids! WOO HOO. And I think he can now have whatever he wants to eat also.

I have thought about trying to move dad to another place but I think it may set dad back a little. And right now he wants to leave the Manor bad enough that he is working really hard to be able to come home. I go over there twice a day (more if he calls me and wants me there) so I feel like he is being taken pretty good care of -- even if I have to be a pain in every nurse and administor's side to make sure of it.

Keep those prayers going up for dad and me.

Kathy

oops forgot....today makes 2 weeks in rehab and a total of 13 weeks since his surgery? 13 weeks is that right? I am losing track. If you remember let me know.