Just a really bad sinus infection…. yay?
APAD Day 39 …..Priorities
Last Saturday, I got a call at 5:50 am informing me that my mom had fallen and was taken to the ER. The hospital she is in will not allow visitors. I don’t consider myself a visitor, I am her power of attorney. I am her voice and her ears.
I have been sick since I got home from Colorado, so I have not PUSHED the issue with getting into the hospital. I assumed it was a sinus infection or something like that, not covid, but why spread whatever germs I have if I don’t have to. I went to the doctor today and while I do definitely have a sinus infection, they did the looking for a brain test (the covid swab) I will know tomorrow.
Yesterday I was finally able to communicate with the hospitalist managing my moms care. I was informed that her condition is more serious than they originally thought. She has several fractures in her neck and needs to have surgery. She will then need to be transferred to a rehab hospital for the next several weeks. My mom has Dementia and she doesn’t understand what is happening to her. I need to see her, but I can not physically be there yet. I hope to be able to video call with her and the doctor this afternoon after I talk to the surgeon.
Maybe I will write tomorrow, maybe I won’t. Priorities.
APAD Day 38 $1.72 to pee
Have you ever heard of a foley catheter? It is an indwelling catheter that is a attached to an external urine collection bag. If you have ever been hospitalized and needed a catheter this is the kind they used. Not fun right? RIGHT! Fortunately, they also make one time use catheters. They are individually packaged. When you need to urinate, you insert the single use catheter while sitting on the toilet. Your bladder is emptied, then you remove it and discard it. YAY!!!!…. or not.
Single use catheters are expensive! $1.72 each to be exact. So if I have to pee 10 times a day that’s $17.20 a day to pee or $516.00 a month. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?!?!
The reason this comes up is because I have Medicare and they have decided that I am allowed to pee free of charge 6x a day but no more. If I have to pee more, I’m gonna have to pay for it. $206.40 a month to be exact. Yeah that’s not going to happen. I do have other choices though
- Reuse the single use catheters ( Mind you the box they come in, the patient information, and just about every website that sells catheters STRONGLY insists that they are not to be reused.) Medicare even has a commercial on tv that a person should be able to use a new catheter each and every time they urinate. (Then why the hell won’t you pay for it?!?!!?)
- I can use a foley catheter (walk around with a bag of pee strapped to my leg everyday) for a couple weeks a month when I run out.
- Try to spread awareness of this issue, hoping it will make a change.
- Try to enlist others to spread awareness as well.
I’ve chosen to do all four of the choices that I feel I have. I am also going to attempt to contact Cure Medical to see if they have any patient assistance programs. https://curemedical.com/contact-us/
If you are able, please share this story or blog, tell someone the story, something. It would mean a great deal to me if you would.
Do you have any other thoughts on how to work around this problem?
APAD DAY 37 ATM Asshole
Is there such a thing as Atm etiquette?
Let me be more specific. Is there etiquette to be used when using a drive up atm? (I’m willing to bet your mind immediately flashed to the jackass that spends 20 minutes at the atm while you are trying to make your 5 second transaction on your lunch break or while racing to another appointment.) If it didn’t, you are among the lucky ones.
Today I was accidentally that asshole.
As I went to enter the line for the ATM, I realized that 1. I forgot to sign a check I was depositing and 2. it was made out to my maiden name and would require 2 signatures (maiden and married) and 3. Where the fuck is the pen?!?! Shit! I tried to move my car to the right of the actual line so that I wasn’t “actually in line”, but there was no where to go. I said “SORRY”, to no one in particular and continued to look for a pen. I put my hazards on hoping anyone that wanted to get in line behind me would feel free to go around. Ok I found the pen, signed the check and proceeded to actually get in line. I HOPED the fact that I did this in front of the two cars that were ‘kind of’ behind me didn’t make me still the asshole. But there really was no hope. 
The atm machine may be the slowest machine I have ever used. (I pushed the button and it took 30 seconds or more to respond) Now there definitely was a line. Next were the new rules on the atm that said I could only deposit 30 items at one time (I had 32) so that would make me start the whole deposit process over again….smh Did that mean I should be courteous and leave the line to go to the rear since I was taking so long? I don’t know, what are the Rules?
My rant is just that, a rant. NO I don’t think there should be MORE RULES or laws, but there should be ‘etiquette’ and people should take a minute to think about how their behavior could be affecting others. It just might make the world a better place.
So I’m back to the question is there etiquette for using a drive up ATM? For me personally, I that any signing etc should be completed before you even THINK about getting in line. I also feel that if you know you have several transactions, try to break them up into smaller ones or use the ATM at a not peak time. Again that’s just me.
In your opinion what is the proper procedure?
I did end up pulling away to complete the other transaction on another day. I took the featured picture today while no one was around to illustrate where I was actually parked yesterday.
APAD Day 36 5:50 am Phone call
It takes me minute to realize that my favorite song is playing, not because I left the radio on, but because my phone is ringing. I open one eye and see that it’s still dark….. OH Shit! I’ve gotten enough of these calls in my life to know this is not a good thing. As I try to locate my phone, which has now stopped ringing, I realize I have been repeating “please don’t let anybody be dead” over and over in my mind. My hand is trembling as I try to remember the code to unlock my phone.
No One Died
OK! I have 3 missed calls from my dad, 2 from my sister in law, and a text saying, “call your dad, mom is hospital”. PUSH THE COFFEE BUTTON GRACE! I push the button and call my Dad. Thankfully he answers right away and there is no noise in the background. (I’m thinking no sirens or crash carts) My dad explains that my mom fell, split her head open, lots of blood and the ambulance is taking her to Hospital A on Blank Street. (Hospital B is on Blank street, hospital A is on not blank street?!?!? but ok). My Dad continues to say, “They have a no visitor policy, and if she is ok they will bring her home”…… Yep I’m gonna need that coffee!
Excuse me, I’m trying to find my mom
I asked my dad, “Other than trying to find her, what do you need me to do? Are YOU Ok?” He responded that yes he was ok, and to just find her please. In my family, this means “please take control and fix this”. Ok will do. My third call found her. She is at Hospital B on Blank Street. I am listed as her Emergency Contact, they have Power of Attorney on file, and they are aware that she has Dementia. They do have a no visitor policy because of Covid, unless….well we will not go there, but they will call me to keep me posted.
I’ve had some kind of sickness (upper respiratory thingy) since I came home from Colorado last week. Both of the boys were sick while I was there and all that cuddling passed their colds to me. I don’t want to go anywhere near people right now.
So now we wait.
Update*
They have admitted her to the hospital. Although the scans all came back clear, she did need stitches and is unable to put any weight on her legs. Because of covid, they will not allow anyone in to see her. I did deliver her phone charger and a laptop so that hopefully I can get a better picture of her current situation and calm her down later today/
MS Graceful...NOT! 