Day 60 Dad breathes

When Obama set out to change health care in this country
an uproar sprung up all across the land
people were angry
one of the biggest issues
they said
if healthcare is socialized we will lose the best doctors in the world
we have the best health care system in the world
we don't want to loose it

I left the hospital yesterday with my father
a list of medication and instructions in my hand
the nurse on duty gave them to me
with these instructions:

"follow the list"

Okay... I said, thinking myself fairly able... I asked a few questions
one of which was... "how do I feed him through the tube"
her answer: "Make sure he is at a 30 degree angle... open the nub... use this funnel... and empty one can into the tube 5 times a day. It works by gravity."
"Ok" I said.
and then they came to take my dad
and I had to leave.

I was also given a set of prescriptions by the doctor's "assistant" doctor.

I immediately went to the drug store to fill the prescriptions...

At home a visiting nurse came to help me out.
She looked at the instructions
"Do you have the insulin?" she said.

"Insulin?" I asked.

"Yes, it says here you have to administer insulin 4 times a day."

"No one told me" I blinked.

"No one taught you how to do it?!"

It turns out the insulin was in the prescriptions... but the insulin syringes were not.
In the prescription were another injection as well!
No one even mentioned this to me!
But
The prescription for the syringes (this medication has a different type of syringe) was not.
The "assistant" doctor "forgot" to write a prescription for the syringes... nervous giggle
On a friday afternoon
soon before
all drug store close
except the ones far away.
1 type of medicine for diabetes reaction

the other for possible blood clots

not at all serious of course
and if you believe that you are probably foreign and English is not your native tongue
or you have never watched a drama revolving around a hospital.
They are "QUITE" (Burian, H. 2010) serious. (actually to quote Honza Burian would also mean they weren't that serious THEY ARE SERIOUS)

We call the doctor
he says to me "Why you can't give this medication without any syringes!"
"okay" I say.
"And you must get training before you administer it!"
"Um. " I say... "I am not the medical professional here, doc. You are. So who was supposed to order the syringes? Who was supposed to train me?"
"Umblanjgdgs." He said. "my assistant."

yes... see. It is the best medical system in the world.

the calls the drug stores
we can't pick it up until the next day
day gets no medicine last night at all....

only food.
I think... i can do the food! Ive been trained!
and really it is quite easy.
remove the nub
pour in the can
flush with water
reinstall nub
done.

seconds later dad starts hacking
he cough and a big wad of whitish gray stuff emerges from his lips...
it is food!
The next day when the visiting nurse arrives she hears my story.
As I tell her her eyes get wider and wider

first of all... not a 30 degree angle
but a 90 degree angle

2ndly (in case you ever have to feed a loved one through a peg tube)
DO NOT FEED THE WHOLE CAN AT ONCE!
one can over the course of an HOUR

Dont you think these are important pieces of information to know BEFORE you return home with your sick father?!

The doctor actually called today to APOLOGIZE

Dad coughed all night because of it and the nurse suspected that he'd re-got pneumonia because of it.
She looked at me and said THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT
but deep inside I felt like I was part of some plot to murder my father.
after some careful inspection
she thinks my dad is okay.
She gave me instructions on how to do things (I don't like it and didn't realize Id have to do these things as part of my job... I have to stick my father with a needle 10 times daily)

then
The nurse told me
you realize... you are near the end?


be careful what you wish for...