Parting Is Such Sweet … Ah, Forget It – Let’s Just Go Home

It is 1340 and I am just now getting a chance to write anything.  Busy morning.

That morning started early.  Deb was up at 0100 for a trip to the restroom and a lap around the ward.  Then we did it again at 0530.  She ordered breakfast for us both at 0630, but it took about 30-45 minutes (they say to allow them that long, so that wasn’t unexpected).  PA Jackie showed up at around 0700 and said she would put in the order to let Deb leave.  She also looked Deb over once again and was happy with the results of both surgeries.  We will go see one of the nurses in their office for a recheck on Monday and hopefully remove at least a couple of Deb’s drains. 

Nurse Chelsea then turned us over to Nurse Jan for the day shift.  She got started on the paperwork and we were hopeful to leave just after 1100 but before 1400.  Why that window?  Well, the I-5 express lanes switch from southbound to northbound at 1100 or a little after which would speed our exit from downtown a bit.  But if Deb had still been there at 1400 she would have gotten another Heparin injection, which she didn’t want.

Deb was allowed (and even encouraged) to shower this morning, so Jan and I assisted with that as much as we could.  I went ahead and helped Deb put on her ‘going home’ clothes (and old button up shirt and pair of scrub pants of mine) to help get her ready to leave as soon as notice of discharge and transport came through.

Not long after that was when Jackie P. arrived for a visit (the PA is Jackie L.).  Deb had taken a painkiller after the shower, but was able to be alert while Jackie was there.  Jackie left somewhere around 1100 when Jan showed up with the homecare instruction and said discharge was imminent.  I finished packing up our stuff and grabbed the prescription sheets while Jan left to call for Transport.  At that point I figured I had just enough time to stop at the hospital pharmacy (the prescriptions had actually been faxed the night before), get to the car in the sublevels of Dante’s Garage, and get up to the patient pick-up area.  I got there, but no Deb.  So I pulled aside and waited*.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited some more. I finally called the hospital switchboard, got connected to the 11SW nurses station, and asked Jan (who’d been the one to answer) if Deb was still up there waiting for something else or if she was somewhere on her way down.

Jan had gotten distracted by another patient and had forgotten to call for Transport.

Profuse apologies to me followed (and apparently where given personally to Deb as well), so at least there’s that.

We left the hospital around noon or so and made the trip home without too much discomfort for Deb.  I have since gotten her to the restroom, fed, and into the succubus-like embrace of the sofa where she is currently dozing.  And I’m doing this.  And now I’m going to stop doing this and take a nap.

Zzzzz

*Turns out I was parked in a spot that was posted "No Parking Or Waiting", but I didn't see the sign until the car parked in front of it moved.