Thursday, May 2, 2024

MayDay

 (Of course yesterday was May 1, but yesterday morning after I hit snooze I had no time to post)

My inner instinct had me send a text to Christina yesterday; she was still hospitalized so I decided to go see her yesterday afternoon, “forsaking all else”. (McKinney is a little over an hour’s drive north of the Metroplex; but I still don’t fully understand is how Christina wound up in THIS hospital when she’s probably two hours away? must’ve been some kind of insurance thing?) I’m very glad I went even though it was distressing -

I found Christina still stashed in the back corner of their ER, in isolation since she is being tested for TB and every other infectious disease with her septic condition. They made me gown up and wear an N 95 mask. She was on an IV drip of piperacillin and doxycycline looking very thin, pale, and weak. I don’t believe Christina is contagious, but she has pushed herself past all limits this time. She doesn’t want her kids to see her this ill, but at 12 and almost 14 I think they’re old enough to understand how much help mom is going to need when she gets back home. Dr Val is very concerned for her.


5 comments:

  1. I'm confused and a little shocked, quite frankly. Is this how hospitals there deal with isolation? The E.R. doesn't seem like a good place for that. Even my husband's cancer clinic has a real isolation room. They don't have any rooms available to turn into an isolation room? It's not that hard. I sent a prayer for Christina. Insurance is getting to be a huge pain in the backside! I hope there is some improvement soon.

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  2. Yep, definitely a strange scenario? McKinney is an hour and a half from Christina‘s place and they would’ve had to go past Paris & Bonham (or Greenville going by the more southern route), all three of which have major hospitals… The only thing I can think of is that it was some weird insurance constrainment? Today’s update is that they plan on keeping her through the weekend (as I said, she is desperately ill because most hospitals are anxious to boot you out the door as soon as you can hold your head up straight!)

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    1. I hope she is getting good care there because I agree that they boot people out ASAP. My GF had open heart surgery at Barnes and was sent home the next day. In 1975 when I first became a nurse we kept people for weeks. I sent another prayer for Christina.

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  3. I'm sitting here shaking my head over this situation. Those kids are going to need to grow up a little faster than their mom would prefer, I'm sure. Hang in there, Val, you are doing what you can, and I'm adding my prayers to those of others.

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  4. I agree with the above. Tough situation but her kids are more the old enough to see reality.

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