The Big Guy has returned home! Dad made it through the surgery with flying colors. He ran one quart low on blood (as of last night) and was able to get a refill from his own previously-donated stock at the blood bank. A slight fever threatened to keep him in the hospital a little longer, but he shook it off, rubbed some dirt on it, and was carted home today by d'mama.
Here's the funny (or not so funny, depending on your point of view) conversation I had with the family last night...
ring, ring
Dad: Hello (in a very testy voice)
T: Hi Poppy! How are you doing tonight? Did they hang your blood yet?
Dad: Yep, and I just ripped my IV out trying to answer the phone. (still testy)
T: Uh-oh. You'd better call the nurse right away!
Dad: I already hit the button.
T: Sorry Poppy, I'll call you later. Love you, bye.
Dad: Love you too.
ring, ring
Mom: Hello, honey. (god bless the caller ID on cell phones.)
T: I broke Dad.
Mom: What?
T: I broke Dad.
Mom: I think you need to explain
T: restates story above.
Mom: Oh shit. They had a terrible time getting that IV in. They had to stick him over and over, that's why it took so long to hang his blood. A nurse had to come up from the ER finally to get it done.
T: Crap. I screwed that up.
ring, ring
Dad: Hello (still a little testy)
T: Did they get your blood restarted?
Dad: Yea, I didn't pull the needle out, just unplugged it. But it got blood everywhere so they had to change my whole bed.
T: Sorry about that. Are you doing okay now?
Dad: Yep. I'm watching CSI.
T: Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Love you, bye. (All who know the Big Guy know not to mess with CSI.)
So today he got to roll home, only to find out that the only Home Health agency that will take his insurance can't start him until after Thanksgiving. WHAAAAA? How was that not set up before he left the hospital? Someone's discharge planner's going to eat it tomorrow. So I'm off to draw and scan some exercises for the Big Guy to do until they figure out what's going to happen.
Thanks to all of you (especially you, CEO) for checking in on him!
4 comments:
ok, i'm a schmuck! What the hell happened to your dad?? Did I miss a post along the way?? I swear, when I travel I try and keep up - or at least read them all (or so I thought) when I got home...
Where do we go from here? If he's low a quart of blood, and he's home, shouldn't someone be moving NOW. I'm available if you need me. Just shriek, and don't spare the damn volume.
Hello everyone who reads about Tiff's Pop. Mother-ship here reporting that being home is going quite well though I have spent the day fighting "the man" with the voice of a woman far, far away. Seems our illustrious insurance provider stinks, so getting a therapist to visit in home is a real big undertaking. Of course all these shenanigans are being orchastrated by some sweet girl in Wisconsin! Oh Lord....... I hope I look good gray. Joe got both units of blood before he was discharged and he is nice and pink now. No more low grade fever either. Speed with the walker is picking up, much to the delight of the dogs who are worried and don't trust the contraption. Ahhhhhh... life on the farm. Here's hoping we BOTH survive the 4 to 6 weeks he will be home. Heartfelt thanks to all of you who sent good, healing thoughts our way.
Sally
Jules- He had his right hip replaced on Monday (recheck his birthday post for details.)
CEO- Thankfully he got his blood Wednesday night and was fine to go home Thursday (despite the other fiasco).
Ma- May the force be with you.
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