Colleen[8]: That's better...

[mdlbear]

Went in to visit Colleen about 11am, so as to be there around noon when her case manager was due to show up. Along the way we were assured by several doctors that she wasn't about to be sent home any time soon. In particular, she will emphatically not be coming home before Thanksgiving, so LOSCON is still on. We won't need the second room, though; overall we'll save $400 or so on room and meals.

(It's not clear just what or who was responsible for the miscommunication -- or more likely idiocy -- that had them setting things up for a Sunday release, nor which of the various people she cried or ranted at put the brakes on. But it seems to be taken care of for now.)

Sang "The Mary Ellen Carter" (my choice), "Wheelin'", and "Quiet Victories" (at Colleen's request).

She will be going to a skilled nursing facility, definitely no sooner than Monday; most likely Tuesday or Wednesday. If we're lucky, there's one very close to our house -- the only questions are whether it has beds and whether it can handle TPN. Kaiser covers 100 days of skilled care per year -- the case manager wasn't clear on whether that was per calendar year or per 365 consecutive days, but it probably won't matter in this case.

When she's no longer at the stage of needing 24-hour skilled care, we'll get training in using the equipment and so on before she'll be allowed home. I've seen the take-home pump; it's in a bag that can be carried as either a shoulder bag or a backpack. It would, at least, let her get around the house using the walker. We'll also get training on the ostomy bag (for the fistula). She'll be getting a home-care nurse initially, then go in for regular appointments at the wound care clinic. A hospital bed should only cost about $20/month to rent; not clear whether it would fit in the sewing room.

(I'm mostly making notes for my own benefit here, so that I can make sure they haven't left anything out.)

She's in good spirits, and looks and sounds healthier than I've seen her in weeks. Maybe months. She also hasn't needed any morphine today, which is good.

Thanks, by the way, to chipuni for his visit today, and to carmiel for the bear and good conversation yesterday.

Colleen, like me, favors getting a split adjustable bed for our bedroom as a longer term solution. I'll miss the lovely oak bedstead that I made a little after we were married, but it'll give us an opportunity for some much-needed and long-delayed cleaning.

Since I will be going to LOSCON with the kids, I obviously won't have Thanksgiving weekend for cleaning. Depending on timing I may have to take some time off work. Hopefully I can do a little every day or so. We'll deal with it.

Comments

[brmj.livejournal.com]

It's good to hear you got things more or less figured out. I would have commented on the going home early disaster if I hadn't been busy. In the unlikely case that there is some thing I can do to help (from the other side of the country), just ask.

[mdlbear]

Thanks! (Probably not much you can do where you are, but just knowing that people are thinking of us is a help.)

We had a whole filk circle thinking about you

[capplor.livejournal.com]

including Kathleen Sloan and us (the rest are locals who weren't too sure who you were, but send good thoughts anyway). Lemming was somewhere else, but he clued in Kathleen, so he's worrying about you guys, too.

Re: We had a whole filk circle thinking about you

[mdlbear]

Good to know -- thanks!

Hugs all around.