Colleen[6]: I can haz Flowr Cat!

[mdlbear]

Colleen is back at home, as of about noon today. Just finished up with Ellen, the home care nurse. Her visit, being the first for this round, lasted about 2 hours. We'll get one tonight for the TPN setup -- mostly to observe me -- and another Thursday afternoon for the weekly PICC line dressing change. The paperwork and pharmacy getting her home was about two hours, too.

But she's home. That's the important thing.

There's a bag of TPN fluid in the fridge for tonight; there'll be another eight bags arriving tomorrow (eight because deliveries are Wednesdays, and they want to be ahead by one because their normal window extends later than the usual time to hang the bag). After this week she'll be getting her weekly visits from Ellen on Mondays.

(The scheduling stuff is for my reference, of course. Don't let it keep you from visiting Colleen at the Starport -- she'll be here. Between the IV bag in a backpack that's a little too heavy and awkward for her, and the occasional dose of Good Drugs for dressing changes, she's not going anywhere much.)

The time spent yesterday with the psychiatrist and social worker was very useful, especially the latter. All I really got from the shrink was the number to call to set up an initial appointment, and what to ask for. The social worker explained a little about what the options are (I probably need something along the lines of a psychological social worker, but they're all dispatched from an initial appointment with a "therapist" in the psych department), and mostly was there for "emotional support" -- friendship, essentially. A friendly person who happens to be a world-class expert on what services you might need, both from Kaiser and the community, and how to get them. Raj was good, and if he shows up at the Starport some time I'd be delighted, but not surprised. I probably need to learn more about social work.

My stress level is way down now that Colleen is home and I'm no longer fighting bureaucracy, fear, and depression. May change when the Y.D. gets home, but probably not.

Happy bear.

Comments

[dejla.livejournal.com]

So glad to hear this!