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QUESTION: My mother was released from the hospital yesterday after a disagreement with
the attending doctor over medication changes and discharge diagnosis of
altered mental status (no disagreement there), small vessel disease (what?
how was that determined?) and neurogenic bladder.
She has been catheterized since August 19th, except for three days in the
rathole nursing home. The urologist ordered the catheter removed for 8 hours
Wednesday to see if she could void on her own. Of course she couldn't, so
the catheter was reinserted and we were told she no longer had control of
her bladder and cannot void on her own. Bunk. Let's try some bladder
training, eh? (The urologist says there's no such thing although the nurses
assured us there is.)
My son Michael came down from Maryland Tuesday and her disposition has
improved greatly since then. She is now on Aricept for short term memory
loss.
She knows who we are, knows her date of birth, birthplace, parents' names,
but thinks she lives in North Miami Beach (10 years ago). We're "testing"
her daily on things like this, trying to jog her memory.
I bought her a plush stuffed cat which has been christened "Buster McGee"
and he is her protector in the new nursing home.
So far the new nursing home is a vast improvement over the last one. She has
assigned nurses, the same ones every day, and they are on duty 24/7. The
nursing home is huge and there are plenty of staff available at all hours,
RNs not just CNAs.
We settled her in and they brought her dinner, but it was the wrong tray:
tuna sandwich and fruit cocktail. She ate half the sandwich on her own,
drank the milk and apple juice and ate the fruit cocktail. She was on pureed
mush in the hospital. The nurse said she would advise the doctor, who is
scheduled to evaluate her today, that she can handle softer foods, like
bread and tuna salad. I'm bringing her some bananas later today when I visit
, a favorite treat.
She will be getting PT 7 days a week, speech and occupational therapy 5 days
a week. She will have the chance to shower twice a week, as well as daily
sponge baths.
I have a feeling this place is going to help her make progress towards
physical rehabilitation. Then we have to decide whether she will go back
home with a paid 24/7 companion or to an ACLF.
She's telling her jokes again and flirting with the male attendants. She's
smiling and watching the news on TV and making comments about current
events. She does keep asking about friends of mine I haven't seen in 30
years (especially Lizard, whose real name I can't even remember) and about
my dad whose been gone since 1967.
She seems to be doing better. We just need to get her physical strength back
so we can start working on her other issues. Once she's strong enough, we
will be taking her to a neurologist and a urologist to have her checked
thoroughly by qualified doctors, not hospital staff.
I thank you all for the e-mails, phone calls and loving hugs I've gotten.
You have no idea how much this has helped me to cope with this. When it all
becomes too much to deal with, I close my eyes and feel myself surrounded by
your love. It gives me the strength to go on.
ANSWER: I was going to ask. I'm so glad that she's
improving, and hope she gets to see someone soon who is a more skilled
diagnostician.
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