Joshua update
Well….. medicine in the US can do many wonderful things, but taking into consideration the patient as a feeling, sentient single entity, and his family, is not one of them. Yesterday the doc said if all goes well he could have surgery Weds. and go home Thursday. Today he actually LOOKED at the incisions and said they would have to do skin grafts, meaning MORE days in the hospital and not home Thursday. Sigh. I’m sick of the ortho guys not taking to the plastics guys not talking to trauma not talking to rehab … or if they ARE communicating to each other, failing to communicate that to us.
Anyway, I’m tired, and that is part of my grumpiness! I hope to have time to blog about Maine Quilts, this past weekend (I got a 90 minute window of opportunity to visit! YEAH!), and Kate and I hang the Frayed Edges show at the Camden Public Library…. if you put Frayed Edges into the search box, it will bring up posts about our mini-group; the most recent is your invite to come to the show! Gotta run….chores to do before heading back up to Bangor, Cheers, Sarah
July 31st, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Oh Sarah. I am so sorry to hear about the setbacks at the hospital. It must be so frustrating for ALL of you. Stay with it and stand up for your boy. (You didn’t need me to tell you that!)
July 31st, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Sarah,
I don’t know you but saw your post on the QuiltArt list where I lurk, I have been keeping up on your blog. I work in the medical field and I too know your frustrations, it is not any better on this side. You have to be a little “b—-” to get information from anyone and then you probably still won’t know what is going on. Just remember this nightmare will be over one day and “normal” life will resume.
Robin in NC
July 31st, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Am a regular reader of your blog but just had to leave a comment. I worked in the medical field for many years. The patient needs an ADVOCATE. Most hospitals have a patient advocate, usually someone through the social work office. You tell them your gripes and they address them from the viewpoint of the patient’s well being. I don’t know if you are a confrontational kind of person but most of us can be where a kids are concerned. You tell those docs to get their shit together and give you all a timeline of what is happening and that you want a daily update. You just need to call them on it. M.D. behind their name does not stand for medical deity!!! Good luck!
August 1st, 2007 at 11:41 am
I wiah I could say I was surprised but it sounds all too familiar. I feel for the people who don’t have an advocate to speak up for them. Hang tough Sarah, prayers coming your way for Joshua and for all of you. Like it’s not enough to have to deal with the dynamics of the injury alone!
When my FIL Jim was in the nursing home/hospital, they didn’t like me at all. I came everyday and I asked questions he was too timid and frightened to ask. Don’t take any crap! They treat you like there’s a problem with perfectly reasonable questions. My husband still thanks me and saw a whole new dimension to my personality back then. Give ’em hell honey!