This is KitKatz Daughter

[Darthvadar]

Aaaaw!!!!!!!....

Thankee kindly, Kitz..... I STILL can't stand you, but hey!... LOL!!!!!!....

Come on, you cantankeras old boot.... Get up and running, and get home!... It's MUCH easier to insult you there!...

Love  to all...

Darth....

[AnnieB]

Great to hear you're on the mend! 

[anniede]

There is a rumor that they could move KK to a care home in the next few days, once she's "medically stable" - their words, not mine.  It's not official but they are starting to coordinate everything to make the move "seamless".  *snicker snicker snicker*  NOTHING happens seamlessly around us.

Anne

[Rerun]

You need to be on a liquid diet young lady!

Hope you are feeling better each day.

         

[okarol]

  Hope you're getting good help.

[kitkatz]

The hospital wifi went down yesterday. leaving me very bored.

[Darthvadar]

The hospital wifi went down yesterday. leaving me very bored.

So we're going to suffer on the double today, then???... Oh Gawd help us all!... 

Love you really, Kitz....

Darth....

[Poppylicious]

Glad to see you posting!  I hope it's not too long before you can go home.  Pleased you got the card; just wanted you to know I was thinking of you.

*huggles*

[Riki]

The hospital wifi went down yesterday. leaving me very bored.

I wish my hospital had wifi.. I'm currently killing my phone data, using the mobile hotspot option..

it is equally boring, however

[glitter]

well, I am GLAD to see you back- even if you get bored!!!

[anniede]

  UPDATE! 

It seems that the hospital's wifi doesn't like to work during the day or otherwise KK would be here now, bitching up a storm.  Instead, she gave me an earful and I'm now posting it at her request.

So, wanna hear the latest?

1) The staff of the ward she's in now is inept idiots who couldn't find their heads from their "you know where".  When she calls to get help with something urgent or asks for pain meds, the person who answers the call over the intercom tells her "Someone will be with you shortly." and then no one shows up for 20-some-odd minutes.  Earlier today, a specialist came by to see her and found her sitting in her own feces because the staff ignored her calls for help.  He ended up cleaning her up and helping her get changed....and then stepped outside to talk to the staff.  A few minutes later, her nurse comes in and tells her, "You know, you need to tell us when you need help."  "I DID!!!!  You guys IGNORED me!"

2) She's still in a lot of pain.  They removed her morphine drip yesterday morning but were not keeping on top of the pain.  When I saw her around lunchtime, she was complaining of being in a LOT of pain (a 9 on the pain scale, which means a 12 or 13 for normal people - all three of us as a high pain tolerance) and had been for hours.  The meds (Norco) they gave her at 10:30 didn't work at all but the nurse and doctor were determined about not giving her any more IV pain meds.  So, they let her sit there in pain for 3 hours, waiting for the Norco to "wear off". 

Well, as you can guess, she started throwing fits around 1:30, almost in tears, saying the pain was now a 10 and demanding meds, so the nurse returned with another Norco.  We both said, "OH, HELL NO!" at the same time and the nurse looked shocked.  "BUt this is all the doctor will prescribe you right now."  "Get me the doctor now."  "Well, I'll call him but until then, take the Norco."  "I'm not taking anything until you talk to the doctor.  Norco doesn't do anything for me and you know it!  I'm not about to take that med, have you talk to the doctor, get a new med, and then tell me I can't have it until the Norco comes out of my system.  I want a new pain med and I want it NOW."

It took then A FULL HOUR to get a hold of the doctor, get a new prescription, have the pharmacy release the meds, get the meds, and then administer it.  All in all, she was in severe pain for 4 hours yesterday and ready to MURDER someone.

3) The docs (and probably the nurses of the ward) really want her to be discharged to a care home this afternoon.  Now, it's not the care facility that worries up but the fact that they said that my sister's husband (an amputee) would be responsible for taking her to dialysis.  That means 3 times a week, he would have to go to the care center, load her into the car, take her to dialysis about a mile or two away, unload her into a wheelchair, and wheel her inside for her treatment...and then do it all in reverse 4 hours later. 

We all just stared at the coordinator yesterday - you want us to do WHAT?  KK can't get out of bed right now without 3 people seriously helping her.  She can barely walk 5 steps without serious fatigue.  And you want her to do WHAT?  Suuuuurrrrreeeeee.....  *sigh*  There is talk about getting her on Medi-Cal so her transportation costs could be covered....if she qualifies, that is.  We'll have to see....

4) Lastly, I have a funny story for you:

KK was sitting up in her hospital bed, eating lunch, when this perky, short, blonde chick (her words) bounced in with a wheelchair and told her, "Hop in!  We're going to dialysis!"  KK stared at the crazy lady, wondering if she had the right patient, "What?"  "You're Mrs. KK, right?  You have dialysis this afternoon.  Jump in and I'll take you down there."  That's when KK laughed at her and said, "I'm not going ANYWHERE with you, lady."  Perky blonde bounced off to talk to the doctor and he called her up a few minutes later, angry at her for denying dialysis, "You haven't had a session since Sunday.  You need to go today."  That's when KK laid into him, setting him straight about her current condition and where he could stick his little wheelchair.  From what I understand, the dialysis machines are up their way up to her room right now....

---------------------------

Personally, I don't know whether to feel bad for the nursing staff or for KK.  Please pray for her sanity....and send lots of cards and letters to keep her spirits up.  You can PM me or Karol for her address.

Anne
(aka - KK's little sis)

[okarol]

  JEEEZZZZ! 

I hate that she is in pain. She needs to be careful if they are feeding her and giving her pain meds as they will stop up her intestines.
But they need to find a way to keep her comfortable!! (Take 2 vicodyn and 2 stool softeners lol)
I am glad she's able to speak for herself, but no one should ever be left alone at the hospital. They are too busy and the patient will suffer.
I have even called Jenna's doctor's answering service and had him paged when they delay with care for too long.
Please give her a hug from me.
She needs one of my husband's air horns.

[AnnieB]

"Hop it"??

Where are they getting their staff from? The story about the lack of response to the call bell reminds me of a story. The daughter of a friend of mine was in the hospital after surgery, and was told not to attempt to use the bathroom by herself but to ring for the staff who would then - presumably - come and help her. Of course, you know what happened. When nature called, she used the call bell as requested...and no one came. Concerned after a bit that she might have an "accident", she simply called 911 and told the operator that she needed to use the bathroom. The 911 operator, looking up where the phone call was coming from, realized that it was the hospital across the street. Needless to say, there were several nurses in her room within minutes ready to assist her....I'm sure the hospital was tremendously embarrassed, but his daughter also did not have that problem again during her hospital stay. This is a true story, btw.

Not that I'm suggesting that you would do such a thing. Ahem. But sometimes drastic situations require drastic solutions.

 

[Riki]

I never would have thought of calling 911.. nice touch.. I'm lucky enough that I haven't had to use the call bell here yet, but if I have surgery, I may need to..

I haven't had any trouble with incompetence just yet.  Even the doctor who's covering for my family doctor this week is great.  I may see if she has her own practice.  She's smart, and she has a personality, which I can honestly say that my family doctor does not.

kitz, I wish I had your guts to tell it like it is.  I only do that when I'm in extreme pain and just don't care about decorum anymore.

[anniede]

"Hop it"??

"Hop IN."

Now see what happens when I have three cups of coffee in the morning?  Utter chaos when I try to type.  ;-)  Just thankful it was just that one Boo boo!

Anne
((KK's little sister))

[amanda100wilson]

drastic measures need drastic actions.... but calling 911?  Not somethin I would do because it could be holding p an emergency call (even though it is an emergency, just not that sort of emergency)

[natnnnat]

I've just read back through the pages to try and work out what's been going on.  Twisted and busted intestines.  Yowsers.  My mother in law died of bowel cancer which created holes in her intestines allowing her faeces to leak through her vagina, and being acidic, that was excruciating for her.  The doctors and nurses and physios were all using phrases like "medically stable now" and "time to get up!!" and "needs to move to a nursing home".  She moved to a nursing home under our great protest (if we hadn't found a place we could bear her to be, they were all set to move her to a shocking looking place just down the road, full of the living dead.  Anyway she died two days later in unfamiliar surroundings, and we could see she was dying so I was never sure what they meant by "medically stable" ay.

But KK had her operation on the 15th, right?  That's nearly ten days ago.  Gregory has had 10 abdominal surgeries and they always get him out of bed within about two days.  He insists that he heals faster because of it.  He says, it hurts a lot, but if you don't do it it hurts more and for longer.  After surgery, most of the hospital staff rapidly become annoying because they want the patient out, and getting out of bed sucks, but KK - can you not get out of bed?  If you can't get moving, what's the problem, is there something else going on?  Getting up is a good option, much better than remaining stuck in hospital and FAR FAR better than this "moving into a home" business?  Plus it will help you poo, and Okarol has pointed out the problem with painkillers and poo.  Not that there's that problem yet, by the sounds of it.

I wonder if they want to have done with the IV painkillers to encourage you to get up.  Though you can have one of those rolling stand things.  Marge's doctors and nurses were obsessed with her getting up.  In her case, she was dying, why couldn't they leave her alone?  But KK.... you're recovering, aren't you?? Worried about this.  Is there a phsyio around who has told you not to get up?  Maybe if that's the case, then there's a reason behind it.  Maybe I'm leaping to conclusions here and you are getting up. Even transplant patients, even cardio patients get up a day or two after surgery.  If you don't get up soon after surgery you start getting complications: chest infections, constipation, deep vein thrombosis. 

I think (dodging a barrage of rotten eggs and old tomatos) that you should call for a physio, KK, and regardless of how damned annoying and incompetent (s)he is, get that idiotic person to help you to start getting up.  It will hurt like crikey.  Keep doing it anyway.  Be careful with your blood pressure so don't just jump up without help from the goddamned annoying incompetent physio please.
Please? 

[okarol]

What is a physio? Is that like a physical therapist?

I just spoke to Kitkatz and she said it's tough to get up because her abdominal muscles have been cut, so that, plus intense pain and a stoma too, all contribute to making it hard to get up. She needs help, so tonight they should be moving her to a convalescent hospital where she will be recovering.

[amanda100wilson]

One way to make moving a little easier is to hold a pillow up against your abdomen.  It helps stabilize and support the incision and cut muscles.  I am surprised that you have not had a physio. (physiotherapist) to help you get moving.  Maybe that is something they only do in the UK?

[Jean]

I feel so badly for you Kit and wish I could help you. Good that you are telling them like it is, and I bet by now they are ready to have a parade at the door to wave as you leave. That's our girl!!!

[natnnnat]

What is a physio? Is that like a physical therapist?

physiotherapist in australian speak

[anniede]

They got her moved to the care home around 2 AM this morning and is now settling in.

They came to take her around 8 last night but then realized that they had brought the wrong gurney.  DOH!  So they tell her, "We'll be back in a few hours with the right one."  Lordy lordy lordy....I can't imagine how she "happy" was when they finally came by at 2 AM to move her.  We do not like our sleep interrupted, if you know what I mean!

Anne
(kk's little sister)

[Jean]

That is one hell of a time to move a patient. Sometimes I do think medical people are brain dead. They tell you to get lots of rest, then they wake you up every half an hour, so you get no sleep at all then you tell you that you should get out of bed more. CRAP!!!! Good luck Kit.

[amanda100wilson]

 Last November I was in ICU and on the doctors' rounds they told me that I could move to a regular ward.  I waited and I waited and I waited, and they finally moved me at about 2.30. in the a.m.  The nurse on night duty was a real B**** .  I tied to help get all my stiuff  gathered together and there was a lot as it included my personal scales.  I could tell that she didn't want to help me.  She had already out my back up trying to treat me as if I was an idiot when she took my BP.  So I can understand your frustrations, K .K.   Nurses that tick me off, certainly know that they have ticked me off, particularly when they try to Patronize me with their 'superior knowledge'.

[natnnnat]

I hope the care home is up to scratch.