An eventful day

Today Paola moved to a new unit. We are both regretting the move -- for all that we know it is a sign that she is getting better -- because now she’s just one of many patients and the nurses are less able to give her individualized attention.

I wrote “less able” in a conscious attempt to be charitable. The first nurse she had on the new unit was HORRIBLE. It wasn’t merely that she didn’t seem 100% competent; it was that she was rude. Nurse X (name changed to protect the unpleasant) was one of those health care workers who refuse to believe that a patient – or a patient’s companion – might actually know what medications the patient has received (or needs to receive), what angle of bed is most comfortable, etc. She shared her “philosophy” -- which was basically that only wimps need medicine -- with us. While I agree with her that one should strive to get off the meds, it seems that if you just had major surgery and are in pain, you ought avail yourself of available pain-relieving agents. But I digress…

Paola reports that she had a good night. When I arrived this morning, she was sound asleep and didn’t even realize I was in the room for hours. Paola’s nurse let her sleep as long as he could, but he had orders to move her to the new unit so eventually he woke her up and then we formed a merry band – Paola prone on a stretcher, a nurse and I bearing Paola’s collection of gifts through the hallways.

Paola’s new room – in unit C2 – has – yes – cell phone reception. Unbelievable! It’s a private room with a nice view; she’s happy with it. As I’ve previously mentioned, the first nurse we had to deal with was terrible. The second nurse seemed unfriendly at first - I think Nurse X had told her that we were “difficult.” Anyway, she warmed up to us over time and appeared to be a very good nurse. Too bad nurses work in shifts. I’m just praying that we can avoid Nurse X tomorrow. [Especially since she directly ignored or contradicted doctor’s offers re Paola’s care and whenever this was brought to her attention felt the need to remind all present that she’d been a nurse for 31 years. (I wonder if she’d been a GOOD nurse for any of those years????)]

Paola is off IV fluids and is responsible for keeping herself hydrated. She’s been cleared to eat whatever food she wants except anything with caffeine (coffee, chocolate, soda). She still doesn’t have much of an appetite so today she contented herself with jello, a little soup, juice, and some applesauce. Her big accomplishments of the day were: getting out of bed and sitting in a chair, walking from her bed to the door of her room and back several times, and walking to the restroom and using the real toilet. Her evening nurse (the competent one) was not impressed – her plan was to have Paola walking the hallway corridors tonight. Paola is very determined to do absolutely everything she’s told to do, so I assume she will actually walk the corridors tonight. That said, when I left her this evening, she was in a lot of pain.

Have I mentioned the issue of Paola’s mother’s bed? The first two nights that she was here, Paola’s mother stayed overnight at the hospital. Despite numerous requests, the nursing staff was unable to find her something on which to sleep. The third night, I warned Paola’s night nurse (a very competent individual) that he might have an additional patient if he couldn’t procure something on which Paola’s exhausted mother could sleep. Accordingly, he found a kind of reclining chair (think: giving blood), which we wheeled into Paola’s room.

Today, when moving units, I asked if we would be able to keep the reclining chair and was told that we would. However, later in the afternoon another nurse came and took it away, despite our protests. Pleas to the incompetent nurse to find a replacement chair (or cot) went unheeded. Pleas to every individual who seemed possibly able to help likewise went unheeded. However one marvelous nurse’s aide took pity on our plight and brought us a cot, which we greeted with much joy.

I think that’s the day’s news. Sorry this posting was so delayed. Unfortunately, the new room still has no internet, and the one time I made it to the cafeteria, I couldn’t get a signal.

Good night, and please pray that we can avoid Nurse X tomorrow!