My head is spinning.
Anthony began the day with mom. She was in the Medical ICU and asleep most of the time. Anthony opened her eyelids and she'd look at him and keep them open a couple of minutes but then go back to sleep. She was fighting to stay awake. She answered questions though even when the doctor came in to see her!! The doctor asked mom to lift her arms and mom did it, moved her right foot but not the left---both on command. He asked her what her name was but she didn't answer. Mom's friends Flo, Maureen and Marty came to see her. Unfortunately, she was alseep most of the time. She did smile at them when she saw them. She only woke when they opened her eyes. Dad was there too and when dad asked her who used to do a certain thing, mom answered, "My father" and she was correct.
We are realizing that she doesn't come to life and wake up at the hospital until about 2:30-3:00 p.m.
Here is where my head spins....I had planned to see mom midday but got stuck doing errands and then I planned to meet my book group in the afternoon so I didn't see her today. Anthony called to tell me that mom was being discharged from the hospital today!!!! Surprise! So much for weaning and the RCU, I thought. The social worker called to find out where we want mom to go. I called all the family members and took a vote. I called the social worker back and gave her our ranking of the top 5. The social worker said she needed me to rank more than 5 because most facilities were full. I called the old facility (oddly our number 1 choice---the logic---go with what you know)...but they are full today. This could change tomorrow. Mom goes on their bed wait list. I have to call them back when mom gets moved. The building administrator has been in contact with me faithfully the last 5 days or so and said mom goes on the list but that we have to pay out of pocket for the transportation. (whatever). I asked the administrator if the process is as difficult to transfer as it seems and if it is even likely mom will be transferred but no reply as yet. The social worker called back to say that the 2 vent facilities in our county are full and so were 5 of the 6 facilities in the next county...so far, after numerous phone calls from the social worker, there are only 2 facilities who said they'd take mom and they are over 50 miles away from where I live. There is another facility in the county next to ours (the larger one we saw Sunday our number 3) who may take her (the smaller one and others said no because mom's Medicaid is still pending). This facility had a cranky person on the phone who said I needed to fax her ALL THE MEDICAID paperwork for the last 5 years of financial statements tonight!!!! I said I couldn't do it that quickly and that what she is asking for is literally BOXES of information. I called the advocate we hired who is filing the Medicaid application for us and the advocate took over so far. This same person told me that as per the hospital report sent to them---"Your mother is a long term care patient who will never leave a facility and is totally unable to ever be weaned from a vent." ?????????????????????? HUH????? This isn't what the hospital told us......hmmmm.....could the original facility mom was in not be the only one who doesn't talk to each other????? Literally, I began to spin internally....I needed a hug and wanted to cry from feeling overwhelmed. I prayed and texted 2 friends to pray for me. Literally, 15 MINUTES LATER, dad calls to say that the neurosurgeon and respiratory therapist and he were with mom and they took her OFF THE VENT and put her on the trach collar and she was doing great so far!!!!?????? I let go and let God at that point. If off the vent, mom can go anywhere and more doors open closer to home. Dad said mom woke at 3 p.m. and began to talk and follow commands too. The neurosurgeon and therapist said mom would not be released today but the social worker told me she could be released tonight at even 11 p.m. ????? Spinning. If there is more than one facility who will take mom, we choose from those, if not, mom just gets shipped wherever until a bed opens where we want her to be. I plan to follow up on the report sent to facilities saying mom is never going to be able to be removed from a vent!!!! WHAT IS THAT?????
????? All I know is that God took over from there....He was and is on the move...albeit kinda quick for me...but hey, He is in control and that's OK by me. Pray.
""The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy" Zephaniah 3:17
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