While we only have a single day before Doug's discharge the day still held some surpises. It seems this roller coaster ride just does not want to end. I got a phone call this afternoon from the transition coordinator. She told me that the third Home Health company I had selected would not be able take Doug on because they did not have enough staff to meet his needs. And so now, the day before his discharge, I had to select another (the fourth) company and see if they if they could and would provide services. Things are looking hopeful, but I will not know until tomorrow.
I think we will be able to bring Doug home tomorrow in our PT Cruiser. It if fairly low to the ground. Doug is still having lots of difficulty with transfers using a board. I bought a new board that came on Monday called an Beasy Board. It is a plastic transfer board with a disk in the center that the person sits on and it slides through the middle of the board from one side to the other. The PT tried it with Doug today and said it is not too functional for Doug right now but will work well for him soon. But I believe we can make it work tomorrow so that I don't have to arrange special transportation for him. Angie and Tom said they would meet us when we get home tomorrow to help get Doug into the house.
Now back to the PT cruiser. I went out to start it to take to the hospital tonight after work and the battery was dead. I called our roadside assistance and they connected me to a company in Boise to come out and jump the battery. After giving all my information I was told that they could not come to Nampa it was too far away. They sent me back roadside assistance, and I went through the same process and right before they were going to transfer me to a company the call dropped. I called again and got through and right before the woman was going to call a company she said it would be 90 minutes before they would arrive at our house. I was astounded. I said, never mind, I would figure it out. And so I did. I went to the garage, found the jumper cables and jumped the car. I should have done that to start with!
Then I headed to Boise to see Doug. On the way I gave him a call and told him I was coming. He asked me if I had gotten his message. I told him I had not heard a call come in. He said the doctor had been in to see him. Last night I had asked him to please ask the doctor why he thinks his ankles are swelling. They had started swelling about 2.5 weeks ago. I kept asking the nurses and they kept telling me this sometimes happens, but I told them he had swelling when he was very sick but that the edema had resolved weeks ago. Well, the doctor must have been concerned because he had another doctor come over from St. Luke's for a consult. This doctor found a blood clot and they have now started Doug on blood thinners. Thank heavens we kept pushing to have the doctor look at his ankle. Clots can be so dangerous. Doug said that he could still come home tomorrow. And so I hope everything will be OK.
And so we pray:
O Lord our Protector and our Guide, be with Doug as he prepares to come home. Watch over him and guard him from all sickness. Be with his doctors and nurses as they care for him. Make clear the path for the care providers that will come into our home so that Doug may continue to heal and regain his mobility. Take away our fear as we approach the next steps of his healing and fill us with joy with Doug's homecoming. In your name we ask it. Amen
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