Home At Last!
((((((HUGS TO ALL))))))
Like a whirling dervish, I cleaned and scrubbed the downstairs for 2 hours this morning, while Jim remained at the hospital with Jon.
Remember when I said that there's always a snag?
About 10:00 am, I spoke to the social worker, who was coordinating Jon's discharge. She informed me that the ID doc didn't write an order for the IV Zosyn at home.
They had to scurry to get the doc's orders, which I later learned Jon's wonderful nurse copied and pasted from the doc's progress notes from his visit last night. This saved time.
Delivery from the pharmacy can take 2-4 hours, and we didn't have that kind of time.
Jon's HH nurse had called and said that she had a patient from 2:00 to 5:00, so we had to have everything here by 1:00.
I called the agency's nursing coordinator and supervisor, the latter to whom I spoke. She offered to contact the pharmacy to see if they could put a rush on Jon's supplies/Zosyn, which they did.
Meanwhile, the hospital social worker was calling the pharmacy with the same request.
The ambulance for transport home had been ordered for noon. We had a short time frame for starting the Zosyn, although we knew that his times for that med would change once at home. (He gets it 3 times a day.)
Once all of my anxiety and phone calls were finished, I showered and hauled buns to the hospital, arriving at 11:30. I wasn't about to let Jon stay in another day, because of a glitch, when I had promised him that he would come home today. And as you said, Paul, the hospital is a very germy place.
Two tall and handsome young EMT's arrived on the button at noon for Jon's transport.
As we were leaving, nurses, aides, and staff lined up to bid Jon a happy homecoming. There were tears and hugs among us all.
Then, the floor secretary told me that a couple of nurses at the station around the corner wanted to say goodbye, so I walked over there to find the nutritionist, as well as several nurses. More hugs and tears. More, "I love yous."
Jon took off with the EMT's, who were really on the ball and ensured Jon's comfort on the gurney. I took off for the valet parking. (Valet parking is $3; self parking in a lot a good walk from the front doors is $5. I use the valets now!)
I managed to catch up to the ambulance about 1/2 way home and followed them to our house. Jon's supplies were just being delivered!
We got Jon settled, gave him a quick wash-over and his own gown/shirt, turned on a movie, and he was all smiles. Then Jim put together the IV pole for Jon's feeding pump, and he set up the bag of food. We watched a video on line last night, which showed all of the steps for the pump, so we were ready to go. No training needed from Nancy.
When his HH nurse arrived, we got right into learning about the IV pump for the Zosyn. It is a small computer with buttons. It is remarkably simple. Doses and times are preprogrammed. We only have to change the IV bag of Zosyn once a day, and the computer does all of the work! His HH nurse showed us how to flush the PICC line, and she let me do it, to get the feel of it. Easy. No needle syringes involved.
She will visit tomorrow morning to change Jon's catheter, as well as to make sure that we are comfortable with the IV pump. She will watch us flush the two PICC line ports, insert the new bag of Zosyn to the PICC line, and turn on the pump.
She will return next Weds, when the course of Zosyn is finished, to draw blood for seizure med levels. She is always available to us by phone and email.
In the midst of the morning chaos, his HH nurse suggested that Jon could have a night nurse visit after 5 p.m. to get Jon set up on the IV. We've had a night nurses a couple of times before, and they were not up to par with the day nurses. I didn't want anyone but our nurse, because we love and trust her like a member of our family. This was too important to have a stranger do it.
Jon's movie choice was home movies with Michael. He must really need to see his little brother. I'm positive that Michael was watching over Jon throughout this entire ordeal, and continues to do so.
Although Jon has had great SATS over the past several days, he dropped to 88 a couple of times since he came home. We suctioned a little through the trache, his SATS came up to 96.
He is quite tired, as he didn't sleep all night/day after his marathon 12 hours yesterday. I guess he's just too excited about coming home. We pray that he gets a solid night's sleep tonight.
We felt your love and prayers escorting us all of the way through this crisis and as we returned home. We simply cannot thank you enough.
We Love You!
Love & Light,
Rose
P.S. ~ I didn't have the opportunity to go to the Towers to see Roslyn, unfortunately. But she gave me her card, so I will try to call her or send her an email.
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Lisa O: mom to Caitlin (12-CP, VA shunt, seizures), Brandon (10), Tyler (7), Logan (5)