Back home again - finally.
What a messed up morning.
We were told that Estelle's surgery was scheduled for 7AM so Dan decided he'd go with me since he didn't have to be at work until 9AM. We arrived at 6:45 and sat there with Estelle until 8:20AM when we asked what the hold-up was. We were then told that the surgery was actually scheduled for 8AM - they just tell people to get there an hour early. (This is the 4th or 5th time we've been here - they've never told us that before.) Then they told us that the doctor's hadn't even been around yet - so no telling when they'd get to Estelle.
I took Dan to the train station and came back in 20 minutes and she was just leaving for surgery when I returned.
They could not put in the different type of tube. Again, the infection and rawness is just too great. They did put in a bigger tube this time, so maybe that will cut down on some of the leakage. The leakage is the main reason her skin cannot heal. It doesn't matter how scrupulously they keep it clean and dry, if it continuely leaks, it stays wet. If it stays wet, it stays unhealed. When we went back to Woodbine I discussed it with Teena, the head nurse. She's about at her wit's end with it, too. She says it leaks terrible. Always has since the day she arrived. She had the same problem at the Manor. We do not know if the actual insertion site was cut too big or if there is something internal going on but there's really nothing anyone cna do to make it stop leaking. The only other option is to undergo another huge surgery to move the site to a different area but, because Estelle had a large hiatal hernia repair done at the time of the original insertion, that may be impossible. Besides which, mentally and physically, I doubt she's up to another large surgery at this time.
Estelle was quite agitated this time. She spoke alot, but most of it was unintelligable, unfortunately. She wanted to know where she was and why she was there but I don't think she understood the repeated explanation. She recognized Dan but did not recognize or acknowledge me at all. She was hitting and rubbing her face almost constantly. Dan says that she stops if you distract her, but he and I disagree on that one. She stops if you hold her arm but she fights the arm-holding and seems to be hugely disturbed by it. However, it may become necessary to restrain the arm, anyhow. Her entire chin is bright red from where she rubs it and her right eye is also reddened and swollen.
It's all very sad, actually, and neither of us quite knows what to do about any of it. I've arranged for the wound care nurses to come see her at Woodbine. Teena says that the psychiatrist was in to see her yesterday because they called him about the repeated hand movements but he left no notes or new orders. Teena is following up on that one for us since that particular doctor does not accept phone calls from families at all.
Tomorrow is the Hanukkah party - I've asked them to have her dressed and in a reclining wheel chair so we can take her down to it if it seems like a good idea. We're still undecided due to her agitation and a productive cough but we'll wait until the time comes to make a final decision.
I wish the news was better.
No comments:
Post a Comment