Update On My Uncle and the State of Our HealthCare System

I guess you may have figured out by now things have approved around my house.

My uncle is home with me, so that allows me much more free time. It has been a rough month for him and anyone who thinks we have the best health care in the world.. has NEVER had to spend any time in the hospital or a nursing home.

He was in the VA hospital in Kansas City and for the most part things were fine. He developed a Urinary Tract Infection within 36 hours of admittance, most likely because he had a catheter.. which is almost normal for men it seems.

Finally, on the 18th, after 4 days, they did surgery to fix his hip. Of course they had tested him and found he had MRSA in his nasal hairs.. or Nares as they call it.. so we had to change rooms, then we had to move to Progressive Care because they thought he had a heart problem..

So, 3 room changes, 2 infections and a heart problem all developed while he was in the hospital. And this was in 4 days... lol So far the nurses were great. But I had problems with the Doctors from the moment we got to the ER and had to have words with 2 of them right away.

The ortho on call Saturday when we got there had an attitude and decided she didn't need to be bothered so early in the morning and expressed her displeasure, so she heard an earful over the phone from me.. Then an arrogant young resident who decided to stick his nose into the mix in the ER and made a very ignorant comment about it got my full wrath directed at him face to face.. Needless to say, he learned you don't mess with my family.

After the Orthopedic Surgeon heard about it.. things got a little more heated and the two doctors apologized to me for ever stepping out of bounds.

Now, I am not saying it was all the hospital's fault he developed the infections.. any of us may have the MRSA of the Nares.. that is very likely.

However, after surgery he was in PCU again and then he develops pneumonia..I feel mostly because they didn't turn him or get him up like I was taught when I worked in the hospital 40 years ago. I was just amazed they didn't.

They depended on the bed, which has an air mattress to move him enough to keep him from getting ill. Well it didn't work.

But the topper of them all.. after 2 weeks..was when a nurse came into the room with 3 syringes to give him insulin.. She couldn't get his band to scan and therefore it was showing her there was something wrong. Not only that, when I asked her what it was for and she told me, I explained to her it was too much and that she should check the dosage and verify it again. She refused to take the time and said it was what the doctor ordered. Next thing I know she popped 55 units of Lantis and 40 units of Aspartane into my uncles arm.. Normally he only takes 2 to 5 units of Aspartane. That's all.. nothing else.. and he hasn't taken that for 2 years.

Yeah, you got it.. his blood sugar went to nothing.. in about an hour he was almost in a diabetic coma. I thought I was losing him and it was the fault of a nurse who wasn't doing her job correctly. Not the system, but a nurse.

Between me and another nurse working on the floor and an aide or Med Tech as they call them now, we brought him out of it. The nurse who was assigned to my uncle that night was more concerned with the football game between Kansas University and Missouri University than she was what was going on with her patients and couldn't be bothered to do her job correctly.

She didn't follow 2 of the most important procedures in the hospital, # 1 verifying the dosage and patient identification, and # 2 listening to the patients family. Yes, she has been reported and yes, she is probably going to lose her job.

It was only 2 days after that, he was dismissed from the hospital and sent to rehab to concentrate on PT and strengthening him so I could bring him home. Well that didn't work. One of the problems I had with them was they didn't make sure he was eating. A diabetic has to eat. When I picked him up on Wednesday his blood sugar was 50, yes, you read that correctly.

He regressed so badly in the rehab, that from walking in the hospital almost unassisted, he ended up not being able to walk even short distances in the rehab. The Social Service Director at the Rehab facility told me on Tuesday she believed he was ready to come home if the doctor okayed it. So, we had an appointment on Wednesday with his surgeon and I asked him.. he was a little confused, because he stated, "Usually it is up to the Rehab, not me.. but I am okay with him going home".

Well, when we got back to the SNF, my uncle didn't want to get out of the van...lol It took a lot of talking to get him to stay one more night.

So, Thursday, Dec. 10th, I went back, picked him up and brought him home. He has improved 250% since then. In fact I have threatened to tie him down so he will stay in bed, stay in the chair and quit walking around without me being there to help him. LOL

Remember, my uncle is 84 years old. He ended up with a partial hip replacement. They replaced the ball on his left femur to fix the broken hip joint. This happened on Nov. 14th and this is his story.

I am so proud of him for coming so far, and not giving up with everything he went through. This doesn't even begin to describe the horror, the pain, the fear, the emotions we have been through during this month. I have spent many hours at his bedside because I was literally scared to death to leave him for fear something would happen while I wasn't watching over him.

That's not a joke, it is not an exaggeration, it is deadly serious. There are so many errors made in hospitals and nursing homes every day. Here is a picture of his foot and ankle, where an aide said she couldn't get his sock off his foot so she just left it bunched around his swollen ankle. When I found it, I showed it to the nurse, who in turn showed it to the director of nursing. I was assured this would not happen again. Yet it did, just a day later.



I hope you can see the picture ok.. all I had with me was my cheap cell phone...lol it doesn't do a bad job but sometimes the pictures come out pretty dark.

Anyway.. I just wanted to update you all as to how things are going. Mom is doing well also. Thankfully she didn't have the problems Uncle did. But then Mom wasn't an inpatient, she had her surgery and came home. But we did have to take her to the ER for follow up pain control. So, she did have her problems.

My cousin is in rehab now too, not the one Uncle was in...lol Hopefully she will do well. They are saying she will be there for maybe a month or more, but at least they didn't have to take her foot, they did manage to save it. That was a huge relief.

Thank you all for your concern, your thoughts and your prayers for my family and I during this difficult time. We have the Visiting Nurses coming in along with PT and a bath aide to help me with my uncle. That all helps me a lot. And just having him here is a huge help, I am not on the road 2 hours a day and not worrying about what is going to happen next.. now if something goes wrong, it is MY FAULT...lol

Thanks again everyone. You are so special and mean a lot to me.

President's Weekly Address: Traveling Abroad for Our Economy at Home

This week the President comes to us from South Korea. He is on his first trip to Asia as President.

From the White House web site:

In an address recorded in Seoul, South Korea, the President discusses his trip to Asia. He talks about his push to stop nuclear proliferation in North Korea, Iran, and around the world. He talks about promoting America's principles for an open society in China while making progress on joint efforts to combat climate change. And talks in-depth about the primary objective of his trip: engaging in new markets that hold tremendous potential to spur job creation here at home.

We do have to be patient. I know there are some who will never give this president and the economy a break for any thing, but we have to allow him time to work and time for the recovery to work as it was planned.

I am sorry this is late again this week. I have just been overwhelmed with troubles. First, is my mom, you all know about her... then my 84 year old uncle who I help take care of fell last Saturday morning and I have been at the hospital with him ever day.. He has broken his left hip and we finally managed to get it fixed Wed. They did a partial replacement.

Then a very dear cousin of mine was in a serious car accident. They have done as much repair as they can do to her left foot and legs.. it is touch and go on her left foot as to whether she will be able to keep it.

Then my daughter's father is very ill and they are giving him a 50/50 chance of making it.

So as you see I have had a terrible week. Today hasn't been much better but at least I finally got some rest today.

My uncle will be getting out of the hospital probably Monday or Tuesday, and going to a Skilled Nursing Facility for rehab and PT... Hopefully that will help as it will be much closer to home and I will be able to pop in and out multiple times a day.

Thanks for understanding and for being such loyal readers.

Bless you all.. I hope you enjoy this weeks Address... I did.

Sorry For the Lack Of Posts..

I have been busy this week, trying to help Mom... She is 82 and her flower garden has grown up in weeds.. she was supposed to have had help taking care of it over the summer, but her help let it go to the wayside.

Now, I have been trying to get it caught up so we can get it back in shape before winter sets in. Just to give you an example of what I have been dealing with, here is a picture of the weeds I am cutting, I know it is hard to picture in your mind looking without a perspective..but they are about 8 to 10 feet tall...



And here is my helper...



That's Gizmo, my pom, he never lets me get too far away.. and in the background almost too far to see clearly is my uncle, Fred.. Not sure what I would do without him.

He's like my dad, always there to help me when I need someone. That's why I do things for him.. He always does things for me. Without me asking.. at 84 years old, after serving our country, having 4 back surgeries, or maybe it was 5, he still is out there with me almost every minute..

But, that's why I haven't gotten much posting done this week.. or why I haven't been around visiting much.. Sorry, I will make it up to you all soon.. and be back to my pesty, if that's a word...lol ways...

So, remember love each other, play nice.. and give them GOPers hell for me until I can get back and do it with you.

My Weekend Trip and a Trip Around the Internets

My trip this weekend was for my uncle. He is 84 and is a veteran of World War II. He served proudly in the United States Navy, aboard what he calls a baby flat top.

He was on the USS Prairie first, then he was on the USS Saginaw Bay. During his time on the Saginaw Bay, he had such a wonderful fun filled time. You can check out the fun time he had by clicking the link if you would like. As an 18 year old boy, fresh from his upbringing in middle America, (Indiana, West Virgina, Kentucky and Tennessee) this was eyeopening.

He left school after the 8th grade to join a thrill show. He was a dare devil driver. He drove a car while another guy rode the fender through a burning wall.. of course it was green wood, so the sparks would fly and it looked pretty, but normally there wasn't much danger. Once someone used the wrong lumber and it didn't splinter like it should and it knocked the riders teeth out. The owners name was Crash Davis and the show was just Crash Davis and the Hell Drivers.

But, back to my story of the war...on the Saginaw Bay he was all over the Pacific Ocean, he was at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Leyte Gulf, Mariana and Palau Islands campaign and the Philippines campaign.

I tell you this, only to say.. it is my honor and my pleasure to give back to him, just a small part of my time.. any time and every time he needs me or asks me for anything. He gave us all so much, as did my dad in WWII and as did all of our veterans.

We may not all agree on the wars and on the efforts of our fighting men and women, but when asked they served, and they sacrificed, it is the least we can do to give back to them in some small way.

My aunt is buried here in the Chicago suburbs, which is where they settled after the war, he too will be buried here when it is his time. That's why he wanted to come up here, to visit her grave on her birthday and make sure everything was still ready for his arrival sometime in the future, whenever that may be.

Now, change the subject...

I have found some new blogs and some old ones that are well worth visiting or re-visiting.

Some of the new ones..or maybe I should say newer..at least new to me and maybe to you...lol This one is called All the good names were taken.. and it is great. She writes about a variety of things, including politics and just life in general. Yesterday, her post was about, Garbage in her inbox..and it summed up what I feel some days... I think most of us can relate in one way or another.. let me quote a bit of what she said:

I do know, however, that it is truly bizarre that I am getting these e-mails from (and there's no polite way to put this) dumbfuck cousins who don't see just how incredibly stupid it is for them to fear a theoretical government-run health plan when the family tree is full of relatives who have struggled with medical bills for many years. My idiot cousin Wayne, for example, got to watch his sister totally stress out over her inability to pay her bills while she was dying of breast cancer. On what planet is it more acceptable for a dying woman to have to beg friends to put on spaghetti feeds and hold bake sales to raise money to pay her bills than it would be for her to have access to a system that would eliminate the bills to begin with? And this was a woman who had a decent job (school teacher) and the health insurance that came with it. So much for the private sector always doing a better job than the government.

One of the other people who sent me the anti-government health plan propaganda is a woman who's also dealing with cancer -- and she's past 70 now so her bills are all being paid by Medicare.

As I said, we all have relatives and friends like this, the RWNJ's who send us the emails about Government take over of Health Care and such...while they get Medicare..lol Yeah, I know... Like my daughter, avid Fox listener, believes everything they say and it doesn't seem to matter how far out it is.. She told my uncle the other day that he was going to start being charged for his health care at the VA.. yeah.. remember..that was discussed back in what March..well that has resurfaced..

Now you see the tie in with my uncle..lol What a lot of people don't realize is that VA does charge the veterans for their medicine copays. So, when the president asked about the VA charging the insurance companies for their health care.. it was a reasonable request..they do charge Medicare already.. Bet a lot of people didn't know that either. My uncle gets a bill from VA for anywhere from $16.00 to $64.00 a month from the Veterans Administration for his Prescriptions every month.. always has..and will until and unless he gets 30% disability service connected.

Ok, back to the blogs..

The next "New" one in my list is Helloooo Mr President, and again she speaks her mind...lol An example:

For those conservatives who will say "oh yea right, like we can believe MoveOn.org", this same question was asked in a poll by NBC news and the Wall Street Journal,
If you have something smart to say about them then tough shit!

Mr. President I sure hope you are on board with this, Your job is on the line, the people are speaking loud and clear!
The progressives are banding together, Pelosi is bargaining, and I know this bill will happen, it will have a public option!

Republicans are supporting the insurance companies, not Americans. Their scare tactics will not work this time. Election after election we have listened to their fearmongering, we have looked at their ugly faces on commercial after commercial, NOT THIS TIME! Your death panels aren't believeable, we aren't listening to you when you say money will fund abortions, we aren't listening to you when you say illegals will have free coverage! We aren't afraid of you when you come to townhalls with your precious guns strapped to your legs. We don't read your stupid signs, ya know the ones that say NO PUBIC OPTION! Yes that was how the sign was printed, not my spelling mistake! LMAO!!! These wingnuts are stupid and we will never back down and let the likes of Palin and co. get the upper hand. Not as long as we have Barack Obama in the White House!!! Go get 'em Mr. President!!!

This is a newer blog.. and I think she has a bright future ahead of her.

Now, another one that I found, well actually was referred to me by one of my older blogs I read..TheMom.. You should check her out too.. she is pretty good.. Well her son has a new blog, check him out.. it is funny and pretty good.

He calls it Past the Velvet Rope and it includes Guest Lists ... it is funny and wonderful. I love his insight..and he is looking at it from the outside.. He is in Egypt. They are just getting started and only have a few posted so far..but with all the nonsense out there.. they have plenty of stupid to choose from.

Of course they are all in my blog roll off to the left.

One of my oldies but goodies is Talking to Tango.. if you really want the truth about Canadian Health Care.. that's a great place to check out.. He told his story a few posts back.. Tango's Daddy is a great man and a wonderful writer.. He has been blogging our story and our situation here for a long time.. Worth the time to read and read again..

One of the best new finds is Frank Schaeffer, I am sure most of you remember him from Rachel Maddow's show... He wrote the book Crazy for God and has exposed the so called Religious Right as the hypocrites they are..

Well, I hope that gives you some food for thought.. some things to look at and an idea as to what I have been up to this weekend.

As I said, it is my honor to help my uncle, just as it was to help my dad. WWII was a different time and I guess a different war than what we are in now, I don't know.. I still feel that we have to help and serve our veterans no matter what.. They and their families sacrifice and give what others can't and don't. We may not always agree with it, and we may not think it is correct, but we can still give to them after they serve.

I don't think anything that is done for or given to the Veterans is a waste or too great of an expense..that's just my opinion. When I see what they have given up and given to us.. what they have to go through to get what little they can get, for all they have done.. it is worth it.

My uncle still fights the war, at night in his sleep, in the day in his mind sometimes. Yet he can get nothing from the VA, we are still fighting them for compensation. I think 60 plus years is long enough to fight for what you were promised.

Help For the IAVA

This is a copy of an email I got today. It is something that is a worthy cause and something that is worth giving $5 or $10 to in order to help these guys out. I was just at the VA hospital in Kansas City with my uncle, who is a WWII veteran. It is heartbreaking to see the number of 19 & 20 year old men and women coming in the doors, or even staying in the hospital.

We were there to see the mental health doctor, because my uncle is still fighting his war. Yes, over 60 years he is still fighting for benefits that was promised him for his service. And, so are these young people. That's why they are going to Washington, DC.

They will be fighting, too. I sat next to a guy about my age, who was a Viet Nam vet, he has been fighting for almost 30 years. Why are these men and women having to fight like this? They fight in the wars and then come home injured, physically, mentally sometimes both yet the war is never over for them, because they can't stop fighting. Our government won't give them what it said it would, what it promised them, that it would take care of them after they took care of us.

What is it going to take for us to realize these people put their lives on hold for us every day for years and ask very little in return and get very little in return. Their families sacrifice is more than most of us ever even think about. We don't even stop to think about what they go through every day. What those children give up not seeing their mommies and daddies, what those mommies and daddies give up not seeing their kids. What those wives and husbands give up not seeing their spouses.

So, yes, we are all having trouble right now, yes times are tough. But, is $5 too much to ask for what they have given up for you?? Think about that as you read this request from the IAVA.

Imagine struggling to pay your mortgage, keep your job and feed your family, all while serving a year-long deployment thousands of miles away.

These difficult times are taking a toll on all Americans, but troops and veterans carry an extra burden.

Today, the Senate begins debating the economic stimulus bill, and IAVA is calling on Congress to make Iraq and Afghanistan veterans a part of it.

We will work with both parties to implement our recommendations for the final bill, which include retroactive payments to help cover veterans' student loans, a plan to triple the number of outreach coordinators employed by the VA, and funding to provide job training and childcare for homeless veterans.

Investing in our nation's veterans is a smart and patriotic way to get the economy back on track. Can you help ensure our voice is heard?

Next week, we're sending veterans from across the country to meet face-to-face with members of Congress and present IAVA's legislative priorities for 2009.

If you haven't already, can you chip in $5 for a taxi ride, or $10 for a meal to help send veterans to "Storm the Hill"?

The vets will be meeting with over 125 members of Congress to talk about veterans' issues, including how the economic crisis is impacting their lives. Help make sure Congress listens. We can't do it without your support.

Thank you for continuing to stand with us.

Sincerely,

Paul

Paul Rieckhoff
Iraq Veteran
Executive Director & Founder
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)

Our Commander In Chief, with the Vice President & their wives.

There are so many pictures and videos of yesterday that I could post, but anything to do with the military or the veterans is very close to my heart. So I am posting these pictures because of my dad. Also for my uncle who is still with me. We were talking about this today and I was telling him about it and he was so proud of OUR president for this. I know my dad is looking down and is nodding his head and saying well done Mr, President, Well done.