Merciless General

Happy New Year everyone! We are really hoping for a better one this year. One thing I learned for sure is that you never know what a new year will bring. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that 2008 would end the way that it did.

I reserved a copy of My Stroke of Insight at the library. I am #19 on a stinkin' hold list. If I had an extra $15 or so dollars laying around, I would buy the book. I am going to have to figure something out here. Anyway, can't wait to read it. I am looking forward to some insight on how my mom is feeling and what she is experiencing.

I talked to my dad today. I didn't talk to him yesterday and he didn't call my sister back. Today we de-christmased my parents house. Heidi and I were the ones to put all of the inside stuff up a few weeks ago for my mom before my dad got home and we were the ones to take it all down. What a task. This was after we each did our own houses.

My dad had a really rough day yesterday. He is incredibly frustrated because the head nurse over the rehab unit was ready to move my mom to the med floors for another 2 weeks to recover. My dad was livid! My mom has been moved to 3 different hospitals and 5 different rooms within the last 1.5 weeks. My dad was not about to have her moved to a room where she was going to sit for 2 weeks when, if that was what was needed, that can happen near home. My dad was confused as to why 2 people at Mercy San Juan would tell him that getting her to rehab now would be the best thing for her to only be told that it wasn't AFTER she was moved. My dad was later told that the 2 people that deemed my mom ready for rehab are retruiters. They go around looking for candidates for rehab. I guess my mom is on the borderline of being ready for rehab. My dad had felt good about starting rehab thus the reason that she is there. This hospital is 10 miles further away and you have to pay to park there. WHAT? Pay to park in a hospital parking lot. Insane! My dad also told the nurse that he had yet to see a physician when he got there. He had no idea who was even in charge of my mom's care. My dad spoke with a new nurse that was in charge of my mom for the shift. He told her of his frustrations. He is most irritated that he can't get her home where there are so many people here who love her and can help him. The nurse assured him that my mom would not be moved (my dad could here people in the halls talking about my mom/dad's situation) and that he would be talking to a doctor. My dad was finally able to talk to a doctor. The doctor told him that the nurse was way out of line in making that decision. The only person that can make decisions is my dad and him. My dad has decided to give this guy a couple of days before he really presses the issue of getting her out of California. My dad called his Bishop, who was also my mom's doctor before he became the head of the ER at the local hospital here. He also wants her here as soon as possible and has things ready for her when the time comes. He was afraid that it would all come down to money and keeping patients and that is what is happening at Mercy General. She is getting stuck in the system. My dad mentioned that my mom was having a very rough day yesterday. She almost looked as if she was going to cry. I can completely understand why my mom would be depressed and she has a right to be. We all left on Saturday and she has since been moved several times and to a different hospital no less in 3 days. I miss them both so much. I just want to so desperately have her here to help her in her recovery...whatever that might be. I knew that this stroke was bad but the more research that I do on strokes, the more that I am learning recovery is a many year/life long process. I didn't expect her to be the way she was...no way have I ever felt that. Nor did I expect her to change in a month...I guess I just finally grasped the time part of it. Some have gotten pretty thrilled about her improvements...and don't get me wrong, we are too, however she is a long way away from regaining some of the most basic tasks that we take for granted. Heidi and I were talking today about how sometimes we just need to hear someone say, "that sucks!" That's the truth. So much the truth. Thankfully I have read many accounts of people recovering pretty well years down the road. That gives me hope that my mom can regain some of what she has lost...and still understanding that some is gone forever. One thing that I do know for sure is that my mom can not really start to heal until she is home where she feels overwhelming love.