I know one thing, I am too old to stay up all night.
Good grief.
It wasn't my plan, but my mother was short of breath all night, and couldn't get comfortable. I positioned myself downstairs, on the couch, and every time she moaned or got up or tried to find a better position, I heard her, and was up, too.
Made for about 3 hours sleep, interrupted.
Reminded me of those nights from hell when I had to work the midnight shift, and hated every single minute of it. When I gave up nursing after 30 years, the thought that I would NEVER EVER EVER have to work the night shift, was priceless.
Yesterday, my goal in life was to get my mother oxygen to use at home. They should have discharged her from the hospital with it, but didn't.
Medicare, however, will not pay for it unless the patient has an oxygen saturation of 88% or less. Never mind that they are gasping for air, look gray, and are frightened out of their mind with the feeling that they are slowly suffocating.
Nope. Let's go for the number.
My doctor's office is the best. It's hers, too. The staff there are exceptional. They have seen me through two brain surgeries, and in fact, the PA there is the one who sent all my paperwork to the Chiari Institute and said, "Can you see her?"
And they've seen a lot of my mother lately.
The goal yesterday was to see that magical 88. We were there for two hours. They tried walking her up and down the hall, she just hyperventilated and almost passsed out.
Finally, they said, "Just sit."
My mother said it was mind over matter.
Maybe she was right.
By 4pm, Lincare had been and gone, and we were equipped.
Happy Day.
In no time, she was smiling. That look of a "deer in the headlights" was gone.
In fact, for the first time in weeks, she sat and talked nonstop for about an hour and a half.
Relief.
But it WILL make her comfortable, and that's all that matters.
Speaking of comfortable...........Roy just wanted to say, he's got that down.
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