Looking for the Blessings

Another night at Casa Wesley. It was well after 3 a.m. when I finally relaxed enough to sleep. Up until then I watched the sleet fall and the wind blow it around out our big window that overlooks the parking garage. Again I thought of all my reasons to be grateful. There are so many. Today....warmth and safety from the bitter cold seem to be at the top of that list. Yep, I keep looking for those blessings.

We were moved onto the regular peds unit yesterday morning. Actually we were kind of rushed out as they needed the miniscule space that we occupied for "really" sick kids. Not sure why we were ever there in the first place. Perhaps we needed to be, in order for events to unfold throughout the day as they did. I think a young resident needed to learn that when Dr. S gives an order.....he expects for it to be followed. But I jump ahead!

Back in our old stomping grounds on the regular peds unit, I began to get slightly frustrated that by 10:30 a.m. David still hadn't received his morning seizure meds. This was due to the fact that a resident in PICU had shown true incompetence where David was concerned. I had dozed off about 5:30 a.m. and woke back up about 7. My immediate question was...."Did David get his morning meds?" The nurse said that she was told he wasn't suppose to get them because he was on the IV seizure meds. I could feel my head starting to explode. Really??? I told her that the IV meds were an addition to his home meds and not a replacement for them. She said well the resident said....... , and I said....well Dr. S said.....and he trumps the resident! After going and talking to the resident she came back and got on the computer and started asking me what Davids home meds were and the dosage. As I was telling her she said, well those meds are all listed here! Duh! I had only recited them umpteen times over the night before. Then she said that the resident had said he couldn't find them in the computer so apparently he assumed there weren't any. I found this story suspicious...and by suspicious I mean....a lie, but I told her that we needed to get those meds in David ASAP!

Jump ahead two hours (after I had reminded the PICU nurse every 15 minutes) and we get moved to peds with no meds. The poor peds day nurse was trying to get David in her computer and I was pointing out that his meds were a priority knowing full well that no meds would be coming Davids way until all the red tape paper work was complete. I also knew that Davids lack of meds were not this girls fault, so I did my best to dial down my frustration. By noon, after multiple calls to the pharmacy, our poor little nurse had been able to catch David up on all of his meds but one, and we just had to end up calling it a missed dose. I was not pleased and verging on out and out anger when about an hour later, he threw another seizure. You would think that when a seizure patient is in the hospital for seizures, that getting their meds to them on time would be a huge priority. Apparently it is not.

I have to say at this point, after I calmed down over the unnecessary seizure....that being back on the regular floor was a much better and more comfortable experience for both David and I. Gone were the loud ventilator and cpap machines, as well as the folding beast chair.... and we were in a quiet room with a an actual cot for me. The nurses on peds all know David and you can just tell he is more in his element here than in PICU. We were both able to take about a two hour nap and after the mornings med issues, the afternoon went by without a hitch.

Yesterday evening Dr. S came to see David. For those that know Dr. S, he is a man of small stature and very soft spoken. He is very kind but very matter of fact. I have never seen him any other way in all the 13 years we have gone to him. So I began telling him about the missed meds and the resident "not being able to find the meds in the computer." As I told him about David getting meds late and some not at all, you could see in his face that he was not pleased. He simply said, "This should not be happening!" After talking to me I heard him go out to the nurses. Both the day nurse and the night nurse were there. He then proceeded to ask them what was going on. He was not loud but he definitely was not his regular soft spoken self. He asked for names and told the nurses that this resident had basically lied about not knowing about or not being able to find Davids meds in the computer as Dr. S had talked to him personally and gone over every med he was to have. The poor nurses were feeling the rath of Dr. S and I felt horrible that they were getting the brunt of something they were not responsible for. When all was said and done....I called them both in and apologized that they had to be the fall guys for the residents irresponsibility. I also assured them that I had not blamed them at all for what went on. In fact if not for the day nurse, David would likely have been much further behind on his meds than he was. They understood and fully agreed with Dr. S.

The rest of the evening their seemed to be fall out from Dr. S's displeasure all over the place. He not only lit into the nurses but the resident in charge of the regular peds floor was also put on notice that David better not miss another dose of meds and that if it happened again, there would be problems. It was also rumored that Dr. S called the PICU resident personally to drive home the fact that if a seizure patient needs meds, they need meds and no excuse will be tolerated as to why his orders are not followed out to the tee! It was interesting to see this side of Dr. S. I almost felt sorry for the incompetent resident. Almost! The truth is, I would not care to be his bad side!

Today David is still showing some residual seizure activity in his behaviors. He is a bit loud, wild and doing a lot of teeth grinding. Med regulation is a process. We are also still waiting on ortho to check out his leg. We have been waiting since yesterday morning. Dr. S was not happy about this either nor was the peds resident as ortho had been called numerous times yesterday. When they were called again yesterday evening they said it would likely be today before they could see him as there were a multitude of wrecks due to the weather and they were swamped in the ER. Sigh. I refuse to leave without seeing them though as the back of Davids leg at the top of his cast is not looking particularly pretty and I don't want to have to turn around and come back once we finally get out of here. So we wait!!!

The cold, drury weather along with the hurry up and wait mentality of the hospital are starting to wear on me. However, we currently have great nurses and aids, we are warm, comfortable(for a hospital anyway) and since Dr. S let the world know of his displeasure, Davids meds if not his leg are a staff priority! In the big scheme of things....I have no complaints. This is just another speed bump with a purpose I have yet to understand. At any rate, we are good and yes....we are blessed. Happy Sunday to you all!