Disappointed

Yesterday Rich had a Nuclear Bone Scan scheduled by the VA at a local Hospital. We'd chosen Community Care mainly because of the distance we'd have to travel.

We'd put off the appointment once as had been scheduled during the first part of March.

The nurse that had called us the day before said we had to wear masks. This was to be the first day that they would allow a second person to accompany the patient. I was pleased about that.

So we arrived during a downpour. I helped Rich with his mask that I'd made. Rich is doing better, but this was his first time wearing a cloth mask was hard for him to breath through.

Some nurse looking people in masks were there to greet us and direct us to sanitize our hands before proceeding to the check in desk. Ok. This is where I was a bit disappointed.

I expected to be temp checked. We were not.

So that is my tiny disappointment. When we checked in other patients had trouble figuring out the red X's on the floor to keep distances. It got pretty frustrating when people wandered right up behind us to ask the check in gal something. She tried her best to keep order.

I'm going to say that in some of these patients' defense that they just don't seem to understand the 6 foot concept.

[I see that often with the much more elderly in our local Walmart so I am assuming that for some folks these Covid-19 rules are difficult and confusing?]

The poor check in gal! She kept trying to tell patients to please wait. One old fella just ignored her and kept walking up to all the windows. Another? Just came up behind us and stood.

Exasperated, the check in gal muttered: *I think masks turn off their hearing, vision, and thinking.*

She did have a point. I think one of those ladies at the door could have acted as a hallway monitor and helped out. Instead they were chatting with each other and not watching the rest of the lobby.

[This is a new era with new rules and to be honest, some people are really confused. Especially at a very rural hospital/clinc. However, I won't be going back there. I'm pretty sure that they won't even get the Community Care Billing correct.]

After updating Rich's information which still had him married to his ex wife, we got taken to a waiting room. Those waiting rooms are small and right now they only allow 2 patients at a time in it. Rich and I counted as one as we were from the same household.

There was a fellow in there that was rather chatty. He told us about all of his aches and pains. He then asked where we were from, Rich told him. He then complained about the LaFarge Dam project never being completed. He said it was stopped because of some stupid animal or something. 

Rich chimed in and repeated that agreeing with him in a way.

I had enough. "It was not an animal. It is a plant," I informed him. Before I could explain the fellow jumped on that.

"Well what kind of stupid plant stops progress?"

I took a deep breath. This guy was a large CAFO operator. Confined Animal Feeding Operation. And I thought ~~ Progress MY foot! I knew that further discussion with either man was going to fall on deaf ears.

The LaFarge Dam project was stopped just before completion because an extremely rare plant had been found. The rare plant and rare environment would have been destroyed by the Dam and resulting lake.

It has always been a source of local disdain as farmers lost their land due to the project. You could read about it here: The Dam That Never Was.

Suffice to say many older people are still angry about how the project turned out and how the land became a place for out door activities. In my opinion, I am sad about its history, but so happy that it is there!

"The stupid plant is so rare that it is on the Wiscosin Threatened and  Federal Threatened List," I said, knowing that the men wouldn't understand. "There are only a few places in our country that it grows. The environment that it grows in is very rare too."

As I thought.

The men both asked, "And what good is this plant for?"

I shrugged. They would NOT understand. A CAFO farmer who felt the land was merely his. And all land was here to serve him?

Okay so I made a snap judgement.

I guess knowing that I am a un-certified Naturalist, I'd see things differently. I've always appreciated the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, however I am not a native to this land so I don't have the painful history with it that some folks do.

Mr. CAFO farmer then dumped another bombshell that we didn't need to hear. He said, "Hey you a Veteran? My brother in law was a Veteran and he went for a test and caught the Corona and no one would do anything about it. He died."

Ever want to get up and slap someone?

And last but not least, a photo from the Kickapoo Valley Reserve that is a memorial to what used to be there.

Some days I am just disappointed in humanity.

And others?

I am amazed at their ability for kindness and empathy. We need more kindness right now.

Being a patient Advocate

When you have a loved one who gets ill, you have to be able to become your spouse or loved one's patient advocate.

Not everyone is cut out for this nor do they understand how the MD's work.

Case in point.  

I think I screwed up this past few days.

I trusted the local hospital to keep my husband.  My husband did not want transport to the VA hospital.  I didn't think that was a wise move and told him so when I did see him later that day.

[I'd been out of town when this had occurred.  The scenario would have been much different had I been there in the first place.]

He began taking a new BP med.  Each day his BP rose. He got concerned when it reached 186/112.  The urgent care nurse at the VA told him to go to the nearest ER.

First.  The doctor that took his case decided that it was not the medicine that caused the rise in BP and stated as such to my husband.  My husband was offended by that which set things up for a decline in doctor patient relationship.

I went into the hallway to speak to the doctor [we are talking a nice man, but very small town doc.]

I told him that this had occurred before when the VA changed his meds and that he was having issues with his psych meds.

At one point the doctor indicated to my husband and I that he was a bit reluctant to treat him as my hubby was part of the VA system.  But he wanted to run some tests.  My husband's vitals did come up a bit bizarre and there were some 'things' that showed up 'funky' on his EKG's.

This doctor scheduled my husband for a stress test and echo cardiogram. 

However.

HOWEVER...

No one, not the doctor, not the nurses, not the techs, said a dang thing about bringing his BP down so he could do the test.

When the doctor showed up in the room for the test he stopped it and by a bit of misjudgement on his part 'seemed' to indicate that is was my husband's fault for having the high BP, indicating that the med he did not take [remember this med was the only thing changed and his BP rose drastically while starting it!] was his fault.

Okay, that is how my husband and I perceived it.

Hubby got very upset.  At that point I realized that even though I had talked with this doctor regarding my husband's mental health status, this guy had not a clue as to how to approach a man with severe and chronic PTSD.

This doctor left the room, he indicated that he had other things to do and this was holding him up.

He left a patient that was having a mental meltdown in a room full of techs who had NO clue as to what to do.

We got back to his room and I must say that the Head Nurse was awesome.  She never flicked an eye and went toe to toe with my husband.  She got him calmed down.

We waited for 4 hrs.  Not a nurse, no one checked on him.  I found that curious and went to 'find out the plan' of action.

It was shift change.  The one nurse couldn't give me answers, couldn't give us a plan.  But she did say that he was to stay as he wasn't stable.

I ran home to take care of some things.  The phone rang.

The doctor met up with my husband when he went to the nurse's station to find out what on earth was going on.

The doctor said he would not release my husband that he needed the stress test tomorrow.  My husband asked if he was so unstable why had no one checked his vitals in 4 hrs?

Blubber blubber blubber...whoops.  No answer.

And how was he supposed to get a stress test if his BP was high?

He then told the doctor to 'go somewhere' and said he was leaving.

Looking back, I think he did a good thing by 'firing' the doctor.

Unfortunately, they are calling him AMA.  Leaving Against Medical Advice.  I can't get any paperwork, but the VA can ask for it.

Funny, I think legally they have to give you paperwork.

The head nurse then walked my husband out to the parking lot [after he called me].  I couldn't find him when I arrived.  The nurse and I went looking for him.

He'd gone to ER to have his IV lines removed.

You can probably think what I am thinking of this medical facility...and it isn't something I can put on a public forum.

VMH, Vernon Memorial Hospital... got a very poor score for me yesterday.  The doctor obviously had not a clue as to how to approach a person with issues.