Saturday 21 March 2015

Back in the hospital.

I've had an unexpected turn of events. It all started so well on Friday with a beautiful day (it's above freezing daily and there is no snow here, muhahaha), we went to my afternoon neurology appointment with the plan of strolling around and grabbing a delicious lunch at the Kesington market afterward. About halfway through the appointment, my transplant coordinator called with news that the bronchoscopy from Wed showed signs of infection so to get my ass to the Toronto General asap.

After trying to quickly wrap up the neuro appointment, we cabbed it over where I was hooked up in the day unit for my first dose of IV antibiotics. It didn't take too long and I was told that the rest of the 14 day treatment could be done through the homecare nurses and that the supplies would be delivered to me that evening. While the idea of carrying around a little IV pump and having daily homecare was annoying, it was better than the idea of being hospitalized.

When no supplies showed up at the apartment that evening, I spent the rest of the night calling all numbers I had for the nursing people, the on call doctors, and the supply department trying to figure out what was going on. Turns out what was going on is that the paperwork never went through and even if it had, the supply people would not deliver it as I'm not an Ontario resident. This is the wound care issue all over again.

Thankfully the doctor said I would be fine delaying treatment by a evening (the medication is suppose to be every 8 hours) and that everything would be sorted out today.

Everything was not sorted out today and the plan has changed from "having it done through homecare" to "being hospitalized this weekend". All because some people can't get paperwork done. Arghhh!!!! I had even thought this might be a problem on Friday when I left the day unit as I kept saying that homecare doesn't provide supplies. I was told many times that it was all sorted out. Clearly it wasn't as I sit here in the hospital angrily writing this.

They claim it's just a weekend stay but no one believes that. Even the nurses laughed when I said something like "just for a few days right??....right....?" Now the doctor wants me to get a PICC line while I'm here and I'm sure tonight she'll think of a million other tests that would be easier to run while I'm an inpatient. I predict leaving Wed-Thurs as it will also depend on the supplying issue.

12 hours in and I already feel like screaming at everyone in frustration and am ready to break out. Perhaps I can distract them while Isaiah raids the medication room and sneaks out bags of IV tubing. *sigh* Hospital stays are so much harder when I don't feel sick.

One of my two IVs. They are seriously running out of veins.

5 comments:

Sue said...

Crap!! all because of some dam (excuse my language) paperwork/policy - so much for national healthcare when you can't receive what you need because you live in another province even though you have been in TO for 1 1/2 years now! grrrr...I'd be planning my breakout as well! The flip side is...take care , get better, and get home! love and hugs

Faith said...

Ugh, this sucks. On the other hand, thanks to your blog stories I was able to just write a scene into a book where a patient waits around for hours in the middle of the night to go home because of paperwork incompetence. No one can figure out who's done what or who's doing what or where any of the documents are. Now no one can complain that's not realistic. See, you're helping!

...in related news, I really hope you can get out of there ASAP. :P

Judy Saunders said...

Thinking about you and praying for you everyday Marlene's friend Judy

Krista said...

Just a question. Have they considered a Port-a-cath?? instead of oodles of peripheral pokes or PICC lines. I've seen them used in peds chemo pts, easy access if you need it but once de-accessed there is no external site to get infected etc. They are semi-permanent and when you're well enough to not need easy access very often, they can be removed. Hope discharged again soon!

Allison said...

Krista, they've never mentioned a portacath to me but I've thought about how much easier it would be if I had one. If I had to do it all over, I would have gotten them to put one a few years ago. Now I hope it's too late to be worth it but of course as soon as I say something like that, I'll need a slew of IV's or something.