The hospital has fewer staff on the weekends. Mom got her catheter back in very late last night, but woke up with some problems with the staff and tried and failed to reach for help with eating breakfast. By the time I arrived there were more staff, but then there was confusion about when and where she would leave the hospital. The doctor had told she would go to Health South on Sunday, though originally he mentioned the Tallahassee Memorial hospital rehab clinic. Apparently he also left open the possibility of her leaving on Saturday, when talking with the staff. Today's head nurse, apparently functioning as the case manger, too, had talked with Mom about different rehab options. She said that many patients in Mom's scenario go to Health Seouth, but that Blue Cross probably just doesn't want to pay for it, because it's more expensive.
Mom now isn't going to rehab until Monday, when the insurance company, Mom, her doctors, and the hospital staff can work out which clinic she is going to. Blue Cross may never authorize her to go to Health South, but the Tallahassee Memorial rehab clinic is apparently full. The hospital is occasionally understaffed on the weekend, and for the second time Mom tried to reach me for help during breakfast. Mom has also been concerned about some symptoms that remind her of the symptoms when she had a blood clot 13 years ago. And the physicians assistant explained that Dr. Fahey likes the catheter to come out both to force her to get on her feet more but also because taking the catheter in and out can cause urinary tract infections, which can in turn cause knee infection which can be very serious.
I also went straight to the TMH Urgent Care facility this morning, since my foot pain recurred three times this morning, and I was told - after an X-ray - that I probaby don't have a splinter, but I may have something that results partly from "foot mechanics" - new shoes, old insert.s or old broken down dress shoes - and I may have a Wharton's neuroma - inflammation of the nerve endings on the front ball of my foot - which could ultimately require surgery (chopping off the end of the nerves). Especially since the foot pain has returned twice this afternoon, I am espeically concerned about what happens if the pain occurs while I'm driving (since for 5 minutes I can think of nothing except how to end the pain). I'm off to get pain killer shortly (which may also help my back/shoulder, which carrying the laptop is hurting.
We've gotten calls from Aunt June and Penny and visits and from friends Sara and Brant. And I did get to see most of Senator Clinton's speech, in the Urgent Care (hospital walk-in clinic) waiting room after my appointment/X-ray.
Mom now isn't going to rehab until Monday, when the insurance company, Mom, her doctors, and the hospital staff can work out which clinic she is going to. Blue Cross may never authorize her to go to Health South, but the Tallahassee Memorial rehab clinic is apparently full. The hospital is occasionally understaffed on the weekend, and for the second time Mom tried to reach me for help during breakfast. Mom has also been concerned about some symptoms that remind her of the symptoms when she had a blood clot 13 years ago. And the physicians assistant explained that Dr. Fahey likes the catheter to come out both to force her to get on her feet more but also because taking the catheter in and out can cause urinary tract infections, which can in turn cause knee infection which can be very serious.
I also went straight to the TMH Urgent Care facility this morning, since my foot pain recurred three times this morning, and I was told - after an X-ray - that I probaby don't have a splinter, but I may have something that results partly from "foot mechanics" - new shoes, old insert.s or old broken down dress shoes - and I may have a Wharton's neuroma - inflammation of the nerve endings on the front ball of my foot - which could ultimately require surgery (chopping off the end of the nerves). Especially since the foot pain has returned twice this afternoon, I am espeically concerned about what happens if the pain occurs while I'm driving (since for 5 minutes I can think of nothing except how to end the pain). I'm off to get pain killer shortly (which may also help my back/shoulder, which carrying the laptop is hurting.
We've gotten calls from Aunt June and Penny and visits and from friends Sara and Brant. And I did get to see most of Senator Clinton's speech, in the Urgent Care (hospital walk-in clinic) waiting room after my appointment/X-ray.
Click here to see the speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ivSseLmD3w
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