“My Patients”

My friend Carina asked me how “my patients” were doing yesterday. I hadn’t thought of it like that but it sure has felt that way this week. I’ve managed to “squander” (not that I mind, even though we are hand to mouth over here!) a whole a whole week of work by tending to the shut-ins. I ain’t complaining because these are two of the most important people in my life laying there helpless. David taught me what Rock and Roll is by MAKING me buy “Exile on Main Street” and LISTEN to it until I GOT it.
Before that, I was all about some Black Sabbath and Grand Funk. Ewwwwwww! Really? Yep! Who knows what kinda music I would have been listening to now if it wasn’t for him. His condition is in steady decline. He seems weaker every day and every time I’ve been over there in the last two days he’s been asleep. I really love him. He’s the only brother I’ve ever had.
My dad is, well…my dad. How much did I learn from him? uhhh…everything else. But I gotta say that I couldn’t ask for better care for him. The nurse Kate, who he’s had the most is nothing short of an angel. When I DO get to go in and see my dad she’s in there and she’s in tears too, feeling like she hasn’t done her job making him comfortable. But she’s done everything possible. There’s just no way to make someone with tubes and wires and cords coming out of their body feel good, ya know? And especially after having their ribs opened up and heart cut on…at 80 years old! Jeez! It’s just remarkable what they can do these days, but I know that if my dad had to do it again we wouldn’t. Not the way he feels right now. I’m really hoping that he’ll be happier for it later.

This morning was the morning that my sister chose to work first and to come over and check on our dad later. Well, when I get there he’s asleep and all of a sudden his blood pressure goes WAY down. The nurse on duty, Michelle asks me to leave. That’s the first time they’ve run either of us out. That was a bit scary after what happened to our mom. Her blood pressure went way down and her kidneys failed and that was it. So I sat around the hospital and drank coffee and waited. I called my sister and she came flying to town. My dad still had a lot of fluid on his lungs and as it turns out he has pneumonia. There was a 10% chance of that but still the surgeon wasn’t worried. When left ICU with my cousin Roger, we both looked like we had seen a ghost. I walked past a dude in the hallway in scrubs crying his eyes out. He musta lost one. See, compassion all over this place! It’s really a top notch heart joint. Dick Cheney had his recent pacemaker battery replacement done there. (but we’ll forgive them for that!)
The cafeteria got high ratings also so I checked it out with Roger. I got a veggie slice of pizza on a whole wheat crust, Caesar salad and unsweet tea…$4.25. Shooz!

Hey kids! We’re going out to dinner tonight! “YEAH!!!! Where are we going?” Uh…Wake Medical Center. “Awwww!” It’s good as hell! Trust me, guys!
Might be my new hang!