Tis been a while since I have had time to sit and write. Life has twists and turns... things we don't expect, but simply have to react to as our heart and gut tell us is right.
I have had my honey back in the hospital once since my last post. We went in on this last Wednesday. Time for a medication shift. After the last experience, the decision was reached that the only way we would undertake this, was under direct medical monitoring. So to the hospital we go... Check in took forever. Hospital had just gone live with a new computer system, and no one was really seeming to get it. The orders from the doc had been sent, and lost in the transferring to computer. We sat in the lobby for an hour. Finally to a room, and it was not too much better. Went over all the home meds with the admission nurse... and she did not know how to spell most of them... had to spell them out literally, and explain doses, times... explain what he had taken in the morn, and what was due latter...
We literally sat in the room, watching tv together. Every so often, a telemetry tech would come flying in the door... cause the screens were telling her the heart was going crazy. Got to the point, he and I were betting on how long till the next out of breath person would burst through the door. Food was terrible, and they put him on a fluid restriction. That went over like a bomb... no one was going to tell him how much to drink, or not drink... playing the devils's advocate... he has a way of managing to do what he wants... and it is his life... i don't have the right to tell him no... i just suggest quietly other possible ways to achieve what he wants...
Summer is here in full bloom... and the traveling Wall too. Told him it was here. He has never had the chance to visit the full scale one in DC. It arrived while we were in the hospital, and was not sure how long it was going to stay. He decided he would like to go out... but not with the wheelchair. He was going to walk it. He wanted to bring his dog, as she is a life line. We have the "rolliator"... basically a walker with hand brakes, and a seat. I have pushed him around in it a lot, but was very hesitant about taking it out to where I knew the wall was set up. Grass, and uneven space. Hotter than hot when we got there... there was a parking space up very close. A man of Virg's age was sitting in a golf cart at the entry area. A Marine of Vietnam. He quietly explained that no dogs were allowed in the area. He watched Virg cross the street with his walker. He talked Virg into getting into the cart with him, explaining that he was there just for this reason... to give people a chance to get close that would have a problem otherwise... I volunteered to stay with the dog, and that gentle Marine would not hear of it. He called to one of his buds, and they took Mocha without a question, joking that they had ate a few dogs like her... and she looked plump. The Marine kept up a running dialog of the Wall... and tears just ran down my face. I was not the only one with the tears. There is no shame in crying at the loss... and the continuing loss...
He explained that the Wall had more names added to it this year. Men and women that had fallen to Agent Orange. I don't care how callused you are... to see the names... and how they blur together... knowing that each name was a life lost...
Father's day morn... Jimmie saw the pamphlet we had brought home, and wanted to go out... We had not gotten Virg anything for Father's day yet... just too much rushing to get things done... I grabbed Jimmie while Virg still slept... and let him walk the wall.... he found Robert Joe Overmyer, without my telling him... he had remembered... and he cried... Told me he wanted a shirt to give to dad... how can I say no... he picked out one of the Vietnam outline... with the words printed on it Vietnam Veteran...."we were winning when I left...". Dad cried over that... and has it on right now...
Happy Father's day to all... to the ones that made it home... to the ones in heaven... and to the ladies and gentlemen that have stood the line...
I have had my honey back in the hospital once since my last post. We went in on this last Wednesday. Time for a medication shift. After the last experience, the decision was reached that the only way we would undertake this, was under direct medical monitoring. So to the hospital we go... Check in took forever. Hospital had just gone live with a new computer system, and no one was really seeming to get it. The orders from the doc had been sent, and lost in the transferring to computer. We sat in the lobby for an hour. Finally to a room, and it was not too much better. Went over all the home meds with the admission nurse... and she did not know how to spell most of them... had to spell them out literally, and explain doses, times... explain what he had taken in the morn, and what was due latter...
We literally sat in the room, watching tv together. Every so often, a telemetry tech would come flying in the door... cause the screens were telling her the heart was going crazy. Got to the point, he and I were betting on how long till the next out of breath person would burst through the door. Food was terrible, and they put him on a fluid restriction. That went over like a bomb... no one was going to tell him how much to drink, or not drink... playing the devils's advocate... he has a way of managing to do what he wants... and it is his life... i don't have the right to tell him no... i just suggest quietly other possible ways to achieve what he wants...
Summer is here in full bloom... and the traveling Wall too. Told him it was here. He has never had the chance to visit the full scale one in DC. It arrived while we were in the hospital, and was not sure how long it was going to stay. He decided he would like to go out... but not with the wheelchair. He was going to walk it. He wanted to bring his dog, as she is a life line. We have the "rolliator"... basically a walker with hand brakes, and a seat. I have pushed him around in it a lot, but was very hesitant about taking it out to where I knew the wall was set up. Grass, and uneven space. Hotter than hot when we got there... there was a parking space up very close. A man of Virg's age was sitting in a golf cart at the entry area. A Marine of Vietnam. He quietly explained that no dogs were allowed in the area. He watched Virg cross the street with his walker. He talked Virg into getting into the cart with him, explaining that he was there just for this reason... to give people a chance to get close that would have a problem otherwise... I volunteered to stay with the dog, and that gentle Marine would not hear of it. He called to one of his buds, and they took Mocha without a question, joking that they had ate a few dogs like her... and she looked plump. The Marine kept up a running dialog of the Wall... and tears just ran down my face. I was not the only one with the tears. There is no shame in crying at the loss... and the continuing loss...
He explained that the Wall had more names added to it this year. Men and women that had fallen to Agent Orange. I don't care how callused you are... to see the names... and how they blur together... knowing that each name was a life lost...
Father's day morn... Jimmie saw the pamphlet we had brought home, and wanted to go out... We had not gotten Virg anything for Father's day yet... just too much rushing to get things done... I grabbed Jimmie while Virg still slept... and let him walk the wall.... he found Robert Joe Overmyer, without my telling him... he had remembered... and he cried... Told me he wanted a shirt to give to dad... how can I say no... he picked out one of the Vietnam outline... with the words printed on it Vietnam Veteran...."we were winning when I left...". Dad cried over that... and has it on right now...
Happy Father's day to all... to the ones that made it home... to the ones in heaven... and to the ladies and gentlemen that have stood the line...
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