Home from the Hospital

I brought Mama Jo home from the hospital today. She has a wild look in her eyes and is very confused. She asked me numerous times in the hospital where she was and was always surprised when I told her she was in a hospital. When we drove into the garage today, she said, "I would never have guessed you lived here." I asked her if she remembered that she had lived here for the past 2 years. Surprise again. She walked into the kitchen and looked and looked around saying that she had never been here before. I had to show her where her bedroom is and she spent the next few minutes exploring the house. For the past hour she has been watching a movie in the basement. Just minutes ago she asked me where the bathroom was. This is not good and I'm hoping it's not a new normal for her.

The hospital tests were inconclusive. After consulting with different doctors, nurses and support staff EVERY DAY, I've come to the conclusion that hospitals are equipped to meet their needs, not the needs of the patients. Mom's primary Dr in Flora NEVER does hospital calls on his patients. Hospitals now have Drs on staff whose only job is to see patients in hospitals. They do not have private practices. They are paid by the hospital and have nothing to do with the hospital patients once they are released. These in-house Drs write up the patients using individualized computer centers stationed right outside the hospital room. The info he/she types goes on a network that the primary physician accesses from his office computer to learn about his patient in the hospital. So, the old method where the Dr that knows you sees you, has gone out the door. Each day I had to explain Mom's situation to a new Dr (Mom had 3 different Drs in 3 days). No continuity. Can you imagine what Mom would have told them had I not been there?

Anyway, they couldn't figure out why Mom had this spell. Her blood pressure has been as high as 210/90 in the hospital. When we left today it was 136/60. Very high for Mom. Their best guesses center around her carotid artery being plugged up. At checkout today, I learned from Mom's nurse that the blockage is 45%, hardly enough to put her through another operation. I think the whole thing has come about with the change of Mom's blood pressure medicine 3 weeks ago. Mom does not do well with meds and any new med is suspicious until it has been tested for days and days with her. Saturday we go to Flora to see her primary Dr so all this will be discussed with him.

I think I should have stuck with chemistry; I'd have been a better Dr than any I've seen lately.