Friday, January 6, 2012

Logan’s Week in the Hospital, from a Dad’s Point of View

Logan’s Week in the Hospital, from a Dad’s Point of ViewSo before I go any further, I want to thank all of the parents who stay with their children while they are in the hospital.  This week I spent time in the hospital with Logan, not Parker, but Logan.  I still do not think I understand all the medical terms to hang with Parker in the hospital and since Rochelle handles those visits I figured the least I could do is take care of Logan.  So keep this in mind as you read this.
This is my recap of the week.  I am sorry for the length of this, but I promise the last paragraph is well worth it.
Monday Jan. 2nd
                We as a family have this great vision of 2012 being a much better year than 2011.  I handle carpool detail on Monday’s, so Logan and I leave to pick up all the kids and get them to school.  Parker is not feeling so hot, so he stays home.  I get home, start working, all is good.  Logan gets out of school early on Monday, no problem, go and pick him up.  He tells me on the way home he is not feeling too hot.  We get home; he lays down only to wake up a couple hours later with a headache.  The headache turns into a migraine.  So 9pm rolls around and he is really not doing good, really bad.  Off to the ER we go.  Standard procedure, IV started, go over all the meds he takes, you all know.  11:30pm, Dr. comes in and says we are going to give Magnesium; this should take the pain away.  1st bag in IV, nothing, so let’s try another one.  Did not work.  Toradal, that should do it.  Not.  Time for a CT scan.  Results good.  So they give a script for some pain killers and send us home.  It is now 4 am, and did I tell you this just happens to be the coldest day in about a year.  Wind is gusting and it is cold, the feel like temp is 27.  Wearing shorts is not such a great idea, and a jacket would be nice.  Finally home, freezing, but home.  But the fun does not end; the dog has to go out.  I swear that dog loves the cold, just standing there with the wind blowing in her hair.  Finally 4:30 am and off to sleep.
Tuesday Jan. 3rd
                Up at 7am and off to work.  Rochelle and I somehow work it out so we can both get stuff done and since Logan is home, still has headache, we are off.  We get home and Logan is not doing well at all.  Off to sleep he goes.  He wakes at 10pm in total pain.  This time we decide to take him to a different ER.  So we are off to the ER.  Arrive at ER at 11:15 and all hooked up again by midnight and Dr. comes in around 12:30am.  I am ready this time, thanks to Rochelle.  I have the papers from the ER the night before, a list of all his meds, past and present. I am feeling good.  So the Dr. tries a new cocktail of IV stuff.  We know it is not going to work, but we try.  It does not work.  All good, they have a bed, yep he is admitted.  So it is about 5:30 am and we finally get some sleep.  He is in a bed and I get the chair.  Most of you who read this know about the chair.  For those of you who don’t let me explain.  It looks like a chair, but it turns into a bed, kind of.  So I get this thing set up and am trying to sleep.  Oh yeah, remember earlier I mentioned that yesterday was the coldest day, not any more.  Today is the coldest day.  We are on the 5th floor, wind is blowing, I am next to the window and the heat is not working.  Can this night get any better?  I have my leather jacket on, scarf, and 5 blankets, and I am freezing.  Logan looks like a muumy, but warm.
Wednesday Jan. 4th
                Rochelle comes to relieve me so I can get some sleep, and get ahold of work to let them know I will be taking some sick days.  Get home, sleep till 2:30 pm.  Only woke up because that is when Parker woke up.  The cold weather is very hard for him.  He and I hang out, have a bite to eat.  I call Rochelle and make arrangements to take over.  I get to hospital around 7:20 only to find out valet is closed.  Really!  I convince the valley guy to let me leave the car out front so Rochelle does not have to try to find the car.  I come prepared this time, because Rochelle told me to bring a heating blanket since the heat still wasn’t working.  Oh yeah.  I also come with some Five Guys burgers for me and Logan.  In the meantime, Logan is getting no better.  IV’s pumpin, pill poppin, nothing is working.  So we sit, actually lay of the chair futon thing, too lazy to put into a chair.   Neither one of us can sleep.  The nurses come in all the time, checking vitals, replacing saline bag, giving drugs, always something.  Then she asks if I want anything.  So she brings me a half can of ginger ale.  Logan, well, he’s still not doing well.  So what to do?  Watch TV.  We watch a marathon of Full Throttle Saloon.  Probably would not be approved by Mom, but hey, we have to pass the time.
Thursday Jan 5th
                Doctors start rolling in around 8am, actually just one.  Same old questions: how do you feel? Where is the pain?  Etc, etc, etc.  next the nurse, vitals, drugs etc.  then we get the group call, you know all the doctors in training.  They go over everything, again, new plan, let’s try this, etc.   off they go.  Not 5 minutes later the life specialist knocks on the door and tells us the clowns from the circus will be in the play room at 11am.  To which I said “you mean the cruelty to animal tour 2012 is coming by”.  She laughed and said the media is going to be there.  We said, that is ok.  Logan still not doing well.  Not 5 minutes later a senior volunteer knocks on the door and asked if we wanted a visit from a dog.  What is going on here, Clowns, dogs, media, is this a hospital or are they filming a reality show.  Still the drugs are not working and the doctors are saying the migraine is now a cluster or tension.  So I ask what is the deal?  I tend to get to the point.  So they tell us we need to think outside the box and the “New Age Team” needs to get involved.  New Age, what is new age?  Ok, at this point we will listen to anything.  Logan and I set up for the night, it is Clohe and Kim take New York a thon.  Logan and I have come to the following conclusions.  Kim’s husband, Chris is a tool, but Kim is mean.  We like Scott, he is not a bad guy.  Logan thinks he could be considered a family guy.  We follow that up with more nurse visits.   Rochelle calls with some info about B12, so I track the Dr. down and we discuss.  He thinks that may not be it, but will look into.  We chat about his schooling and he is off. 
Friday Jan 6th.
                Really starting to get frustrated.  Logan is not getting better and they do not seem to have answers except “maybe if you were home you would do better”.  Seriously!  So the Dr. from last night shows up and says the “New Age Team” will be stopping by and the head Neuro Dr is also stopping by.  The next visit is from the group.  We hear the same thing we heard yesterday, I guess repetition is how they teach, who knows.  We show all the newbies Logan’s planter warts, they all seemed really interested, Dr’s are weird.  So they continue to discuss the case and one resident seems like she wants to say something but won’t.  Finally I point at her and say “hey you want to say something, what?”  she tells us and the group that oxygen may help.  What?  Oxygen?  The teacher Dr. says that is a good idea and we should try it.  So we finally have a plan.  In the meantime the head neuro Dr shows up and says we need get him functioning again and he needs to move around.  Yeah ok.  She then talks to me outside and asks if Logan is basically seeking attention.  Oh my.  So I have to go into the whole thing that he is not and he is a great kid, and so on.  She is satisfied with my answer and we go back in.  She learns of the oxygen treatment that will be given and, are you ready for this, she says “oh that will work, his headache will be gone in no time and he can go home”.  At this point I do not even know what to say.  If this is all it was going to take why did she not do it day one.  So the oxygen starts and sure enough the headache goes away.  I mean gone.  Why could they have not done this earlier?  That’s right, they need to make money and sell the drugs.  This is only my opinion and will refrain from saying anything else.  I ask for a script for an oxygen tank, and they gave it to me.  Trying to be proactive.
It was a long week, but at least the Dr’s worked together and figured it out.
I know this is long, but the best is yet to come.  The visit from the “New Age Team”.  They show up, I am sure totally excited because they get to do whatever it is they do because the “regular” Dr’s cannot figure it out.  So they come in and Logan says “I’m all good.  Headache is gone.  The oxygen therapy worked”.  Thinking this would crush their spirit, she says, “of course it did, but since we are here”.  Oh boy here it comes.  She starts talking to us about music therapy, aroma therapy, and acupuncture.  Logan and I just look at each other and smirk.  She asks us if we would like to try some music therapy.  We kindly agree.  This one lady pulls out a small harp, asks if she can sit next to me.  The other Dr. tells Logan how to breathe and the music starts.  She tells us we can hum along if we wish.  Logan is trying not to laugh, I am dying inside and the harpist starts humming James Taylor songs.  I am trying so hard not laugh.  I am biting my tongue, pinching my arms.  Logan looks like a dear in headlights, focusing on the door.  The other Dr. is touching Logan’s chest teaching him how to breathe.  At this point I have tears built up in my eyes, and the songs keep coming.  They finally finish the concert and the Yoga Dr. comes in.  I cannot make this stuff up.  She then teaches Logan breathing exercises.  My personal favorite is the Alternating Nostril exercise.   They finally take off and Logan and I start cracking up.  of course once they leave we had to go online and watch our favorite video, Yoga Girl.   I have attached for all to see.
Yoga Girl video  a must see.
 We then packed up and get out of there. 
What a week.

1 comment:

  1. thanks

    home oxygen therapy


    http://you-should-know0.blogspot.com.eg/2017/07/oxygen-therapy-reverse-brain-damage.html

    ReplyDelete