waiting again....

... in the orderly quiet of the hospital room with the Auntie, who apparently stayed up into the wee hours talking with her sitter, Jackie. It seems they had a great time overnight, chatting about everything under the sun. I could wonder what they had in common to discuss, but honestly, as long as Jackie (who she had never laid eyes on before and is now her New Best Friend) was available, and willing to be here for twelve hours keeping her company, I'm good with that. I slept pretty well myself, until that dang alarm went off at 4 a.m., then it was over.

When the PA who works this floor called me yesterday, I understood she was being treated with anti-biotics for a UTI. That is old news, as I had a voice mail on my phone from her doctor's office reporting they had called in an Rx for that particular problem. But putting someone in high-priced bed is, in my opinion, a pretty thin reason to admit someone for three days, billing insurance for every IV needle, square of toilet tissue, cup of ice. So I am hopeful she can be disentangled from all the tubing delivering saline solution and be discharged today. Just have to be willing to work the system.

The interesting part is that when the EMS brought her in on Saturday night, there was apparently no mention of the acute pain she claimed was so disabling that she could not walk. Cannot say if the EMS guys even mentioned the reason they were called to transport her to ER, but I am sure they were told she could not travel under her own steam and had to be rolled in on a gurney. How the leg pain that was so misery-inducing all day never even got mention in her chart when she was brought I beyond me. When staffer from the Auntie's residence called me with a report, she said the ER team did not mention what might be causing her leg pain, and when she asked specifically, the ER nurse had no idea what she was talking about. Meaning that the Auntie had completely forgotten that she was in such pain she could not stand upright. Oh, the joy of memory loss....

I told the overnight sitter she could leave (about thirty minutes early) and talked to the overnight nurse. Pretty uneventful. But as I watched, talked with the Auntie, I see a marked decline from when I saw her a week ago. I don't know what is going on - hope to have more info. after the PA comes by.