Tuesday Tango

Step One: I picked Mom up this morning around 7:00 to head over for her chemical stress test. She was in good spirits. What a trouper. We asked about an earlier Echo (I've been calling it an EKG, wrong) and were able to move it to 11:00.

Step Two: Once she got started around 7:30, I went over to visit Dad. Oh my. What a contrast with ICU. ICU at our local hospital is wonderful, full of attentive, skilled and knowledgeable people. Clean, bright and roomy. Shift to the regular room. Small, dirty and cluttered with a tiny shuttered window. Understaffed, complete with a nurses' desk that is either clueless or disinterested or both. The Oasis vs. The Third World Country

When I walked in, Dad was sprawled on his bed, uncovered, in a dirty hospital gown, not even hooked up to his i.v. I gowned and gloved and went in. Dad woke up after a bit and was happy to see me. I checked through his stuff to make sure it had all arrived with him. (It had.) When I picked up his false teeth tub, Dad said: "We've been keeping turtles in that. The postman brought it by to keep sharp knives in."

Gwen: "I thought it was for your teeth."

Dad: "Well, I was just telling you the different uses for it."

The doctor had not been in.

Step Three: Back over to get Mom from her Stress Test. She had had very loose bowels and needed to go home to change. I was so sorry for the indignity of it all. :(

Step Four: I ran errands so Mom could have a bit of time alone at home before we went back up for the Echo at 11:00. (She hasn't spent this much time with me since I was a toddler and I'm sure it is wearing thin.) Checked Mom in on 2nd floor for Echo.

Step Five: Over to visit Dad again. He was sitting in a chair! Which is great, except he got out of bed and was trying to walk around. He then reportedly got very upset with all the people rushing to his room to tell him to sit. When I told Mom this later, she said: "He's getting better!" Still very loopy, saying off the wall things, and I think confusing me for Mom. Definitely hospital dementia, which we have seen before. Still no doctor. We need to get him well and get him out of there!

Step Six: Back over to get Mom after her Echo, then we are to head downstairs for one more image for the stress test. Unfortunately, I waited in the downstairs waiting room while Mom was upstairs. Fortunately, the sweet girl who did Mom's stress test came out and saw me and then it clicked that I was in the wrong place. Mom and I reunited upstairs and went downstairs for the last image.

Step Seven: Mom took me out for a bowl of soup at Panera. She was determined to visit Dad on her own in the afternoon. She also needed to pick up her prep for the contrast abdominal CT tomorrow. I'm so sorry she has to drink more. :(

Step Eight: I did family stuff and Mom made a successful trek alone to the hospital. She doesn't know how she arrived at Dad's room or radiology, but she was pleased that she somehow got to the right places.

And that's how you do the Tuesday Tango!