The Revolving Hospital Door - A Soap Opera

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Scene One

End of September, 2012.   My brother Jeff is life-flighted to a hospital in Idaho Falls, while vacationing in Yellowstone.  Traveled with my sister up to Idaho to be with him and his wife until he could come home.

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Scene Two, Three, Four and Five

Starting at the beginning of December 2012, my mom went in for a hip revision because she fell and broke the hip replacement that was done 2 years earlier.  Got into surgery, was full of infection, didn't put any type of hip back in, closed her up, sent her to a care center for 3 weeks.  Beginning of January 2013, she went in for the revision.  Two weeks later, said revision popped out whilst she was sleeping.  Was sent back to the hospital to have it crammed put back into place, stayed overnight.  Three weeks later, the lovely hip popped out again.  Another round of getting the sucker back into place.  Told that if it pops out again, time for another surgery with a full new hip replacement.  Good times.

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Scene 6

February 28, 2013.  Four year old Alyssa, my cousin April's little girl is diagnosed with  diabetes.  I make the frantic trip to Idaho to be with them and help out with the learning of all things diabetes.  Spent 4 days, many hours and shed numerous tears during that stay.

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Scene 7

March 22, 2013, I got to visit the local emergency room with a huge bad horrible pain in my right side.  I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver.  And not the kind most people get.  It is called NASH with is for non-alcoholic people, and some people with diabetes, like myself, get this form.  

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Scene 8

May 13, 2013.  Get the dreaded phone call before 7 in the AM.  Mom's hip has popped out again.  She will not allow my dad to call 9-1-1 so she calls me.  I have been commissioned to be the ambulance and get her to the hospital.  Not a easy task when said hip is out of it's socket.  Spend the morning in the ER.  Find out her surgeon is out of the country until the week of the 27th.  Yippy-ya-hooey.  His assistant came into the ER and crammed got that baby back in place.  Sent her upstairs to our favorite floor and favorite personnel.  Got fitted with a icky brace to try to keep the hip in place till next week, when she is scheduled for a whole new replacement.  Let the good times roll.

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Things I have learned

Get to know the employees at the hospital when you are there.  Be nice to them.  They will be nice back.  They will remember you and treat your mom or loved ones even better.

If you are "under the influence", DO NOT call an ambulance to take you to the hospital.  While in the ER the other day, a person, we will call her a woman, because she was no lady, was brought in 2 rooms away.   She told them she didn't want see a doctor.  She was told, if she is brought in by ambulance or paramedics, she has to be seen.  She got very belligerent.  Even tho I am one of the best at all things sailor swear words, she was outdoing me.  Was calling the doctors and police officers all kinds of nice words that I have never heard before.  I think they finally carted her off to jail for DUI.

When you become my age, all doctors look like they are still in high school.  Get used to it.

But the most important thing, try to keep a positive outlook.  There will be those that will say mean things to you, and say you are not doing a good job.  You can only do so much.  One trip to the hospital in a year is enough for a lot of people.  I have spent the last 7 months in and out of them.  I got tired.  I got upset.  I cried.  But I learned things about all of the people I helped that I might not have if I hadn't had that experience.  

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I would like to thank all the doctors, nurses and care givers at the hospitals in

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Idaho Falls, Idaho

Intermountain Healthcare LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah

St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center,  Twin Falls, Idaho

Intermountain Healthcare Riverton Hospital, Riverton, Utah

I met people at all of these hospitals that I will never forget.  They even put up with my weird sense of humor, and that's saying a ton.