RANT:
Last week this time we were in knots waiting to see him come out of the theater. Up to this point everybody involved ... ER9111 Emergency crew, ER Staff and the two surgeons did what seemed impossible and we thank them for their commitment and professionalism.
The two days in ICU he was cared for well by highly trained staff but then things started slipping ... from the moment he was transferred to the ward things progressively went South. The boy's resilience and fighting spirit kept on surprising us and everyday their was progress. However ... his medical care by the nursing staff was nothing to be excited with. Fortunately my wife is extremely highly qualified and has a shoulder full of tags to proof it. She stepped in and started doing basic nursing care like getting his bowels to go, washing his hair, brushing his teeth ... cleaning his ears and nose and massaging his back and buttocks. All things that should be standard and basic nursing functions ... all aimed at keeping a patient comfortable.
Well yesterday morning she was called to Wiehann's doctor's rooms and got a scolding for interfering with the staff functions. Needless to say that by the grace of God I was not with her or that man would have been eating his own marrow. She was very upset when she git to Wiehann's room and he could see it. She told him what happened and he said ...
"Mom ... how do I get out of this place ?"
"Well ... they will only let you go if you are mobile." was all she could say.
Now this should make some goosebumps jump up in some that reads this ... it did for me when I saw it happen. By 14h00 the last blood transfusion lines were removed and all pipes and drains were already out. He gritted his teeth and got up onto the side of the bed. Took a crutch ... grunted and stood up and started walking out of the room ... down the passage to the nursing station ... gave them a wink and hobbled back to his room.
"Is that mobile enough ?"
Well the physio could not believe it and then last night around midnight he walked out of the hospital to the front parking area and when the security asked where he was going ... he said ... "I need some fresh air."
Well this morning the physio and occupational therapist did their sessions and reported to his doctor who then said he can go home. That was 11h00 ... my wife waited there till 18h45 for the doctor to come sign him out and was then told he went home. The nurse on duty "forgot" to take the discharge forms to him to sign.
Well I had to talk long and hard to the boy to calm him down.
These private hospitals are no longer care institutions but business entities and with the dillapidation of State Health we are at the mercy of these sharks. Gone are the days when nursing was a labour of love ... what really piss me off is that I will not see any discounts for services NOT rendered.
So ... hopefully he will be discharged early tomorrow morning or I may be in jail by midday.
END OF RANT.
Thank you all for your support and prayers.
PS ... It was a great moment when I sat in the cafeteria garden at exactly 12h30 and looked up and saw him hobbling through the door ... one week to the minute since he was pushed of to the theater.
Praise God ... he was good to us.
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