Back At Home!!

This is going to be a quick update today, but will fill you in more this evening. Mom and Dad and the docs finally got everything arranged so that she could be discharged and they got home late yesterday afternoon. She is still receiving the antibiotics by infusion therapy, but she doesn't have to stay in the hospital. She was sooo glad to be back at her house as was Dad. I met them over there and she was having a snack (late lunch) in her favorite recliner. They wanted me to see how their garden had progressed so we walked around the back yard and looked at the azaleas and their roses that are absolutely gorgeous. We sat outside in the nice warm afternoon sun and chatted for quite a while. She is feeling so much better and is back on track. Prayers answered!

Cheryl

Ready To Go Home!

I will do my absolute best to try and not harp on the asinine rules set by Medicare that are keeping Mom in the hospital right now. But first, just to let you know, she is healing very well with the regimen of  IV antibiotics that she has been on since Monday. Her incision site is looking better and more importantly she is feeling better... but (here it comes) she is still at the hospital even though all three doctors were ready for her to be released yesterday morning. One may ask, "why, if the doctors are in agreement for her to leave hasn't she been discharged". Excellent question. For that answer we will have to ask 'Mr Medicare". For those of you that have dealt with issues through Medicare you undoubtedly know where this is going. For the rest of you, well, you had better sit down. It seems that the new Medicare rules for not covering medications taken outside of the hospital now also apply to infusion therapy. We wondered when Mom was discharged from Cleveland Clinic in March why they gave us her prescriptions to be filled at a nearby pharmacy. In the past when you were discharged, you were given your supply of medications to take with you with refills to be purchased at your pharmacy. Perhaps, we thought, this was a Cleveland Clinic policy. Nope! In fact, it is a new Medicare policy. Here is our dilemma, we have a case worker and all three doctors offices working on this, but please, please if you have any insight let us know. Mom is sooo ready to get back home, and to be honest get up and moving around again. Medicare will not approve in home infusion therapy, but the caseworker worked with them to agree to it, in principal, but Mom's co-pay per week is $800. She is likely looking at 6 weeks of antibiotics. Actually, Medicare wants her to stay in the hospital for the 2x daily treatments. NO. The infectious disease doctors office worked out where Mom would be fitted for a constant infusion type halter that she would have to wear around 24/7 and go to the doctors office every three days for a refill because, again, Medicare won't cover medications taken out of the hospital. So, at this moment, Mom is dressed in her day clothes having already had this mornings treatment and will just lounge around her hospital room or take a stroll waiting for her next treatment in 12 hours. Did I mention that the hospital is near capacity and they really need her room? Thank you for letting me vent. No more. I promise; well, until Medicare does something else dumb. 

** I know, let's start a "Free Shirley" petition!     ^_^ 
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Feeling A Bit Better

I wanted to be sure and post an update on Mom before turning in for the night. I stayed with her until early afternoon and then Dad came up to stay with her until tomorrow. She is doing well, but due to her being on this potent "Janitor In A Drum" antibiotic cocktail IV, we just aren't completely comfortable with her staying alone in case she has a reaction. These are some heavy duty antibiotics and seem to be showing some progress all ready. Her vitals are back into normal range, her white count is good and other than not looking better yet, the area of concern is hopefully healing from the inside. We had the pleasure of having all three doctors come by this morning. Dr D., our internist; Dr S, most wonderful cardiologist, and Dr T, infectious disease specialist. Dr T indicated that from the looks of the recent CAT scan that was read by yet another specialist, the infection is 'of' her sternum but not necessarily 'in' her sternum. That is to say, "it is best case scenario' if you have a serious post-op infection. They placed a picc line in so that she can possibly be discharged from the hospital tomorrow and she will continue IV antibiotics at home for an undermined time. She is primarily concerned about being well enough to go to Kristy's (grand daughter) U of Memphis graduation and see her newest great grandson arrive in a couple of weeks. So, for today, it has been good. Really good. We are ready to be back home again. Thanks for your positive comments, emails and notes. We all really appreciate them. 
Cheryl

Shirley Is Back In The Hospital

Here is a photo that I took of Mom when she found out that she was going to be admitted to the hospital today! HA-Ha!

Hi all.. I haven't updated in a few weeks because things have been going along pretty well. I have also been playing catch up at work and thankfully have been really busy. But that really is no excuse and I apologize for being remiss in keeping Mom's friends up to date on her progress. So, where did we leave off? Ah, yes. Mom is doing really, really well. "What" you ask, "why is she is the hospital?" That is a very good question. Remember back several postings ago when I mentioned our 'little bump in the road' with her incision not healing properly? It still is giving her problems and now her cardiologist has become concerned after a recent CAT scan. When Mom saw her cardiologist last Friday, they decided; well, actually Dr Smith decided, that while her echo-cardiogram looked great she was rather concerned that she still had pain and a lot of inflammation at her incision site. She ordered a CAT scan and some other tests but said, "you will be seeing Dr Threlkeld the first of the week". Hmmm, notice she did not say, "we will make you an appointment" or "I will consult". That should have been a sign of what was to come when she called this morning to inform Mom that she would be admitted for treatment of her infection in her sternum. "Goodness, I just got up" Mom told her, "So, what day will I go". From what I understand the immediate response was, "I am writing up the orders now, so you can go ahead and go as soon as possible." At least it isn't back to Cleveland. Not that it wasn't a great facility but... this is so much closer. So here we are, she is on her second bag of antibiotic, had blood drawn for cultures and they are having the CAT scans read again to determine how deeply into the sternum the infection has gone. Hopefully this can all be cleared up with IV antibiotics. 

I just have to share the funniest thing that Dad said this afternoon. We arrived in separate cars, and I met them in the admissions office. We waited almost an hour and a half just to register... grrrr...and then he said it. "You know you are in for trouble in a waiting room when they provide recliners.." I looked around, and sure enough there were quite a few recliners in the room. Maybe it was just the moment, but we really laughed a while over that. I am sitting here listening to the steady low pulse of the IV solutions running and Mom trying to get comfortable in a different bed again. I have the television set on a station that has nice soft music and ambient videos of the ocean and waves. Trying to help Mom go to sleep. I'm staying up until they have run these new IV's to make sure that she tolerates them with no problem. I may need to change the channel to something more exciting before I fall to sleep too!

I promise to keep you updated. More news as we know it.

Oh, by the way. She is at Baptist East, but really needs to rest so emails are great but no phone calls or visits just yet please.

Thank you so much friends and family, your continued prayers and emails have meant so much to all of us.. especially Mom and Dad.

Cheryl

Big Surprise... Shirley Is Not Very Patient

Mom is continuing with the process of healing from her surgery. It is so hard to believe that it will be only one month tomorrow. You know how it is I am sure; some months fly by and others creep along ~ this has been a bit longer than most. Mom's heart is doing great! Apparently the repairs were successful.. however, she is still battling a couple of post operative issues. We know, "this is normal", "part of the process", but Mom isn't known for lying about being a 'Cleopatra' as one of her friends recently suggested she become. That vision really gave us all a laugh. Can you imagine us waving frond's to fan her and Dad peeling grapes for her? Ok, Dad would probably peel grapes for her.. but the rest of it is pretty much not going to happen. The fluid they drained just before she was discharged had returned, and while Dr D kept watching it; it just wouldn't go away on its own. There is only so much Lasix can do! Yesterday she had another Thorocentesis (where they go in and 'tap' your chest to remove fluid from around your lung). That should help immensely with her breathing and comfort. It was an all day event. Literally. Mom and Dad were at Baptist East ambulatory at 6:00am and Mom had nothing to eat or drink after midnight... ugh; no coffee.. They were taken to a room around mid morning where they waited, and waited, and waited for her procedure. Dad said the waiting room was packed at 6:00 and his theory is that everyone is told to come in at the same time. Mom's procedure was at 2:30 and took about 20 minutes. They weren't exactly 'happy campers'. Then Mom had to stay for and hour and a half for observation. The good news is they took care of the problem. At Mom's most recent doctor visit Dr D, he announced that she could go off of oxygen except while walking. That is great news, just a bit hard to give up after being on it for almost a month. She is using it to sleep and while walking outside.. four times a day! She said that after being at Baptist East for 8 hours yesterday, not wearing it and still having a 94! pulse oxygen reading she was ready to sleep without it. Just a couple of weeks ago she was barely at 82.. great progress. It looks like pretty soon they can return the oxygen machine all together. One other small problem they are still battling is an infection at her primary incision site. They are trying one more oral antibiotic before taking the next step. Mom said yesterday (after 4 doses of this new antibiotic) that she thought it might be looking a little better. Fingers Crossed..
Other than Mom being very impatient about the healing process, she is really doing great. I know we have all been very blessed through all of this...thank you for your continued prayers and support.
Happy Easter everyone!
 Cheryl 
*Photos other than those taken in Cleveland are provided by granddaughter Katie.