Helplessness

Tuesday evening, Mom was unable to work the call button. She tried pushing her call button for a very long time. Finally, she resorted to yelling and screaming but noone came. When someone eventually came, she was told that the call system had not been working all day!!! We hadn't known because we hardly ever need the call button when we are already there to help her in the daytime. She looked the person as straight in the eye as she could, lying flat on her back with her neck brace on, and said "You have a responsibility to let every patient on this floor know about this and someone needs to check on them regularly." Unfortunately, the message didn't seem to get through. When John learned of this Wednesday morning, he really let the management know how unacceptable this was. It turned out that upper management had not even been informed of the fact that the system was out! Later, when a technician was in Mom's room, she realized that someone had even lied to her about it. He said that he's on call and could have repaired this 24/7, but she had been told they'd have to wait until the daytime to call for repairs.

Overall, Mom has received rather excellent care from many wonderful professionals at both UAMS and Select Specialty Hospital, and she credits many for having saved her life! It is sad and disturbing when we come across the few staff members who don't practice traditional ethics and standards regarding patient care. Mom was just as concerned for the many other patients on the floor. Many have remarked that medical care used to be more like a calling. Has it become just a job.? How dare they leave helpless, bedridden people alone without any means to call for assistance!

Now, each night before John leaves, he makes sure the call button works but also puts the telephone near Mom's right hand and she has the number for the nurse's station memorized, but it is still difficult for her to dial it with only her four fingers. She's gradually getting some use from her left arm but the left wrist is extremely sore from being idle for more than one month.

According to contract, there will be a total of 21 days in this hospital--halfway there now--before Mom can move to either Baptist Rehabilitation or possibly home. I'm flying back to Saipan on December 10 so I really hope she can make a lot of progress by then. She is more frequently trying to sit up, stand, and walk a bit now. She is so tired of staying in bed! It is so much easier without that chest tube and IV, plus the healing skin graft is allowing her to work the left arm now. Physical Therapists and Respiratory Therapists visit her daily to encourage her to work.

Several friends have kindly agreed to come in for mealtimes since it is still rather hard for Linda to feed herself. This gives John a little longer break through lunchtime and the afternoon. Thank you so much to those of you who can give your time to help. You are wonderful! Thank you, also, for all of you who continue to have Linda in your thoughts and prayers. She is so thankful.

~Mindy