Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Today I brought the noise.

Got to pick up my dad and he was on one. Demanding I take him to the bank "RIGHT NOW" because he "knows his money is gone." I explained to him that we had to go to the VA for his Neurology appointment, that we can go to the bank afterwards, if we went then we would be late. He proceeded to basically throw a tantrum and I blew. I told him he was damn lucky to have what he has, that I can't help him if he won't trust me, and that I can't be there 24/7 to hold his hand through everything, that school was starting next week and I needed to be able to sleep at night instead of being up stressed. I basically laid it all out without any kind of name calling.

At first he blew back and then by the car ride to the VA was done he was calm. He even was joking with me.

Dr. Davis at the VA - God Bless Her - fresh out of OHSU.... she HELPED US. She had read his file before we got there, instantly sided with me about his level of oxycodone and why its making him nuts, I explained to her about how Home Health never came for his blood draws and how Social Work was dodging my phone calls, and SHE FIXED IT.

She knocked some heads at social work (I have to follow up, but she sent a message to all involved telling them that their continual passing the buck was dangering the health of her patient - which it IS, these draws are necessary to make sure his blood levels are balanced so his blood clot can be absorbed). She instantly cut his Oxy dose back to 4 automatically a day paired with Tylenol for pain control, cut back his Sinemet a bit to see if that helped his mind clear AND... and this is a big AND... she prescribed him a mild anti-psychotic, because it's apparent to her he's suffering from delerium - which unlike severe dementia CAN be reversed, and usually is a result of trauma and drugs that make him loopy...

SHE LISTENED TO ME. AND FIXED IT. And I know she generally was horrified at his new condition compared to how he was a couple of months ago when he was in there joking with her.
I am so writing a good letter about her to the VA to whoever will listen...

Also, his mysterious "side" pain (of which he tried to convince me he was dying) SWITCHED SIDES since last time he was bitching - she examined him anyway, his ribs are fine, she agrees with me its probably pulled muscles from his walker... new muscles being used.

BUT THE CROWNING JEWEL OF IT ALL.

I FINALLY got a POWER OF ATTORNEY done!!! I finally talked him into it!!!

This will make my life so so so SO much easier!!!

So tonight I'm going to go home, eat some yummy dinner from stuff I bought at Whole Foods (I'm thinking FALAFEL!!!), clean, and SLEEP LIKE A BABY knowing I got all of this fixed!!!!

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