no goodbye for Dad

One of the hardest things about my job is watching families deal with elderly Mom or Dad. Dad is, lets say, in his 80's.  He is in bad shape for various reasons.  He isn't going to get better.  In fact, he is going to get worse.  He is worse today.

Here's the thing: he's full go.  He is so fragile that if CPR was performed, several of his ribs would break.  He would never get off the vent. In other words, its time to just keep him comfortable and enjoy the time that has left.

Of course thats not going to happen. Family is not ready to let Dad go.  Daughter is crying during Dads current visit.  Everybody else is tearful.

Dad says he feels fine.  He sits on the ER cart getting treatment that anyone would find uncomfortable.  It has become a habit for him to be brave for the family. He doesn't want the kids or his wife to suffer.  When the doctors have asked him about resuscitation he went along with being a full go.

So Dad will keep coming in, spending repeated visits in ICU.  Family will keep hoping that somehow he will get better.  He won't.  This will go on until one time he arrests. We can't revive him. Family is devastated.

They didn't get a chance to say goodbye. To tell him what a great Dad he was.

man candy saturday

yes

 

Its Christmas at the candy store

I've been working more lately.  Picking up shifts.  Son of Madness is in college.  Thus the sparse blog postings.

Why is it that working an 8 hour shift, especially a 7-3 seems to fly by?  I like it.

There is the usual tomfoolery going on in the ER like always. There are stomach bugs going around.  Of course the non-copers among us run to the ER at the first sign of nausea.  Like the guy who came in and cried and whined while 3 of us tried to get an IV in.  No success.  I mean seriously dude, if you are going to come in for a frickin' stomach virus this is what you are going to go through...you shoulda stayed home.  You'll get no sympathy from us.

Here's a question for the ages: Why is the BLUE HELL do we have to put an IV in every Tom, Dick and Susie that comes in with one episode of womiting or a wittle tummy ache.  ODT Zofran was invented for a reason guys.  No one under the age of 60 should get an IV for a virus unless they have at least 10 underlying diseases.  Thank you.  And they certainly don't need Dilaudid for their tummy ache.  Are you frickin' kiddin' me?????

So as you probably already noted, its business as usual at the candy store. Only difference these days are the two pathetic Charlie Brown christmas trees in the lobby that are decked out in a "neutral holiday hospital approved" fashion of beige and tan. Real festive...
 How many bulbs do you think will be left on December 26th?  Fa la la.


Oh BTW RIP Mandella

yup

Dear Person on Probation:

I hate to break this to you, but none of the staff or other patients in the emergency care about your probation officer problems.  We do not care to hear you talk at the top of your lungs to your PO about how you will probably have to go back to jail.  You are an idiot.

Sincerely,

the emergency department staff and patients