Thank you so much. Just on auto, trying to clean up this mess as he didn't leave a will behind and was a lousy record keeper, maybe not to himself. But when I'm copying little pieces of paper with numbers on them hoping to find something that cracks his computer, well, it made sense to him but not the rest of us. Calling friends, relatives, his military unit "boss", the wife of one of they guys who keeps them together. Letting her know funeral arrangements as they are organizing a military salute or whatever it is called. And she's helping me clear out the medical equipment that I had to purchase before he came home from rehab so he could manuever at home. She arranging for pickup by VFW and they'll have it for people who need it.
He was having trouble catching his breath last saturday, not too much but getting winded easily. So, called his primary care, no emergency contact, no one to reach for help as I didn't want to pile him into the car again and go to ER without doc telling me to do so. We already had quite a few transfers and to Cleveland area. Couldn't reach her so called his neurologist at Seidman who is head of his dept figuring this man would have an answering service. I hated bothering him and told the lady so who answered. She said not to worry. That is what to doctor is there for. But I know he's a very busy man and commands a lot of respect in his job. She said they page the doctor every 15 minutes until he answers, then patch the call through to me. She called my back in short time. Doctor talked to him and told him he most likely had blood clots in his lung. ER - now. That's all I needed and his son and I took him back. Helicopter'd back to Parma, only this time to ICU. He was on heparin when he flew out and that's what they kept him on until sending him home Monday. The local hospital told me he probably wouldn't be home so soon because he probably needed surgery to break up those clots. The people in Parma sent an Rx to CVS for a newer blood thinner that he was supposed to start when he got home. BUT no back up pills in case CVS screwed up as they apparently often do. He looked good when he got home, color good and walking and transfering very well. He had a primary care appointment for Wed at 8 30 that I got him to. He was on the phone Tuesday afternoon between insurance, CVS and doctor's office trying to get the med mixup cleared up. No luck. I was angry by Wed when he went to primary care. She spend a good while with him in doctor time anyway. Gave him samples of blood thinner to tide him over until the mix up got fixed and I had him start that while still in the office. He also took his evening pill. He was fine when I went to bed that night. But around 4 30 in the morning I was awakened by a thud. He had fallen trying to come back to bed with walker from the bathroom. I went into overload and asked him if was okay. Yeah, yeah, i'm fine. Just need to catch my breath. Well, that didn't happen. I said I'm calling the squad. No, you're not. Yes, I am. Finally I said that's enough. I'm calling 911. They p'd me off. Kept asking me my address and such. I just wanted to scream stop with the buracracy and send me EMS. They said they were on the way. Got off that call and checked on him. He was still with me. Got the cats in a room so they wouldn't get lost in the excitement, yelled at him again and got an answer. Went out to wait for squad who were already there. I found them and directed to to apartment. They worked on him a bit, then brought in streched and said they were taking him across the street to the Clevelend Clinic urgent care. I kissed him and realized that he was already gone but was hoping they could bring him back. But in my heart I knew. I texted his son several times through this and this time I texted I'm losing him. My neighbor went to clinic with me to stay until son came then her partner took her home. And then the doctor and out and the scene played out. So eerie, so strange. We've lived it many times though maybe not in real life. I called a friend of ours in Columbus and told her what happened. She knew I had not back up meds because I'd texted her tuesday night and asked if this was a problem. She said he needed that ASAP. So, I was partially awake all night to nudge him to make sure he was still breathing. I called her that morning and she was quite upset. No back up meds?! no, I said. I said I even asked him if they gave him anything before he left to take home. No. She was a transplant nurse. She said this was unheard of and completely against protocol. She said you never send a person in danger of blood clots home without a pill or two in case their Rx gets screwed up.
I guess the moral of the story is don't get old, get sick and go to the hospital. If you ain't dead, they will kill you.
