transition

On February 5, 2020, Quenby designed this birthday feast at home

 

and then on Valentine”s Day, Jeanne transitioned back to a hospital gown as AMC’s ER again brought her back from respiratory arrest

The look means she transitioned from self care to trust as Quenby and her Mom switched from self care to trust and compliance. AMC met my every need. I was able to share with my 3 different room mates in a cardio-thoractic unit from heaven. The more mobile I got, the more independence I won. That led to 3 showers taken by myself and an acquaintance with everyone in the hallways, day and night. They loved all my styling: hot colors of robes, slippers, tiny Museum of Modern Art Light, and Lavender no crack lanolin cream. That stuff made my IV’s fall out by themselves.

Now I have a drain in place to heal the pleural efusion (Pleur-X), and my mobile talents are sustaining  me at home once again.

Stress Test

Went to Have A Stress Test

Here’s what happened:

1 Appointment time ignored by staff. Waited over 45 minutes.

2 No privacy in waiting room, hallway, testing rooms, scanning area or nuclear injection site.

3 No modesty allowed for application of electrodes for Lexiscan/ Myoview or for scan after.

4 Although Debbie administered the Lexiscan, two male techs stood and watched every move.

5 I was not given a hospital gown to open in front or a private room to change and store my personal items.(I had to carry them around for 4 hours)

6 On the gurney, there was no sheet to cover me or my body while electrodes were placed on my abdomen.

7 My gastric bypass caused extreme pressure and bowel contractions.

8 Couldn’t leave the table; didn’t know where the bathroom was, or if I could stand up.

9 Had to dress, find and walk to a bathroom not occupied, and use the 30 minutes specified for drinking 20 oz of water and some crackers to manage my diarrhea.

10 All of this was in full public view.

11 Next I was seated in a rigid chair for the scanning and was told not to move for twenty minutes, sitting half off the chair with my arms extended over my head, electrodes attached in 3 places on my abdomen, and holding in my bowels.

12 Inane chatter distracted me from the discipline I had to exert.

13 The diarrhea lasted for 5 hours after my release, I had semantic paraphrasia, and was disoriented.

In order to go back for Phase 2, I require the following:

1 Give me a small private cubby with hospital gown, and a locker for my personal items to stay until the testing is completed.

2 Have one woman accompany me throughout so I can comply easily to the procedure without panic at having a bowel movement in public. There should be a commode for the exclusive use of the patients within view to prevent my soiling myself in the testing room.

3 When a woman is administering the test, get the men standing around out of there. It takes privacy away from both of us and is demeaning.

4 Formulate a procedure if a patient gets diarrhea and print it out so everyone follows one protocol.

These changes should be presented to the Business Manager and the Hospital Patient Advocate