Caregivers and Stress

[Kelt]

Originally Posted by Kelt

Update:

I am so grateful that the on ground people I have for mom are on the ball. A couple of weeks ago they noticed her surgical site looked weird. I had them take her to the surgeon who was mystified and said it was probably a change in blood flow. OK...

4 days later another caregiver said it was changing and sent a photo to her (private) nurse. He promptly booked/took her to her regular Dr who examined it under UV in a dark room and started her on an antibiotic course. Nobody really knows what's going on, but we're all hoping for "small subcutaneous infection" to be remedied in a few days. We'll see...

Today she thought it looked worse so her RN went to check it himself. Yep, it looks worse, he sent me the pic, we/he decided that with a three day weekend coming up it wouldn't be a good idea to wait for her regular Dr. He took her to ER where they did some bloodwork, x-ray, and general head scratching. Something isn't right but nobody knows what, another heavier round of antibiotics for now. Next week back to surgeon for an exam, maybe a tissue sample or something if no change...

I cannot believe what good luck I have in this RN that I found for her, he coordinates everything, does all hiring and payroll for her other helpers, and on and on. It's 8:45pm where she is and he just called me again to tell me the med change and let me know he had gone to the drugstore and got her started with this first night dose. Her meds are all mail order, so he is really going out of his way to do all these extra things. He also worked in the local hospital for 17 years, the last five in oncology, so he knows the local surgeons, Drs, and all the nursing staff.

I, of course, am stuck here for a bit. I gave up on her attorney and am now working with mine while I work on my own revised will, to set up a game plan for what happens to her if something happens to me. (I'm the only one who knows how all the moving pieces fit together) Week after this next one I have 5 days committed to jury duty. I hope everything holds together for a couple of weeks, or better yet resolves.

The good news is that mom feels fine, not sick or in pain, likely enjoying all the extra attention.