chapter 12:part 6

continued from chapter 12: part 5

After a few days as a patient at the cancer hospital the resident said Hal would be discharged that morning and then she murmured something about having to wait for test results before he could leave. We saw her every so often near the nursing station but she didn't come near us again. Literally, hours later, a nurse drifted in and said, "Oh, are you still here? Doctor signed you out."

That same resident told us earlier in the day that Hal would have to go to a lab near our home for blood work. We understood her to say that we were to ask the lab to pass on the test results by phone to the doctor’s office daily and we would continue the daily tests until they told us to stop. We were both clear that this is what she said.

Hal was suffering the after effects of chemo treatment and his legs were swollen. He’d shuffle painfully into the lab, excuse himself to go off to vomit, then submit to the test. Despite our directions, the lab mailed the results and we would have been there much longer if I hadn’t phoned the doctor’s secretary to ask her if this should be happening. The doctor was angry that the lab had ignored our request and mailed the results and he cancelled any further tests.
Better you should act like a parrot and before hospital discharge, repeat back to the doctor absolutely everything you have been told to do.

Despite your occasional misadventure, don't ever leave the hospital forgetting to thank the people who made this day possible. You will probably know the "regulars" by name and you will be aware of the many simple kindnesses from these busy people who do their best with so many people dependent on them.


REMINDER TO THE CAREGIVER

Prepare your own card of information for future hospital visits. It's also useful for trips to neighborhood medical labs. Never, never leave home without the bradma card.

Get that trip-to-the-hospital bag organized and place on top a list of the last-minute things to be packed. Any time you're heading for a hospital emergency room or even a clinic visit, take the bag along even if you don't think your partner will be admitted.

Make sure you bring any pain medication or medication that counts as must-have.

Learn when the doctor generally makes rounds and have your questions ready. Don't count on the patient to pass on information--be around to get it first-hand.

Bring in reading materials, knitting, letter-writing equipment, anything to pass the time.

Keep your questions short and succinct and listen carefully to the answers. Then write them down.

continued in chapter 13: part 1