I HATE Nursing Homes

Ok, this is going to be just a rant about the conditions of one nursing home. Namely the one my father was in until 10/29 (best birthday present ever was getting to drive him home that Friday). However in talking with others I’ve found that many of my experiences are in fact shared.
I’m going to go through this more or less as a narrative of the kind of shit I saw during my father’s experience there. So, with that, here’s my story.

67th Birthday (Father Update)

So yeah my father's 67th birthday was yesterday. I asked him if he felt old. "Older than dirt" was his reply.

I'm happy to see progress on his toe (or rater, the missing one), but it still hasn't healed 3 weeks later. It hasn't filled up with scar tissue either. So it's just the pit going into his foot. Not the best sign, really.

But some humor for you in this post: I got my father a birthday card that was entitled Anti-ageing quiz. It had a picture of a woman... Yeah she had to have 36F-24-36 as measurements. You open the card and it asks as simple question: What color was her purse?  If you asked "She had a purse?", the card told, you weren't old yet.

No one... not me, not even my mother, didn't have to turn back to the front to find the answer (Green). Laughs all around.

One Week Later, Father Update

So I'm sitting here, at my desk, a week after finding out my father was headed off to the hospital. I've learned a lot more about the particulars of what was going on the two weeks prior to this. Seems the last doctor/podiatrist visit for dad he had know things were not looking good. A few days later the right foot toe started becoming white (think dead skin for a visual). Again the problem of my father's "wait until it gets better" attitude my or may not have played a part in him waiting those 2 weeks to seek help.

So, anyways, he's in a nursing home now (one he visited in 2003 for a cellulitus infection in his right leg) for antibiotic treatment for 14 days. He'll be going in some time next week to have an angiogram done on his foot so see if a stint or such can be placed in his leg to increase circulation.

Other than that, my dad is himself: Opinionated, grouchy, but calm and chipper at the same time. Call it an oxymoronic mix, I call it old-fogey syndrome ^_^

Small update on my father

Doctor took a look today and said he believes they got it all. Just one toe (right 'ring' toe) Dad is being monitored for a few more days to make sure. White blood cell count has gone down but is not below a marker that indicates infection.  They're continuing with the IV antibiotics in the mean time in hopes they will not have to take more of the foot. He will probably go into skilled care barring anything further wrong.

Still on a path (Father Update)

So, contrary to someone's thoughts (which, mind you, gave me a needed laugh there Brooklyn) my father did go back to work after my last update. He'd kinda pushed himself back into it I guess in an attempt to have something to do. I guess in not having much more to day I'd neglected to keep and updated post on him. Sorry there ^_^.

He's gone through various modes of healing: Compression socks (which ended up being too tight and giving him more sores) to get circulation in his legs back, more antibiotics, and daily cleanings (done by my sister since he doesn't have the mobility to do them himself). One bothering thing was a sore he has had on his right toe. It wasn't getting any better, but not getting worse either. Doctor recently said it might take a year or so to heal, with anecdotal story of a 3 year long healing process from one patient.

If you know my father by now, you know he diabetes and lack of circulation in his legs causes issues. So this past Wednesday my sister Shawna, the one whom lives with my parents, calls me to let me know that things are not look as good again. He'd taken a night off of work with a fever a few nights before. Now his toe was starting to have it's wound seep. Infection returned it seemed.

Last night I got the most oddest of calls. My father let me know that his doctor made a decision to amputate said toe and needed a driver for this evening. I said yes, and quietly sulked at the thought.

This morning I got even worse news: Shawna calls me at 9 to let me know she's been awoken. The doctor has upped the time table as he feels there might be more at risk than just the toe. Given the time of this post he's probably being processed at the hospital, with some tests to determine exactly how far 'up' they'll need to cut.

I'm not in a greatest of moods now, sadly. :(