Jim's Health Care Advocate

Today I realized that I have a more important role to Jim than being his wife. I am his health care advocate. I have to make sure he is getting the best care possible and that his rights are protected and that his dignity is left intact. Last Friday Jim was given a roommate. This roommate has Lou Gerig's Disease and he also has a stap infection. Jim is in isolation for Mirsa and I was told that he would never have a roommate because of this.

No I do not mind a roommate but when this did happen he lost all of his privacy and I was concerned for the transfer of staph when he is trying to recover from this. Of course this happened last Friday at 6:00 when there was nothing I could do about it but to complain to the nurses who could do nothing about this. Now Tom had issues that I sympathize with but he has 4-5 visitors at all times. This means that Jim is no longer in isolation because these people are in an out all the time. Jim can not get out of bed so all of his business is taken care of in bed. Because he has only the TV for entertainment he can't close his curtain. Therefore no privacy. I worried about this all weekend. Today it came to a head with me. They were trying to to a bedpan with him the curtain was open and all these people were going in and out. The patient advocate came out of me and unfortuantly I had to go all the way to the people that can make these decisions. I was nice, I was patient but I was firm. I told them this could not continue. Fortunately, we were able to work this out and Jim is now in a private room.

Lots of activity today. He was taken on a field trip today to have a CT scan of his neck. No results yet but we think it is just a strained muscle from leaning his head in one direction. A padiotrist came in an checked Jim's foot and clipped his toenails. He has a small sore that needs to be watched. Dr. Nora came in to check the stomach wound and he is coming back tomorrow to try and plug the hole.

Kathy and Bob stayed with Jim until Bob had to leave for the airport. I went to a quilt club meeting with my mother and had a great time. Jim watched the football game so he was doing fine.

Bob and Kathy talked to the doctors today about Jim's condition. It is still going to be a very long and hard road. All we can do is hope for the best. Jim is not healing and the longer he stays in bed the weaker he gets. A lot will depend on how much fight he has left in him. It is very hard on him as it would be on all of us. All we can do is be there for him and love him. The rest is up to Jim and all the higher powers we can call on.

We went to Leroy Selmons for lunch today and my sister took this picture of us. My god I look awful. I need to get some more rest. Those bags under my eyes are huge. I have no perm left and it is so hot here that all I can do is pull my hair back and off my neck.