Safely home!

I think the theme for our day could have easily equaled the Army's "Hurry up and wait" ... because that's exactly what we did!

I arrived at the hospital shortly before 10:00 this morning, got the encouraging update on Grandpa Roy, and we were told we would be "out of there" somewhere between 11:00 and noon.

They said that Roy's physician would have to sign the discharge papers, and any other professional who saw him while he was admitted would also have to "sign off" on him, we needed to meet with a social worker, we would have to go down to the Pharmacy and get his prescription and bring it back to his room, his nurses would then "sign off" from his care, they would call "transport," and we would be on our way! Now doesn't that sound simple? YIKES! It WAS NOT simple! Since Roy was being discharged on home oxygen, we had to wait for the oxygen professional to come to the hospital to set us up with a transport tank. The key word in that last sentence was W-A-I-T ... because that's a lot of health care professionals to coordinate with! I was so impressed that all of the folk we met with today were the nicest people and did such an excellent job!

The social worker set Roy up with a visiting nurse service so that once per day a nurse will go out to their house and check on Roy's oxygen levels and answer any questions he and Nana might have. We also met with the oxygen provider fellow at the hospital and then this same person met us at Roy's house this afternoon and brought all of the necessary equipment to us. And actually, he is only expected to NEED the oxygen for a few days ... possibly one week until his follow-up physician appointment next Friday.

We actually left the hospital at 2:00 this afternoon and by 2:30 we were at Roy and Nana's being instructed about all of the oxygen equipment ... until 4:00 this afternoon! Too bad there wasn't a camera running to record our three faces as this professional was explaining and demonstrating tubes, washers, levers, pressure meters, portable tanks, etc. Everyone who knows me knows how mechanically challenged I am ... and Nana and Roy were on the same page with me (!), so our faces were pretty BLANK as this well-meaning fellow was giving his talk. But we listened and he took apart equipment and watched us put it back together. We got Roy all set up and comfortable, and then this same oxygen guy said he had "a few forms" for Nana to sign! YOW! I've never in my whole life seen such a pile of paperwork as they went through! The fellow explained that these forms were to "cover" the oxygen company of liability issues. A few years ago some dude in Detroit lit a cigarette while wearing his oxygen and burned down an apartment complex, killing a small infant in the process. The oxygen company was able to produce all of the paperwork proving this fellow was instructed never to light a cigarette while on oxygen, etc.

Well enough of my babbling on ... Grandpa Roy is home, safe and sound ~ and happy to be there! He is in good spirits and resting comfortably. Thanks to all of you who were praying for he and Nana.