It's just that I've been.....
Cleaning.
Don't you wish it was something more exciting? Me, too. But what can you blog about when your day is filled with antibacterial soap and chorhexidine baths? Yeah, not much.
So, we cleaned and we shoved Bactroban up our noses and we decontaminated ourselves and D got up early (3:30 am) on Tuesday to go to the hospital and have surgery. You know, that surgery that was supposed to be the end of the whole Infusion Pump Debacle of '08? And he went to the hospital and checked into pre-op and they got an IV started and the OR was booked for 4 hours and three surgeons were scheduled (and a fourth infectious disease dude to consult on hand) and....
He was home by noon. No pump. No surgery, No finish line. He has a bladder infection. Two more weeks of IV antibiotics. And then they schedule the surgery again and we do all of the above cleaning, decontaminating and antibiotic-ing again.
What is most frustrating, of course, is that this is another thing that is more medical administrative related than health related. It has been about a month since D was off the last round of antibiotics. There was a three or four week window of opportunity where they could have gone in there when he was infection free, but they couldn't get their asses together to schedule it then. D told them back then that another infection would come, and if they didn't do things quick, they would miss the window. They missed the window.
Not only that, the UA that showed D's UTI was done the prior Wednesday. D didn't find out till Monday that he had a bladder infection. He had an appointment with the pain management surgery that day, and told him about it. He also told the neurosurgeon and faxed the pathology report to infectious disease. No one did anything. Then on Tuesday, they made us all get ready and get up early and all that and drag him there and then they finally got it together and were like, "oh, I guess you have a bladder infection." Surgery canceled.
Then one of the doctors said something that D doesn't care about but pisses me the fuck off. He said that they were really embarrassed and had mud on their faces about it because they had scheduled the OR and the OR staff and had messed up everyone's schedule at the hospital.
Yeah. Well, Waaah, fucking, waaaah. I'm sorry you'll be a little embarrassed at your next staff meeting and maybe get tsk, tsked by your OR administrator or whoever. But D has to go for at LEAST TWO MORE WEEKS with a PICC line (a new one because they took the old one out last time), spasms, pain, infection, antibiotics, home health scheduling fiascos, an inability to drive, and the whole taking so many extra drugs orally that he is spaced out half the time. And I have to go for two more weeks decontaminating everyone and having my skin dry out and fall off from chlorhexidine and having my nose run from batraban and, well, we are just a LEEEEETLE inconvenienced by this.
Not to mention that I'm planning (still) to go to that family retreat with the kids over the fourth of July and this surgery will put us right about there. Not to mention that no one wants to have surgery or be in the hospital the first weeks of July because that is when all the new people and interns start. Not to mention that they said the pump would have to out for two months and now we've gone over six. But, that's okay. I'm sure sorry that you had to cancel your OR today. Hell, maybe now everyone can take an nice extra long lunch hour.
</rant>
Not much else is happening, here. I do owe some of you some emails and I do have some posts written in my head. So I'll try to get back into the swing of things. I have another little "project" that I'm working on for August, but best estimates are that it has about a 30% success rate. So if that pans out, I'll let you know. I should know in the next couple of weeks.
The only other update I have is on the ever-so-exciting Potty training front. I think I previously reported that Naim is all the way daytime potty trained. And with few exceptions that remains successful. And Aaron? Well I will say we have made definite progress. He is at the stage where if I leave him naked, he goes in the potty chair pretty much 100% of the time. Put any clothes on him and it all goes to crap. But, Naim was here once, too and we got through it. I figure if they do the naked pottying long enough, those muscle memory habits will kick in eventually and they will think about it when they are clothed. Right? Right? He IS making progress.
And the only other thing I have to say about that is that I've had so many discussions with those boys about penises that I could really go with never seeing another penis for as long as I live. (At least the three-year-old variety. Ah-hem.) Gems from today:
"Mama? Do you have a scrotum?"
"Mama, when I get bigger will my penis go away like yours did?"
"No, your penis will just get bigger, too."
"NOOOOO! I don't WANT a bigger penis! I want a LITTLE penis!"
When sitting in stroller riding down the street, whips out penis for no discernable reason.
"Naim, you need to put your penis away. That's private and we don't do that outside."
"Okay, I'll wait till we go in the store."
....PLEEEEEAAAAASE make it stop! When does it stop? At four? At four does it stop? Tell me they will be all potty trained and not penis obsessed by four. Please?!?
Good luck!
Posted by: Melanie | June 21, 2008 at 07:22 AM
I am of course sorry to hear about stuff not working out with D, keep fingers crossed and hope stuff works out next time, just such a pain in the,… you know where. As for the project in August, all the best of luck to you with it, sounds like it could maybe do you some good. Last, but of course not least, potty stuff, it will end, just stick to it and so will all of the penis discussions!!
Posted by: Sven | June 21, 2008 at 08:25 AM
Nope. Penis discussion go on until at least six.
Sorry about D. That sucks.
Posted by: vanessa | June 21, 2008 at 09:45 AM
My experience is that grown men talk about their penises. I'm not sure it ever goes away. :)
I'm really glad you are back blogging, and I'm completely infuriated about D's surgery. That sucks.
Posted by: cherylc | June 21, 2008 at 08:38 PM
Oh, Lisa. I had assumed that your absence from blogging was because of all of the preparations that you had described for D's surgery. I was so hoping that the pump was in! Dammit! What is WRONG with all those "medical professional" people?! Their lack of attentiveness to D's situation and that of his family is buying them a special circle of hell!
I am praying that they get their act together next time so that you and D and the boys can get back to an easier life!
Love, Laura
Posted by: Laura in L.A. | June 21, 2008 at 08:51 PM
I for one, am relieved that it was cleaning and not something exciting.
re: penis talk. Both of those will be great wedding toasts, though!
Posted by: shannon | June 22, 2008 at 05:40 PM
I suspect the penis talk will get worse over the years. Personally, I think it's fantastic how quote #2 actually subverts the phallocentric world view! Kinda like when my 2.5 yo daughter asked, at a gay male-themed art gallery in gay-male themed Chelsea/NY where phallic images abounded: "Mama, where is this man's vulva?"
Posted by: B | June 25, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Hilarious!
You should complain. Only by constant complaints do hsopitals adjust their policies to be patient-friendly. Trust me on this.
Posted by: That Girl | June 30, 2008 at 04:33 PM
FYI - I meant Naim's comment was hilarious and the other part was about the surgery. In case, you dont, like, live in my head.
Posted by: That Girl | June 30, 2008 at 04:34 PM
FYI - I meant Naim's comment was hilarious and the other part was about the surgery. In case, you dont, like, live in my head.
Posted by: That Girl | June 30, 2008 at 04:51 PM
I hope all is going well with D this time around. Thinking of you! A lot!
Posted by: shannon | July 11, 2008 at 05:19 PM