Mom & Me Three Archive

...the doctor responded and we've been dismissed, once again, from a doctor's care. Not to worry. Within two hours we were back with our former PCP who originally treated us through the same clinic from which we were bounced. I've published both my addressing of the problem, the physician's response and my thoughts about the entire episode in the following two essays:
Medicine in the Hot Seat
Physician in the Hot Seat
    You can also access them through the links to the right. They are the two latest essays added to my essay site.
    I know it's hard to tell, when I don't write in here for awhile, whether that means our days have been going well or badly. They've been going well. Here are a few updates, in the order in which I think of them:

• Not too long ago I called MCS and said, "I thought we might have another summer or two when Mom heated up nicely and was more active than in winter, but I guess the summer of 2004 was the last." Despite what I do or say, Mom has hit a plateau of inactivity that, I guess, is going to remain summer and winter.
• We have an appointment for the initial reunion with our former PCP next Thursday, July 21st, at 1400. I'm looking forward to it. My mother, of course, who is never interested in going to the doctor, is looking forward to the trip but not the appointment.
• No more UTI's since the last, which occurred immediately after our last doctor's appointment. Thank the gods.
• We're now using the window a/c in the living room regularly in the afternoon. I also purchased a room evaporative cooler for the back of the house. I intended it for Mom's room but the older she gets the more she wants heat. We tried it in her room the day I bought it during her nap. She complained about the cold. I swear, her room is a hot box, but that's the way she seems to like it. When she's up, though, in the living room, she prefers our home somewhat protected from the heat. The house probably remains, during the day, around 85°F. Comfortable for both of us. I keep a good breeze going through with several fans even when the windows are closed when the a/c is on during the day. The evaporative cooler seems to help her breathing during the day, as well.
• As of yesterday I've been negotiating a slight CHF incident. Although her fluid retention isn't extraordinary, when she awoke this morning, again, second day in a row, with slightly pudgy feet I gave her 20 mg furosemide at breakfast. Lately I've instituted a policy of no naps if I can't get her up (I can always awaken her...I just can't always get her up and moving, anymore) after twelve hours of sleep. Today, though, the furosemide went to work and the watershed seemed to tire her. I wasn't planning on allowing her a nap today but I gave in when I realized that I wasn't going to be able to seduce her into her normal wakeful alertness. I told her, though, two hours only, that's it. I expect that by tomorrow she'll be fine, although not necessarily willing to spend more time awake.
• I'm doing well, thank you. I wasn't even phased by the second doctor's dismissal. I did, by the way, for those of you who are interested, check once again with the Veteran's Hospital to see if the policy on a freeze on accepting new veteran patients has changed. It has not. It is still based on whether the veteran was seen at a veteran's facility since 1997 and income. My mother makes more than the cut-off. This time, though, the eligibilityy person advised me to contact our congressman and express her displeasure over the current policy. She also gave me the number for our congressman's liaison. I will be contacting him, although I doubt that anything will be done soon. She also mentioned that there is a bill being considered by Congress that would allow any veteran eligibility if that veteran paid a one time fee for future service. She had no information about how the fee would be determined. I will be looking into this legislation. If I remember I will report back here. In the meantime, if we have an emergency, my inclination is to transport her, myself, down to whatever hospital our PCP is practicing through, regardless of the emergency. I'm not happy about the possibility of having her inadequately treated at the emergency room here again. I have another idea, as well, but, before I activate that idea I need to do a little more thinking about it.

    I'm looking forward to the coming monsoon. So is my mother, surprisingly. This is the first time I think I've ever heard her say, "I wish it would rain." I don't think it's the relief from the heat to which she's looking forward; I think it's the regreening of our property. Despite all the rain we got last year, Prescott citizens are now on voluntary water restriction. Just last week the city began considering making the restrictions mandatory. It's beginning to look a little brown around the edges, here.
    Well, she just arose, taking a shorter nap than I'd expected. Her body is continuing to hold onto fluid, although it's releasing some. I just gave her the other 20 mg (a half tablet) of furosemide with her lunch.
    Time to be with my mother again in more than spirit. I hope to update her stats later this evening.
    Later.