Patient's skills

This is one of those weeks where family members are the ones requiring medical care and I am the one providing the care. Well, I do a lot of driving. I do not provide medical care. I provide access to medical care. I have found I know lots about the hospital and dealing with hospitaization.

• I know the best way to get to the hospital to avoid any traffic. Other family members may disagree but I never sit and wait.
• I know how to work the TV/computer in the patient rooms without help. I even know how to deal with the separate key board.
• I know when and where to find the nurse to get the real story.
• I know to prompt the patient to ask for meds or to speak up about issues.
• I know where to park for ER visits and where to find wheel chairs.

One family member referred to me as the frequent flyer of hospitalizations. (I may disagree on the actual number but I have been there far too much.)

Its been a long and stressful week or so. I am not the sick one for once but I am the very tired one. I have been getting home from the hospital way too late at night. Last night I arrived home to find in the mail:

• A hospital bill
• A hospital appointment list
• An explanation of benefits from the insurance company

I was too tired to care.

Today I will go to work for the morning and have my leftover Chinese food for lunch. Then I may stop by the hospital again but what I really want to do is to come home and take a nap.

I have decided you have to be healthy and rested to be a caregiver.