Well, home from North Hills hospital, that is. What an experience. We were never told Stan actually had a heart attack until his nurse was reading the discharge orders. He only had shortness of breath when he went in. The admission was for sepsis.
We had a few glitches with the IV antibiotic delivery and instructions. The delivery was 3 hours late and we had to get the rep to come do the instructions. The lady from home health lives one street over and is coming today to change the dressing around the pic line.
I went over the discharge summary meds and found a glitch or two there also. I got all the meds he is supposed to take and lined them up on the dining room table by morning and evening. I referred to the bottles and the list and made a checklist of when he is supposed to take each one. I also made a checklist of when he is supposed to do the IV antibiotics. I'm going to get pill cases for him today when I do grocery shopping so I can have one side of the table back. On the other side, I have his IV supplies lined up so I can put them on his TV table in the order of use.
I'm pretty sure I've got this!
We went to bed at 10:00 p.m. last night. That is a little late for me but I spent two hours working on the first week's meal plan. He went to bed then too and that is early for him. He woke up at 3:00 a.m. and got up. I got up at 4:30 to get his IV stuff out and in front of him. That's the longest either of us has slept since the February 27th. I've been staying with him all the time except for an hour or two to come home, take a bath, wash my hair, and change clothes.
Walter's sister is in a nursing home and he has been trying to visit her and Stan every day. I talked him into not coming to the hospital on a couple of the days he visited his sister. He came by our home when Stan was discharged just to be sure I didn't need any help. I filled up a large shopping bag with all the stuff in the freezer that Stan really shouldn't have until he is showing substantial progress with the heart stuff. The heart stuff was scary, but he won't be having bypass surgery. He will have one stint in his left leg. He had a blocked artery in the calf and that may have contributed to the infections despite the really good circulation he appears to have in his feet. He will still need to have minor surgery on his left foot to remove a small bone. That will be done in the podiatrist's office.
Stan has promised to be a good patient. I really hope so. He needs to be off the foot until the doctor tells him it's OK to put weight on the ball of his foot. So far, he's done really well with that. This is a new chapter in his health quest. Time will tell!
