!#$!$# - I could just scream!
I'm so incredibly peeved right now that it's putting the final lid on my exhaustion for today.
Like I said earlier, Doug was moved to the Intermediate Care Unit and the past two days feels more like two weeks.
Yesterday - Winston and I had to stand sentinel over Doug's injured leg because of the "last rites" taking place in the bed next to him. At LEAST 30 - 40 family members trooped back and forth for hours with screaming children and women with large purses all shuffling through and bumping into Doug's bed so Winston and I stood over the leg and let them bump into us for over 2 hours. Then the wailing started and subsequent "viewing". I really sympathize that these people have lost a loved one but this was way over the top and infringed on Doug's welfare. When I complained, the nurse only replied that "it's almost over, we're just trying to accomodate everyone" to which I replied that noone was accomodating my husband. Plus - they had moved Doug into that room within 1/2 an hour of all that mayhem - WHY didn't they wait? They knew the patient didn't have long.
Then we arrive today to find Doug halfway slid out of bed with his injured leg - that has needed 2 subsequent surgeries to repair! - danglling beside the bed almost touching the dirty floor. So we stood "watch" through the rest of the day to protect him from unresponding nurses - beeping machines that went unanswered until we found someone, and even witnessed Doug's ventilator hose become detached to which we again had to find a nurse to get the hose "fixed".
We also had to endure the new patient's family (who was wheeled in within minutes of the corpse's exit - I don't mean to sound callous, it was a really horrible experience). They have 4 family members (where only 2 are supposed to be allowed) that run a marathon back and forth all day past Doug to get to the washroom sink - which is also open to Doug's bed. They even did that - when asked not to - during Doug's wound care on that leg of his where everything needs to be sterile and the nurse is using sharp objects, etc.
Meanwhile, Doug has been in abject misery all day. The doctors (I assume) tried an aggressive move and not only took out his lung drain but also removed the ventilator. It didn't work. The ventilator is back on and they had to re-install the lung drain.
So upon a friend's excellent advice, I will doggedly request to speak to his doctor tomorrow (whom I haven't seen for 2 days either). I will let the doctor know what has happened and my concern that Doug is not receiving the care necessary to keep him from being readmitted back into the Trauma Unit. I will also ask about bed placement so that Doug does not have to endure hordes of people parading past him (who ALL stare at him like he's a side show display at the circus).
I shouldn't have to be afraid to leave him in their "care". And I can't stay with him 24x7 - although it's pretty !#$% close as it is.