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Day 3. The neurologist dropped by and, while standing six feet away, reminded me again he did not have a stethoscope; and that together we have enriched the insurance company by $100,000, then announced confidently that I appear to be healthy and proceeded with a best guess in his best bedside manner, a diagnosis, TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack). “We don’t know what caused it, it just happens. Here is a list of possibilities.”
But, sorry the story continues, they could not discharge me until completing the echo with bubbles. When the nurse checked on the echo, it apparently was no longer on the schedule! Frustrated, other F words described my current mood! I did not want to stay a fourth day in the petri dish. It is now Saturday, after lunch and I wonder what staffing looked like and will they have a tech on staff to complete the testing, will the doctor be around to read the results, will there be enough staff to complete the discharge reports/papers?
Time out.
Let’s take a bird walk or, as some might say, SQUIRREL. Norma, my champion, and I have chatted frequently and concluded that I may no longer be COVID-19 free. Some would suggest that we, I, might be paranoid, whatever. As noted several paragraphs ago, we are, by some, considered elderly and have health issues. Mine being heart related and hers respiratory. Therefore, agreed we would quarantine within our shelter-in-place space. Fourteen days. At home.
While I waited for my final screening and pending discharge papers, she set up the house for my return. She thought of everything and pulled the whole thing together quickly on her own. We would “live” at opposite ends of the house, sleep separately (me on the couch), eat separately, exist separately, entertain ourselves separately, etc. She set me up in my area with my portable CPAP machine, snacks, beverages, work space, and TV remote. We will shelter-in-place starting on June 13th for 14 days. Whenever we were in the same space, she would remain six feet away (social distancing) and I would wear a mask. Occasionally, we would text to check in to determine which one of us had the napping puppy.
Norma has carried me through triple bypass surgery, two knee replacement surgeries, hip replacement, rehab (PT) and now a pandemic. That is why she is my star, and I can never say thanks often enough!
Back to day 3. Did you know it takes two to administer an echo-cardiogram bubble test? The echo tech and a nurse using the IV to make bubbles. Honestly, after doing and then redoing the test, I cannot be certain they actually completed it correctly. The tech monitored the screen while moving the wand; the nurse placed saline in the IV and vigorously (in theory) pumps a plunger, creating bubbles that then flow through the heart. A minor problem, the nurse had arthritis and could not pump hard enough (without yanking the IV line about) to create enough bubbles, or any bubbles. They attempted the process several times! All this while, the tech was becoming increasingly agitated! Finally, the tech pumped the plunger, manipulated the wand, and read the screen. I am not sure if the tech actually saw any bubbles or did she just give up?
"I see them," the tech finally declared.
"Ah. sure," I mumbled.
By-the-way, the nurse was the same nurse who gave me four puncture wounds with corresponding Band-Aids back on day 1.
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