Heavy hearts

Where are the hidden cameras that busted ACORN when you need them?? Surely if I am starting to believe there is no way things we've seen can really happen, others must be wondering themselves how this goes on--especially in America.

We now have Preston back so we were a bit late this morning for visitation. Of course the flu scare is everywhere, so we were quickly informed that he cannot be on the unit and were advised to take him back to the dayroom, slash food area, slash TV section. Robyn chose to check on Justin and I would watch Pretzel.

Soon after, she came in to advise that Justin wanted me because he had been asking for 45 minutes to get up (this was at 11:15) and no one had come. Because I spent so much time at Shepherd and here being trained, I felt it would be no problem getting him dressed and up in his chair.

First problem--I found traces of bowel on his absorben pad (he had no britches on), so I wiped him only to get more traces on the peri-cloth. After a second wipe, his pad for his skin sore came off with lots more bowel stuff on it. After I turned him even more, I found two more red areas on his buttock cheeks which caused alarm---made me angry but I suppressed my emotions. I requested the nurse's desk locate his nurse and come inspect the problems.

I was advised that the bowel care team cannot tell if there is anything getting under the pad area and they do not change it out nightly and Justin was then advised he may want to ask the tech each night to check the area for cleanliness---if soiled, then a nurse would need to be called in to change the padding. They can't make up their minds if they want Justin's input or if they want to argue when he inputs. I also stood by and watched a nurse (or tech, not sure what her role is) put a condom cath on a patient that was laying on his side with his knees crossed and pulling pubic hair out as she was trying to get it in place.

Mama Hen---I didn't argue, I didn't input, I didn't give attitude AND I FEEL ASHAMED for standing there watching them act in a manner they thought was appropriate and would do the job right. I did, however, ask if they intended to put pads on his bottom area seeing as it was red, even though it "blanched" and she said she would since Justin insisted he wanted up and I stated I would feel better knowing it was there. They had to use tape to get the pads to stay (of course, his bottom has gotten extremely hairy).

His binder still wreaked of urine, thank God I had brought an extra one and his sling for the houer (spelling) that lifts him out of bed is yellow with urine stains. I searched everywhere in that 4-man room until I found another one that didn't smell and took both back tonight for washing. He did appear to have what they are calling a heat rash. Hadn't seen this before and of course had to answer things like change in food intake or laundry detergent--No and No but it started to ease off as the air got to it and the shirt was lifted. Justin claims it's from his hands/arms laying the way they were. Don't know!!

He was then able to visit with us and seemed to try hard to find enthusiasm and playfulness with Preston, yet continues to be "blah".

We left around 3 so Robyn could head home and Preston could get some cartoons and rest. I returned around 5 for supper time. His appetite was good but conversation quiet. He is still not urinating on his own (or so I thought). I feel bad with that one too. When they came in to bladder scan him, scan said he had almost 600 cc but his cath had come off completely and he was soiled. Which basically told me he had urinated on his own, maybe not as well as he needed to but he had. What bothers me is that they've known for 2 days that he's not emptying into his leg bag but we had to be the ones to ask them if they felt he needed another IC since he had not had one since that morning---12 hours later; and holding 600 cc can cause UTinfections!!!

I left him with this statement he told to me-----if no one can help me tomorrow, come Wednesday--if this IV comes out, tell daddy to take me home; I can't stay here anymore!!

I know Justin went to a bar on July 2nd. He wasn't the only one there; he socialized and played pool and made the unfortunate mistake of getting in a car to go home. I also know that he was stopped at a military gate and that is when life changed. He was allowed onto post and 2 miles later our journey began!!! I JUST WANT HELP GETTING HIM OUT OF THIS PLACE!!!!!

I have tried dealing with this and thought I was handling it well until we got here!!! No person here deserves to have to put up with the care that goes on here. Justin has told us stories of one night a nurse came in the room when Mr. Bishop called (a nice elderly man) and this nurse confronted him with questions about how she heard he had been talking to others of how he didn't like her, the response Mr. Bishop got was "I was coming to bring your pain medicine but I think I'll have to wait on that". This same Mr. Bishop also wanted an extra pillow and was told they didn't have anymore, so Justin who couldn't sleep because of this going on in the same room, called out and told the nurses to give him one of his pillows. Two nights ago, a new room-mate, Mr. White--also older---felt so bad about Justin not getting a response from the nurse call he was making, Mr. White called for him and advised that he needed a nurse NOW!!

VA medical reports say they turn him every 2 hours, they say Justin is resistant to their treatment and psychiatrist says it's Justin's fault. How do you fight this???

Thank you all for the support, help and direction. We will continue to update you all!!

With heavy hearts and many prayers......................hoping to see Atlanta before he completely gives up hope!!!