GoGo Has Been Caregiving

Good morning to all of you wonderful people! It has been a while since I last posted. For the last 2 weeks, I have been caregiving for a dear friend who has been fighting complications from surgery. If any of you have had the experience of hospital duty, you will understand that it is one of the most difficult, stressful things in life. Having been in a caregiving role for most of my life, you would think I would be a pro, but that is not the situation.

Spending nights on a built-in sofa with all of the hospital noises and interruptions is not the vacation we envision. I have become quite efficient at driving I85 to I285 to Peachtree-Dunwoody Rd to Northside Hospital. But this really isn't about me, I am not the one in that hospital bed.

Throughout the years, I have seen a lot of changes in the medical care. Now the nurses roll in computers to check on patients, look at the IV poles, type in their notes and then roll away to see another patient. Where is the CARE? Do they actually LOOK at the person in that bed. They are too busy making sure that the information in the computer is exactly right to be able to give true nursing care and comfort.

For several days, no one had even looked at my friend's incision and now she has an infection in that incision. There is absolutely no reason for this but now she must endure the pain and more days in the hospital.

I just talked to my friend and now things are really popping, the doctors and nurses have been being more attentive. I guess when you get into trouble, things begin to start being taken care of in the manner they should be.

It is so frightening when you or someone you know is in the hospital. There are so many issues that need to have attention. Everyone needs to be on alert and, as the old saying goes, "the squeaky wheel gets the attention."

I know a lot of nurses who are just as frustrated and want to have more time to give TLC to their patients but just are being pushed and pulled in so many other directions.

In a country such as ours, there must be some way, somehow to be able to care for those in need of medical care.

So much for my frustrated ramblings, but I know that many of you are in this same boat. We all need a strong rudder, a sturdy pair of oars, a burst of wind to our backs, and most of all, the Good Lord with us.

Until next time...