At the hospital, staff brought me in on a wheelchair and made sure I got on it at a spot by the main door that was ice free.
They gave me an oxygen tank at the hospital since the one I had was gushing oxygen through a defective part.
Unfortunately, all this started because there was a solid sheet of ice where I park at the hospital. I called the dialysis unit for a wheelchair ride.
=(^+^)=
To top the miserable, demoralizing morning off, the last oxygen tank with anything in it turned out to be a leaker – the 12 oxygen cannisters Lincare was supposed to deliver, weren’t!!! Weather will be given as a reason I suppose, but the potential crisis I face till next Friday’s delivery is 13 empty canistrrs and none full.
I AM MAD AS HELL!
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Glad you had a helper to deice. How awful of Lincare to leave you without. Is getting dialysis at home an option in your area?
Yes, but you have to have a permanent helper to stay with you for 12xhours each time. The dialysis unit is the safer and better choice. They are experienced, fully trained. The at home helper has to go through either 50 hours or days of training first, I forget which, and an emergency is at home, taking time for an ambulance to arrive and stabilize you. At the dialysis unit, you already are in the local hospital, being treated by RN’s and other medical professionals up to doctors who are called in on a Cofe BLue alarm system. When activated, those medical professionals swarm im in a minute or less, running to get to the patient in dialysis. I’ve witnessed this a few times since beginning dialysis. The RN’s take turns performing heavy compressions till the help takes over. It is heroic and reassuring to see this being done. I would not see that level of immediate care in a home emergency. Transplant? You spend the rest of your life on strong anti-rejection medications, may still have another kidney failure and have to have another surgery to replace the transplant – more than once! An artificial kidney? One’s been in development for so many years, we dialysis patients tend to think. “Yeah, sure…” every time we see it’s just about ready for trials or whatever. A pig kidney? I don’t know if that’s workable. Probably have the same lifespan as the short supply human kidneys. Yes, people on dialysis get asked annually if they want to try these alternatives to dialysis. Every year, I point out the reasons I always say no
I just went through the last for you and anyone else curious about my choice to stay on dialysis.
Doug
Freezing rain is not good! Your neighbor Bret and the dialysis staff are angels to help you. I hope they can get working oxygen refills to you ASAP, Doug!
I hope so, too. The vendor will.learn you don’t “f” with my temper.
Doug
Sorry you had such a bad time.
It was a miserable day.
Doug
On a positive note, your bump looks better! They should deliver the oxygen as soon as possible if they missed the last delivery!
It doesn’t look good for that. The vendor hasn’t experienced my worst temper…YET!
Doug
Ohhh dear Doug, so sorry you had to go thru all of this… it is not easy to deal with the way all played out, but you do always meet it with grace… and yes, you certainly can be mad and annoyed at this situation… Those of us here with you who are older, know the indignities of the difficulties you mention. Hoping you can receive the oxygen easily… Andy takes it all in stride too!!
It isn’t joke to mess with a customer’s oxygen needs. Yes, NEEDS! They are VERY stupid to do this without trying to straighten out the mess in the oxygen needer’s favor…and fast.
Doug
Geez sounds like a hard day….glad you are ok…..chuq
It was one dealing with stupidity. I AM NOT GOOD DEALIING WITH STUPIDITY!
Doug
You are always so patient. Do be mad when you need to be
I can guarantee I haveateputation for a temper that rarely surface, but WATCH OUT WHEN IT DOES!!
Doug
Hope you can get Oxygen elsewhere to get by for the week. That’s really important.
No, the alternative source was queried and said they couldn’t.
Doug
Really sorry to hear of all these difficulties, Doug. And ice is always a terrible problem, far worse than snow, I think. Just sending hopes for all to get better. Nice sleepy Andy pics.
Yes, ice always is worse for me than snow.
Doug
Sorry it was all so frustrating.
Worse than that, Peggy. I find the vendor’s failure disturbing for the lack of concern it causes the customer, faced with a week of inadequate oxygen. There must be an agency of govern.ent that I can file a formal complaint with.i shall look!
Doug