Free Rectal Exam!

Don’t you just love irony? It’s a favorite hobby of mine.

So earlier tonight, I sat down to write about what a productive week I had. I met with a VA benefits lawyer for my dad , made contact with a workers comp lawyer for myself, got paperwork in for Dex’s health insurance, made major progress in prepping for the estate sale at my folk’s house, got my flat tire repaired and finally got my bed moved from my old place to my folks house (which I now call home).

I couldn’t focus enough earlier to write so I put it off. I decided to rest a bit after moving stuff all day (and yes I was careful and lifted with my legs), so I could start to assemble my room this evening. I have been living in the Biscuit’s lower bunk, submarine style, so I have been looking forward to sleeping in my own bed… mmm. Hold that thought.

When my phone rang tonight, I had a feeling it was bad news. It was my dad’s Board & Care facility alerting me that they sent him to the ER again, the 4th time in 4 weeks. Combined with my mom’s multiple visits, I think I’ve been here 6 or 7 times in about 5 weeks.

The doctors and nurses are starting to recognize me when I come in now. I have a frequent flyer card at Kaiser. I think tonight’s visit has just earned that free rectal exam!

The hard part is the lack of a diagnosis. Since my dad has severe dementia, he can’t really tell us how he feels. We have to rely on symptoms like fever, intestinal issues and lethargy to tell us what to look for. His CT scans are pushing us towards a biopsy once the fever is under control.

He’s been poked, prodded and scanned so much lately, he looks like a pin cushion. Thankfully, the dementia and short-term memory loss causes him to forget any painful procedures.

Signing off from The Kaiser ER….