4-14-2022 We are preparing to bring Linda home for hospice care

 (Tricia)

Linda’s oxygen levels had been remaining fairly stable, but they crashed again today—the fluid around her lungs returned. She is now on a BiPap machine to help her breathe. Tomorrow, I’m hoping they can insert a drain to keep the fluid from coming back. We also have had them stop all antibiotics.  

We are having the draining procedure done so that we can get her comfortable enough to get her to Ed’s and my house. We will start working with hospice tomorrow to get everything in place—hospital bed, lift, recliner, etc. Once the fluid is drained and she is off the BiPap and stepped down to a regular oxygen mask, we’ll bring her home with us.

We have tried everything to avoid the need for hospice, but we just couldn’t get there. Poor Linda has just been through so much, with rehab and surgeries, I just want her to be at our home and comfortable for as long as possible. My fear is that we should have done this sooner, but we kept thinking that access to daily therapy and 24/7 nursing care was more important if she were going to improve. Now I’m not sure at all that that was the right decision.

I appreciate how difficult it is to be a healthcare provider in the U.S. healthcare system. We have had many wonderful and caring people take care of Linda. That said, I am furious at the system that is driven more by insurance company demands than by patient needs. We had to fight so hard at every stage, and almost every time, we had to settle for less than what Linda really needed. This has been the most disheartening and enraging time of my life.

But now, we have to prepare ourselves for whatever comes next. Once again, we thank everyone for all of your prayers for Linda. We have appreciated every one of them.

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