David Update

Sorry! I am interrupting this joke fest to update you on my nephew, David.

As you recall, David stepped off the third story balcony so he could go for a walk and broke both ankles and his right leg below the knee.   He also compressed some disk and broke his back.   After stabilizing him in Fort Walton Beach, he was flown to Atlanta to be near family – me and my brother Stephen. 

They took him down for surgery that day.  Stephen and I set in the waiting room for three hours before finding out that they didn’t operate.  But no one knew why he was brought back to the floor.  But Stephen, who has Parkinson’s, was getting weak, so I drove him home. 

The next day I and my brother and son-in-law drove down to Destine to retrieve David’s car and stuff from the condo.  David was not operated on as they said he would be.

They moved him to a semi-private room.  They plan to operate the next day.  Didn’t happen!  But I was picking up stuff for preparation of moving into another house in a few months so I called.  They would not tell me anything over the phone, even though they know me and stuff.  But it’s the rules.  I guess it’s because I am a Naturalized Citizen and not entitle to common courtesy.  Maybe if I spoke Spanish…

So Monday, Stephen and I walk into the room to find David with his arms strapped to the bed and him out of his head.  It seems that the nurse walked in on him sitting on the side of the bed with his back brace off, pulling the needles out of his arm and about to try walking off. 

I talked to him (you have to shout because he only has 20% hearing in his right ear, deaf in the left one. ) He calmed down some, but was still saying stuff.  Actually it was funny talking and listening to him ramble.  But they still didn’t have him on the operating list.  Maybe Tuesday!  We ask to talk to the Dr. or someone.  He is not available but will call me.

Didn’t call!

So I pick up Stephen and I tell him I am gonna find out something or security will be called.  He knows my charm and persuasive ability when I decide I want something.  He begged me to be nice.  And I was.  I got the nurse in the room and gently explained my frustration and desire to talk to the doctor or hospital administrator or someone NOW.  I then loosened my grip on her throat and let her slide back to the floor so she could go get someone.

About fifteen minutes later a doctor came in to talk to us.  He seemed to be put out because he actually had to come to a hospital room and talk to someone.  I just smiled at him in a way that let him know I didn’t give a harry rats ass what he thought or felt. I just wanted answers.  I got them.

They haven’t operated on David because of the excessive swelling in the legs and ankles.  Why someone couldn’t tell us that to start with I don’t know.  But they will have to wait on the swelling to do down before they can put in pins and rods.  Two weeks.  Then four to six weeks of bed rest with no load bearing weight on his feet.  Then he will have to go through a month or so of therapy to learn to walk again.

He is talking out of his head because he is having the DT’s.  Funny stuff!

Finally, two therapist come in to get him to sit up in bed and slide his butt into a wheel chair.  They cannot get him up as he is in such pain and actually yelling (he has a very high tolerance for pain so he had to be in agony.)  They let him rest, but I had to wonder. Two strong nurses couldn’t get him up with a back brace on, yet he took the damn thing off and set up on his own.  I assumed that he rolled on his side and pushed himself up with his arms.  He is very strong and I can see him doing that.

Anyway, he will be having the DT’s for the next couple of days, and then Stephen and I will become guardians by having him sign some papers.

I won’t bother you with anymore updates; I just thought this was a strange few days.

You can now return to your normal activates.

Coffeypot Out!