I mean, everyone is as nice as they can be but it's so frustrating...there are so many hoops to go through and no one can tell you anything because of "privacy" issues. I finally told the Medicaid woman that I didn't know why I was even fighting this battle...the hospital can just figure out how to get paid. In truth, I was thinking we might need to transport Debbie by ambulance at some point, and Medicaid needs to be in place for that to happen.
I left to head over to the hospice around 10 a.m. DeAnn and Tina spent the night last night and the plan was DeAnn would stay there until Dustin (Deb's older son) showed up to stay the night and that Tina and I would head to the lake to have a visit with Tony ("stepfather") and to do a couple of errands down there.
When I was about 20 minutes away I got a call from Tina asking me when I thought I'd be there. She whispered, "I didn't tell you this, but Debbie has a surprise for you." I usually come in the front door because I like to stop by the chapel and I like to say hi to all the nurses on duty, but this time I ran into my niece and Ray's parents in the parking lot so we went the "back way"....through the garden so we could enter by the french doors off the patio. Also, I had some clothes for Deb's next door neighbor B.J., and I wanted to see if his door was open.
When I went inside the room, DeAnn and Debbie were sitting on the side of her bed, Deb had her head on DeAnn's shoulder and looked sleepy. Then all of a sudden, she jumped up and said, "want to see me do a little jig?" and she started dancing around. She said she wanted to impress me. Boy, did she ever. Our sister was back....right there in the room. Was she weaker, and tired, and had her hair fallen out? Yes, yes and yes, but she was the funny, bright Debbie I love. I was so happy I could barely contain myself.
We can only attribute it to the change in her medication. The Dilaudid was really knocking her out to the point she was basically non-functioning so they cut back on that dramatically, shifting it from her "main" pain medication to her secondary "break through" pain medication, while starting her on a form of morphine. Now my ex-sister-in-law is on small amounts of morphine for her chronic pain and she tells me it keeps her from sleeping, which may explain why Debbie never slept today...that little energizer bunny was going from 5:30 am and according to DeAnn's text message to me is still awake now (11:30 pm).
She tried to rest and would catnap for 10-15 minutes then those blue eyes would pop open and we would sit and talk about anything and everything. Ray slept practically the whole day (what was THAT about????) so Debbie and I got to just laugh and talk. Hope this doesn't fall into the "too much information" category but today I helped Deb to the rest room (mainly just to steady her...she has it under control but we don't want her to fall) plus there is the oxygen cord and the pain pump that she has to take with her to contend with. On the way to the rest room, I (for about the 10 millionth time) knocked her oxygen line and made it come apart at the connection. Of course I apologized profusely as I was trying to put it back together. Debbie starts coughing and gasping for breath and I yell, "are you okay?" and that little stinker bursts out laughing. "Got ya!"
We were sitting in the dark later while Ray was snoring away, and she started to (lovingly) make fun of Ray: "oh my angel, oh my baby" which is what he says to her all the time. And remember those 11 pills I said she had to painstakingly take the other morning? Tina said she popped a handful in her mouth this morning and washed them down with a slug of apple juice. Look up dumfounded in the dictionary and you'll see my picture! DeAnn (the joykill...kidding sweetheart) gently reminded us that Deb often has a "good day" when her meds are changed.
DeAnn is basically waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Well, I know that shoe is coming for for today, she had me at "want to see me do a jig." It gives me hope that if she can have a few more days in a row like this, we may actually get her out of there and to my sisters. In some ways I think it could work better and not be as tiring on DeAnn as she wouldn't have those long drives back and forth to the hospice.
I won't be back until Friday when I'm planning to spend the night (my first overnighter there) but I'll have to leave fairly early on Saturday morning to get ready for the memorial service. I'm sure I'll be getting loads of text messages tomorrow and I hope they'll tell me Deb had another good day. Fingers, toes and eyes are crossed.
Next post: A sister sleepover
Next post: A sister sleepover
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