Sometimes its just all jumbled up

I haven’t written for a number of days, many things rolling or rattling some might say, around in this brain of mine. Which seems ironic in itself considering I have Dementia, I may have had to check numerous times today on what day of the week it is, at this moment I’m still not sure. But it doesn’t matter, I may mix up dates, days and time, but it doens’t mean I’m not capable of some very deep thoughts on many things, and I actually view things from a different prospective than most. My thoughts will not and often do not align with many others but they are mine and I stand by them.

This last few weeks have once again found me struggling with health issues, I have actually never rebounded to where I was last fall or even this spring, and I am finding myself and my ability to fight anything that hits me more and more difficult.

In conversation today, my doctor said that even this ( I have an infection or celllutitis), in my arm, it is bad), I have been spending 3 to 4 hours a day at the hospital getting my IV therapy, I can now how have treatment orally and at home, unless it becomes worse again. I’m so exhausted, some days I am sleeping 14 hours. I get up to attend to my dog, tackle one small thing each day, and believe me those small things feel like presty major accomplishments at this point. My Doctor says it will be weeks still before I’m clear of this, Ugh, truly, I have things I want to do.

But as the doctor very gently told me today, when something hits my body, it sends my whole system crashing and struggling, when others would have their bodies kick into high gear to help fight whatever is happening my simply cannot. We also had to think about the fact that I have done extremely well until this last year, but the reality is I am in year six of a three to 8-year span. The next thing is he has decided at that I need a flu shot this year, first time in five years he has felt that way, he wants to administer it himself so will do that on Saturday. I know my system is weakened, I will be going to a nationalist now, to help balance a kidney /brain program, my kidneys are no longer working that well, the foods I need for my brain are not great for my kidneys, they will help navigate a balance. Whoever thought avocados could do harm.

It is absolutely exhausting trying to keep moving forward, some days, it seems like a futile task, especially when I am already not feeling well. But I try to focus on the things that bring value and meaning to my life, I still show up, every day I show up putting whatever value I can into my life, into meetings and organizations to hopefully try to help make changes happen. And the real silver lining is those friends who allow me to stumble along but also have the wisdom to just show up and be there, with a hug, a dinner, whatever they think I may need. I am eternally grateful for those very respectful gestures, kindness matters.

Next thing rattling around is something I really paid attention to while in the hospital every day recently, and I apologize to my female nursing friends, because I know some of you may be offended and I mean no disrespect and I have alot of respect of some of the nurses. But one thing was so glaringly obvious to me that I then had to spend much time thinking about and pondering the why’s of this. Why are female nurses acting and behaving like they no longer have the capacity to be kind and caring and compassionate. Why are they sitting at the desk, ( at one point we sat for two hours without so much as being given even a look of compassion, listening to nurses sitting at the desk discussing how awful thier schedules are, how horrible of a health Authority they work for, how they don’t get another weekend off for 6 weeks, and on and on it went, they were feeding on each other, and there we sat, sick, stressed, some filled with anxiety and thats what we got.

Now I am the first one to say there needs to be a better life balance for people working in health care, they need more time off, and the list goes on, but sitting at the desk, making each other feel worse, does nothing for each other nor does it help the patients who are already stressed, it leaves them to sit and wonder if they dare ask for help, or if they’re that unhappy how are they going to be able to look after me. It adds stress to already stressed people. So nowhere in all that time did one of them leave the desk to see if anyone needed a blanket, needed water, just needed to be told, we haven’t forgotten you, we will get to you as soon as we can, instead, they sat on their stoops, bitching and complaining. While we sat like slabs of meat waiting to go to slaughter. Oh did I say I finally, in excruciating pain, arm on fire with infection, in tears, finally made my way ( only a few feet) to where the nurses were sitting, and said I couldn’t sit without getting something for my arm, so I had to leave to find ice or something, barely looking up one said, well I could have given you some, I responded but you didn’t, she shrugged her shoulders as I left, totally uncaring about the situation any of us where in because she was to busy feeling bad about her unfortunate choice of careers? I left coming back hours later when there had been a shift change, and I had gotten ice on my on firearm and spent another 5 hours waiting to be tended to, this time the difference was a lovely lady, whom I have the pleasure of being able to call a friend was working and so I was given icepacks so that I could withstand the pain until a doctor came. Now if the hospital was busy and overrun its one thing, but they actually closed part of the ER down, because it was so quiet and they didn’t need it in use for the day, not as many people are going to the hospital since Covid, and trust me, I wouldn’t if it wasn’t necessary.

The next few days were not much better, but I endured and tried to be as nice as possible, sometimes hard for me, as these days I usually say what’s on my mind, but then the next couple of days I had male nurses, who were not sitting behind the desk complaining they were talking to us, the patients, they were busy stocking up supplies and generally working and checking on their patients. In fact, because I have very tiny and twisted veins, difficult to get a needle into, the difference was shocking on how that was handled, the male nurse when he first came in says I saw in your chart you have veins that like to misbehave, I chuckle say yes sorry about that, he says never be sorry, it’s my job to look after you, we discuss the issues they usually have finding my veins, all the while hoping that the line that’s in will hold. Go back a few days, when I tried to explain they needed to warm my arm, use the light to find a vein, I got told “I know how to get a line in” this was a nurse and her ego, because I was never questioning her skill, only trying to ensure it easier for her and definitely easier for me, after three murderous attempts to get a line in she threw her arms in the air and said I’m done and walked away. Wonder how much she thought that helped me. the next nurse used the tools I have been told to mention to them, by many nurses before them, she got the line in, it did however have to go in the infected arm because they could find no veins on the other, where the tree murderous attempts were made. Know all this is happening while I am in extreme pain, sitting in a waiting area, because they have not even bothered to put me into one of the many empty rooms that are for ER patients. Yes, these types of things can make a difference in how someone responds and manages through an illness. Anyways back on track, my vein blew, the male nurse had me laying down with a warm blanket, he pulled up a chair, said we will just chat for a bit till I convince one of those veins to play nice, and that’s just what we did, we chatted while he rolled veins around until one decided to play nice, the needle went in with no issues, and he said see sometimes you just have to have patience, Wow, Wow, so why did he have time, why did he have compassion, why was he able to make all the patients feel like they mattered, another 3 hours and another change in veins, I was on my way. Feeling like I had actually been cared for, I told him I’d like to clone him. Know this is not the first hospital stint for me and not my first overview of this, I’ve witnessed and experienced it before on many occasions, my question is what is the difference?

Is it how they view their jobs, they are there to do a job, so they do the job, not once was their conversation about job quality or lack of, or rotations or days off, there was the odd question of did youget to enjoy Turkey dinner, but that was while busy doing other stuff. They were at the desk long enough to chart something, get something, and otherwise they were actively engaged in patient care.

I know there is many amazing female nurses out their, and my heart goes out to all who work in health care, but there is a difference and perhaps we as females have something to learn from our male counterparts, and perhaps its as simple as ensuring there is a balance of male/female ratio in the work places, because maybe then we will bring out the best in all.

I’m grateful I got looked after, I am hopeful that I won’t need to go back on IV therapy.

I’m hopefull that maybe once this pandemic comes to a close, we will have learnt and solved so many of the issues in health care systems, but until then we all need to ask if we are part of the problem or the solution. We all have a roll to play.

Finally the last bit of rambling tonight, Sometimes I wonder especially when I’m so sick I can barely be up for five hours, why I push so hard, why be up at four in the morning to sit as a panelist on a global webinar, why get up to attend a meeting, then fall back into bed with exhaustion so you can make it to the next. Why not just give up on it all.

Because it is in those moments when you aren’t sure if you’ll be able to give the talk, if you’ll be able to sit at the meeting, its in those moments you remember why you are there. You remember that it matters that you show up, you remember that for all the Brians, and Jakes and many others out there it matters, for all those I have met through this journey it matters, for the friendships with people across this country and around the globe who have become my family and friends my fellow warriors it matters, for all those who have lost their voice it matters and if I lose mine trying to get change done then I will have won in the war on dementia.