21 June 2021
We were expecting Ben the RN to do the dressing change this morning but when we didn't hear from him, I texted him just after nine to ask what the schedule would be this week without Salwa.
When we didn't hear from him by 10, Joyce called the office. They didn't know the schedule either. Naturally.
So I went ahead with the dressing change. We should be changing it every 12 hours and there's no point in waiting for someone else to do it. If they aren't available, I can keep the changes on schedule.
I can also do the vitals, which is the only other thing the nurses do.
Joyce used her watch to try to get a blood oxygen reading. She's been scoring 100 percent lately on the watch (which seems a little high). But today she couldn't get a reading. That happens.
She couldn't remember how to launch the app, though. Even two seconds after I remind her. It's concerning. Can the anesthesia explain that so long after?
"Hey, Siri," I remind her. "Launch Oxygen Level." Three words. Simple.
She turns that, for example, into, "Hey, Siri, what's my oxygen level?" And that's just one variation. She can come up with six or seven of them without hitting the one that actually works.
Fortunately the thermometer is not voice operated. Quite the contrary.
To take her blood pressure, I used a blood pressure cuff from the last century. I found an old smoke alarm battery for it and it came to life. I pumped the cuff tight and took her blood pressure.
So we had oxygen (na), temperature (97.8) and blood pressure (119/70) readings before I did the dressing change. Just as if a nurse had been here.
Then Ben calls.
He's coming tomorrow between 10:30 and 11. Which works fine.
On Thursday Cat will do a debriding at three in the afternoon at the Clinic. And on Friday an LVN should be here to do the morning dressing change.
I think I may have to be prepared to dress up as an LVN on Friday.