16 August 2021
It was time to order supplies again. The big ones. The large Mepilex bandages (we go through four a day) and the Kerlix (each split in half for one a day). We don't use the Web site to order from Byram because the seventh page of the order system is where you find out whether or not you can place an order.
So we call and let the Byram representative enjoy that frustration. Which, of course, happens every time we order. We have no idea when an authorization expires and clearly Dr. Tong isn't aware of it either. Only Medicare and Byram know. And they ain't talking.
Today it was the order for the Mediplex. No longer authorized.
Never mind the logic. We need the stuff to close the dressing. Without it, we go to the ER, I suppose, for a dressing change. Because the clinic never has supplies like this.
So I emailed Dr. Tong, asking her to reauthorize the order (and mentioning we have a few more orders for supplies coming up soon). An auto reply reminds us she'll get back to us within 48 hours.
This afternoon Joyce called Byram again to see if the order has been reauthorized. We've got only enough Mediplex to get through Wednesday. Medicare won't let us order in advance.
Nope, no authorization. Can you send a few to get me by, she asked nicely. OK, how many do you need a day? Four. That's a lot. It's a big wound. OK, I'll send three days to tide you over. Thanks.
Meanwhile the email system showed Dr. Tong still hadn't read the message this afternoon. So Joyce called Cat the Physician's Assistant (we have her cell phone number) and left a message, asking her to authorize the Mepilex.
Cat sent an email a few minutes later, saying she'd do that now and, having read this morning's email to Dr. Tong, asked if we needed the Vashe and abdominal pads (which are coming up shortly, so I asked her to confirm the order would be standing). Joyce replied we're good for now.
We'll get the Kerlix tomorrow and the Mepilex on Wednesday. And maybe the whole order of 120 pads not just 12.
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Meanwhile, I got a couple of mysterious calls from Suisun City on my mobile number. It turns out Shamira was trying to reach Joyce to confirm a Sept. 10 surgery date.
Joyce called the office number she left but could only leave a message asking what this was about. So I gave Joyce the mysterious number (which turns out to be Shamira's personal cell phone number) and she got in touch with Shamira herself.
It wouldn't be any fun, after all, without a little suspense.
Sept. 10 would be for admittance in the hospital for another round of surgical debridements, Shamira explained. That's the hospitalization that was originally planned for August, in short.
Yes, I'll be there, she said.
Shamira set her up for a Covid-19 test a few days earlier, which is still required before being admitted into the hospital.
Sept. 10 is a Friday, so she'll be there over the weekend. And we expect she'll be in there at least part of the next week, if not the whole week. I suppose it remains to be seen.
It wouldn't be any fun, after all, without a little suspense.
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Just ask Mike Pascucci* who has been admitted to Strong Hospital in Rochester twice the past few days.
He went in voluntarily Wednesday morning (well, at Amy's urging), suffering from weakness in his arm and numbness in his fingers, a palpitating heart, severe headaches, double vision and slurred speech.
Except for the headaches, you'd think he was just still in love.
After 32 hours in the ER, he was admitted with afibrillation. It took a couple of days to control that with medication, including a blood thinner to prevent clotting. An MRI of his brain showed no evidence of stroke. So they took another one. And a spinal tap, too, trying to figure out the numbness. In the middle of the night.
When they got his arrhythmia under control, he got out of there briefly before the light bulb went off and he was diagnosed with acute Lyme's disease.
So he went back to the ER to stand in line for a few hours before being readmitted for another spinal tap to figure out which antibiotics to prescribe to fight the Lyme's disease.
He texted me about it:
Doing spinal tap this afternoon and sending samples to the infection group determining antibiotics but that one okey-doke oh yeah that's right out there walk out there super I don't know when pre-assigned
He was using the microphone to compose the text and got interrupted. But it sounded like a pretty good summation to me.
I may use it with Dr. Tong.