Reid is alive again because I'm his caregiver. His blood sugar dropped to 37 last night and I had to call 911. He was starting to spasm and I was extremely shaky because of a viral infection that has wrecked havoc with my asthma causing me to use my inhaler frequently. The albuterol always makes me shake. As a result I didn't want to try and use the glucagons injection for fear of messing it up and making the problem worse. The responders kept assuring me that I did the right thing. We got the blood sugar up without injections and without him going to the hospital. Super Caregiver does it again.
Today however I am really ticked off. Reid had an operation on the 10th to debride the ulcers on his left leg and put an external fixation on the leg in hopes to get them to heal. I got the directions straight from the Doctor. Clean around the pins, push the skin down so it doesn't climb the pins, wrap Vaseline gauze around them to keep them moist, and leave the areas with the skin graft alone. Simple right?
Last night had followed two days with diarrhea for him so today was the first time in a couple days that I had a chance to clean and change the dressings. Our regular nurse is wonderful and unfortunately on vacation. I gave both of the two substitutes the instructions the Doctor gave me. The first used up all the supplies I told her to bring after ignoring what I told her about the Vaseline gauze. The second may have undid all the hard work. In spite of what I told her she took the dressing off of the wounds and proceeded to "treat" them. The real bad one looks like she may have taken off the skin graft and it looks horrible. I had to cancel yesterday's appointment with his Doctor because of his bowel problems and it will be Tuesday before I can get him in. I'm afraid he may have to go back into the hospital and have the work redone negating two weeks of my constant care.
This isn't an isolated incident. I am noticing a disregard for the people who are on the ground working just because the "experts" have a degree and the ones doing the actual day to day work don't have a degree in that field. I am a 24/7 caregiver. His Doctors have told Reid he would be dead without me. I was the one who figured out that Karo syrup could get his blood sugar up when he was too wonky to chew the glucose tablets but could still swallow and follow instructions. His Diabetes Doctor listens to me when it comes to his insulin and what works. The hospital ignores me until they cause a blood sugar crisis and then they go back to what his Doctor and I have figured out. Now this nurse may have undone an operation.
I've worked too many places where "efficiency experts" have been called in to help make the place more efficient but they ignored the actual workers who could tell them what is going on. It is frustrating to keep telling people look I've been his caregiver since October 2013. I know what I am doing. Sometimes you need to stop thinking you know everything and listen to the people who are actually doing the job. I may not have a medical degree but I am the one who has saved his life multiple times.