June 2, 2006 (2:34pm)
Don’t tell Gary, but I complained to our case manager about Gary’s noisy roommate. I know Gary tends not to complain about such things – and was definitely not inclined to do so these past few days. His other roommate left the hospital, so it was only Gary and the loud guy in the room and thus it would be clear who was voicing the complaint if it were brought to the loud man’s attention. I thought today was a good time to complain about it because two more people have moved into the room, so now it is full and the loud guy won’t know who made the complaint.
The case manager knew who I meant, because all his roommates over the time he’s been here have complained about his taking and making calls on his blaring speaker phone during the night – even though quiet time officially starts at 9pm. She and I went to the charge nurse, and the nurse said she is going to work on getting Gary transferred to another room, possibly a semi-private one (two people). They would have tried to get him transferred to a semi-private room once he starts his rehab anyway, the four-people room generally occupied by the “skin patients” and the sem-privates by the rehab patients, the theory something like the skin patients needed less privacy cuz all they do is lay around and therefore can sleep any time of day or night. It doesn’t seem right that the solution is to move the complainers and foist the guy on a new set of people, but that was the only solution offered, and since it’s to Gary’s benefit . . . . Apparently it does no good for the hospital staff to talk to the man about it – I was told he’d been talked to before about it, and he just ignores what is said to him. The calls come directly to him, not through a switchboard, so they can’t shut them off that way. I have thought of pulling the plug on my way out at night. ;-) Actually, that wouldn’t do any good, because he is mobile and still in his chair when I leave at night, so he could plug it back in (he has full use of his arms and has no hearing problems, so there is no medical reason he needs the speaker phone, especially at the volume he keeps it).
I told the case manager that Gary would probably tell me I shouldn’t have complained, that he could put up with it, but she said he needs his sleep and that they move people all the time here, so he need never know I was the one who caused him to be put in another room.
So, shhh, it’s a secret between you and me.
(Another thing that prompted me to complain about this now is I’ve noticed he’s been sleeping more during the day since his surgery, so I feel his sleep during the night is of even greater importance.)
I went to the chiropractor again today, and since he was running slightly late, I tried out his massage chair, shaped like a lounge chair. I’d never been in a massage chair, and it was an interesting experience. It felt like some alien being with pairs of appendages running down the length of its body dwelled in the back of the chair and was kneading and tapping various parts of my body. I came to no conclusion about the effectiveness of the chair. I will have to give it another trial. Maybe a few more.
At one point during the chiropractic adjustment I felt I had fallen through the head cradle part and asked him if he’d been able to push hard enough because of that. He said he had and that the art of chiropractic was in not killing the client. I told him that was a good goal. He said the insurance companies preferred that as well.
I am happy with his technique, and I’ve signed up for his “monthly plan,” which will give me eight adjustments for the price of four. Besides his technique, I also like the fact that he has done more than just give the adjustments. For one thing, he has given me stretching exercises to do. He also suggested that for my laptop I get a carrier that rolls on wheels. He told me to try the Office Depot across the street when I asked where I’d find one. I went there, and they had one on sale at half-price – $33. I bought it and am really happy that I did. Not only does my laptop fit in the padded middle section, but everything I was carrying in my backpack fits in there as well. The handle pulls out to the height of my waist for when I want to roll the carrier, and in closed position the handle pushes down to the height of the carrier – then the carrier can just be held by two handles. I suppose travelers know of such things, but this is a new nifty item to me.
While I was in the massage chair, our State Farm agent called to ask about Gary. She has done this a couple of times, and it surprises me. She always says if there’s anything she can do, now or when we get home, to let her know. I wonder how far I can take her up on that ;-)
When I returned to Gary’s from the chiropractor, I found him asleep. That was when I slipped off and complained to the case manager. I also asked her at that time if she knew if insurance would cover any of the home modifications, since my brother had asked me that question. She said they don’t, but perhaps I could find some ideas for resources in what she called “the Christopher Reeve book.” She gave me a copy – it is actually called “The Paralysis Resource Guide.” I didn’t find anything related in it, but it looked like an interesting book, and I brought it back to Gary’s room. Later in the evening, when I returned from dinner, Gary said he’d read some in it and liked it – he said it really “told it like it is.”
Sometime during the day the tech brought around Gary’s schedule for next week, and we were amazed. We expected they’d have a few things for him to do, but they’ve got him scheduled for up to two hours of activity for each of four days next week. He’ll have an intro class, a community class, a counseling class, a “been there done that class” (I’m not sure what any of those thus far mentioned entail), a bowel class, and a bladder class. He’ll also meet with the psychologist, the recreational therapist, and I’m sure his tech will be in every day, as she has been this past week, for his weight training (and I’ll stretch his feet). He also goes to vocational rehab one day.
All for now except for mail call: Thanks to Norma, Beth Fletcher, and Jean Schmidt.
Don’t tell Gary, but I complained to our case manager about Gary’s noisy roommate. I know Gary tends not to complain about such things – and was definitely not inclined to do so these past few days. His other roommate left the hospital, so it was only Gary and the loud guy in the room and thus it would be clear who was voicing the complaint if it were brought to the loud man’s attention. I thought today was a good time to complain about it because two more people have moved into the room, so now it is full and the loud guy won’t know who made the complaint.
The case manager knew who I meant, because all his roommates over the time he’s been here have complained about his taking and making calls on his blaring speaker phone during the night – even though quiet time officially starts at 9pm. She and I went to the charge nurse, and the nurse said she is going to work on getting Gary transferred to another room, possibly a semi-private one (two people). They would have tried to get him transferred to a semi-private room once he starts his rehab anyway, the four-people room generally occupied by the “skin patients” and the sem-privates by the rehab patients, the theory something like the skin patients needed less privacy cuz all they do is lay around and therefore can sleep any time of day or night. It doesn’t seem right that the solution is to move the complainers and foist the guy on a new set of people, but that was the only solution offered, and since it’s to Gary’s benefit . . . . Apparently it does no good for the hospital staff to talk to the man about it – I was told he’d been talked to before about it, and he just ignores what is said to him. The calls come directly to him, not through a switchboard, so they can’t shut them off that way. I have thought of pulling the plug on my way out at night. ;-) Actually, that wouldn’t do any good, because he is mobile and still in his chair when I leave at night, so he could plug it back in (he has full use of his arms and has no hearing problems, so there is no medical reason he needs the speaker phone, especially at the volume he keeps it).
I told the case manager that Gary would probably tell me I shouldn’t have complained, that he could put up with it, but she said he needs his sleep and that they move people all the time here, so he need never know I was the one who caused him to be put in another room.
So, shhh, it’s a secret between you and me.
(Another thing that prompted me to complain about this now is I’ve noticed he’s been sleeping more during the day since his surgery, so I feel his sleep during the night is of even greater importance.)
I went to the chiropractor again today, and since he was running slightly late, I tried out his massage chair, shaped like a lounge chair. I’d never been in a massage chair, and it was an interesting experience. It felt like some alien being with pairs of appendages running down the length of its body dwelled in the back of the chair and was kneading and tapping various parts of my body. I came to no conclusion about the effectiveness of the chair. I will have to give it another trial. Maybe a few more.
At one point during the chiropractic adjustment I felt I had fallen through the head cradle part and asked him if he’d been able to push hard enough because of that. He said he had and that the art of chiropractic was in not killing the client. I told him that was a good goal. He said the insurance companies preferred that as well.
I am happy with his technique, and I’ve signed up for his “monthly plan,” which will give me eight adjustments for the price of four. Besides his technique, I also like the fact that he has done more than just give the adjustments. For one thing, he has given me stretching exercises to do. He also suggested that for my laptop I get a carrier that rolls on wheels. He told me to try the Office Depot across the street when I asked where I’d find one. I went there, and they had one on sale at half-price – $33. I bought it and am really happy that I did. Not only does my laptop fit in the padded middle section, but everything I was carrying in my backpack fits in there as well. The handle pulls out to the height of my waist for when I want to roll the carrier, and in closed position the handle pushes down to the height of the carrier – then the carrier can just be held by two handles. I suppose travelers know of such things, but this is a new nifty item to me.
While I was in the massage chair, our State Farm agent called to ask about Gary. She has done this a couple of times, and it surprises me. She always says if there’s anything she can do, now or when we get home, to let her know. I wonder how far I can take her up on that ;-)
When I returned to Gary’s from the chiropractor, I found him asleep. That was when I slipped off and complained to the case manager. I also asked her at that time if she knew if insurance would cover any of the home modifications, since my brother had asked me that question. She said they don’t, but perhaps I could find some ideas for resources in what she called “the Christopher Reeve book.” She gave me a copy – it is actually called “The Paralysis Resource Guide.” I didn’t find anything related in it, but it looked like an interesting book, and I brought it back to Gary’s room. Later in the evening, when I returned from dinner, Gary said he’d read some in it and liked it – he said it really “told it like it is.”
Sometime during the day the tech brought around Gary’s schedule for next week, and we were amazed. We expected they’d have a few things for him to do, but they’ve got him scheduled for up to two hours of activity for each of four days next week. He’ll have an intro class, a community class, a counseling class, a “been there done that class” (I’m not sure what any of those thus far mentioned entail), a bowel class, and a bladder class. He’ll also meet with the psychologist, the recreational therapist, and I’m sure his tech will be in every day, as she has been this past week, for his weight training (and I’ll stretch his feet). He also goes to vocational rehab one day.
All for now except for mail call: Thanks to Norma, Beth Fletcher, and Jean Schmidt.
posted by Peg Daniels at 1:44 PM
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