[Al's Wife]

Beth,

Al has made more than one physician's assistant angry. Most of the time he absolutely REFUSES to see the PA, saying, it cost me the same thing whether I see the doctor or PA, so I want to see the doctor. We have seen a few PA's that he liked and felt comfortable with, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
Another big time scare last night. He got up to go to the bathroom and he said he got up too fast and lost his balance and stumbled and hit his head and arm and he's got a big bruise on both. He didn't tell me about it until this afternoon. You can't see the bruise on his head because it is in his hairline and I thought the bruise on his arm was from all the IVs he had in the hospital. I CAN'T BELIEVE I slept through it. I am a very light sleeper and the least little thing wakes me up. But last night I had taken an anxiety pill that the doctor prescribed for me last week. I only took half a tablet before bedtime. And believe me, I will NEVER take another one. It scares me to think what could have happened to him and I didn't even know it! I have made him promise to wake me up if I'm not already awake when he needs to get up during the night. I'm still shaking just thinking about it. Maybe I'll tie a string from my leg to his leg so he CAN'T possibly get up without my knowing it. lol
I bought a pulse oximeter today (thank you for the suggestion). And we have done the breathing exercises because the pulse ox is about 87 when I first put it on his finger, but after he takes the deep breaths, it goes up.
He also ran 101.5 fever which is higher than it has been being. I gave him some Tylenol and we put cool rags on his wrist and head and his temp was normal last time I took it.
I emailed our local Emory doctor's nurse today and told her that he is short of breath and still very weak and did they want us to come in before our scheduled lab appointment next Wednesday. She checked with the doctor and said, yes, the doctor was concerned about the shortness of breath also and could we be there at 7:00 a.m. Friday morning because all the other appointment times are filled. So of course we will be up bright and early (it's over an hour drive) Friday morning and at the doctor's. But I will feel better seeing the doctor because I can't stand the thought of facing the weekend not knowing what the red count is and especially with the shortness of breath.
You being the nurse and expert in this, I hesitate to say anything, but I think I would want the gasteroenterologist to see him rather than go by what the PA said, especially considering her lack of knowledge of his medicines, etc.
It's hard enough to get through these days when everything is going good, but when you run into these brick walls and incompetence and all this other stuff, that's when you really just want to explode.
Here's hoping for some good news for us and our loved ones.
God bless all,