Surgeons and Such

 No pictures today. I am back to my favorite subject matter. The shortcomings of the man of the house.

There used to be a time in our lives when I could easily make him think my ideas were his. I think he might be reading my blog!! Since his unfortunate abcess and hospital stay, he has decided to be even more sedentary. No chance of that recliner ever being vacant. I still think he should be more active, that he would feel better. Sore muscles, but a more positive outlook.

It is not only the physical things that he could be doing, but he has come to rely on me to make all of his doctor appointments and decisions about everything. I confess that I do like being in charge and telling others what to do, but now that I can spend more time outside I am not happy to be doing things he could easily do himself.

Upon being released from the surgeons in Gainesville, he was told he would need to schedule an appendectomy and colonoscopy as soon as he recovered. They think his appendix ruptured and encapsulated forming the abcess and all the pain he was in. They drained the abcess, but want to remove whatever remains of his appendix and get a pathology report on it. The colonoscopy would be to make sure the problem didn't start there.

Twice I have requested a referral. No response form a surgeon. Then I forced him to take responsibility and go to our primary care and take care of this himself. I made the appointment and did not go with him. This was in April and still no call from the surgeon.

I had my own fun with the colonoscopy and endoscopy two days ago. On the way to the facility, I reminded him to call our primary care and follow up on the referral that seemed not to have happened. I told him he would be waiting for me and might as well use his time wisely.

You already know that "I forgot" didn't call. I reminded him on the way home. I had not had a good night before the procedure with very little sleep and I went to bed as soon as we returned home, but not before another reminder to him. Instead, he took a nap in his recliner. Eddie is my nap buddy and we prefer not to be disturbed by any other pets or people.

Another reminder and admonishment from me the next day produced nothing. So, today, I made him mad and told him he could wait forever, that I was not going to call for him. I realize this sounds petty of me, but I do everything else for him. He called and they called a different surgeon and he got a call back within an hour of making the call.

I was inside when he got the call. He has an appointment at 2 this coming Monday. He told the woman on the other end that his appendix ruptured in Janurary and he needed it removed. It was all I could do not to snatch that phone from his hand and explain the situation. I didn't, I just let the woman wonder why a person whose appendix ruptured 5 months ago was not dead.  After the call I asked where the surgeon's office was. He told me he thought he knew. 

Thought? I asked if he got an address. No. He told me it was over near Susan's office (this is the NP for his vascular surgeon). What is the doctor's name, asks the man's wife who must be the monitor of details. He said she told him, but he forgot!!

Now we have a situation. I wonder if he did this to prove that I should have taken care of this myself. If he did, he is in for a surprise!

Since writing began he has provided me with a name of a doctor. My own reserach has located a physical address and we will get there in due time with the help of Siri and her navigational skills!

On the way to my appointment with the scope, after a miserable night for me, he actually asked if I wanted him to stop at McDonalds for breakfast!!

I just stared at him until he said "WHAT, you said you could have coffee. I don't think it is a clear liquid, but you said you could." I replied that the clear liquid was yesterday, but that since they would be putting me under I could have nothing after the nasty prep solution. "How was I supposed to know?" This caused me to make him recall his last colonoscopy. He failed to download the instructions and informed me that he knew what he was doing. He refused to drink all the Golytely and even treated himself to a middle of the night bologna sandwich.

That surgeon was not impressed with Mr. Know-it-all and he had to schedule a re-do in a hospital. The nurse practitioner I see has pushed him off to the doctor in the office and told me that if his recovery was anything like the recovery after the abcess, she would have no problem having him transferred to a nursing home for rehab after surgery. She thinks I shouldn't have to shoulder it on my own. 

Good luck to those rehab folks that will be put in charge of him is all I have to say!!