zoohouse
Senior member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2013
- Messages
- 959
- Reason
- CALS
- Diagnosis
- 07/2012
- Country
- CA
- State
- B.C.
- City
- Salmon Arm
So we went to the Seattle VA for Tim to get the head array put on his chair, which meant he stayed in the hospital as he needs a hospital bed and lifts. It was a nightmare, and they almost managed to kill him. He usually stays on the rehab floor that deals with stroke, MS, and ALS patients, but obviously never ALS patients that are total care.
He was put in a 2 patient room, where the lift did not extend far enough past the bed to sling Tim while in the chair. We had to move the bed over, move his chair in place, lift him, move his chair out, push the bed back and lower him into it, all the while attached to his bipap machine with a 5 foot hose. I was exhausted from the drive but had to do this as they couldn't figure it out. I showed them the off, on, switch to both the bipap and the sip & puff, and thought they might be able to manage to get him into bed the first night after they got the proper mattress on his bed. I had just got into bed, and had taken a sleeping pill so I could sleep, as I don't sleep well in strange places. I got a phone call that Tim was panicking and calling for me. When I got there he was in a sweat, and said that they couldn't figure it out, so took his machines away from him to transfer, but couldn't work his chair to get it out of the way. I settled him into bed and waited for him to be asleep before I left. Next day came to find that the head bed had moved and he couldn't call for a nurse when his mask started to rub his face and hurt. He wasn't checked all night long and his room-mate was hard of hearing so didn't hear him when he asked for help.
Then yesterday morning I get a frantic knock on the door of my room saying that a nurse was there asking for me and that there was an emergency with my husband. We ran over and on the way she told me that she had tried to move his bi-pap for the transfer and unplugged it so it could reach. Of course that turned it off, and he couldn't breath past the mask. He turned blue, started begging for them not to let him die, and began to black out. She managed to get 3 other nurses and they ripped the mask off, and put him in the commode chair and put him on his sip and puff. Thankfully he was still conscious enough to make a seal on his mouth piece and get a breath. They didn't have an ambu-bag or anything there to resuscitate him. His NA who came to get me was crying and apologizing but I know that she is the only one that would even attempt to care for Tim. I got his into his chair, cleaned up, dressed packed everything and we loaded him into the van and came home. I will never leave him alone again.
Paulette
He was put in a 2 patient room, where the lift did not extend far enough past the bed to sling Tim while in the chair. We had to move the bed over, move his chair in place, lift him, move his chair out, push the bed back and lower him into it, all the while attached to his bipap machine with a 5 foot hose. I was exhausted from the drive but had to do this as they couldn't figure it out. I showed them the off, on, switch to both the bipap and the sip & puff, and thought they might be able to manage to get him into bed the first night after they got the proper mattress on his bed. I had just got into bed, and had taken a sleeping pill so I could sleep, as I don't sleep well in strange places. I got a phone call that Tim was panicking and calling for me. When I got there he was in a sweat, and said that they couldn't figure it out, so took his machines away from him to transfer, but couldn't work his chair to get it out of the way. I settled him into bed and waited for him to be asleep before I left. Next day came to find that the head bed had moved and he couldn't call for a nurse when his mask started to rub his face and hurt. He wasn't checked all night long and his room-mate was hard of hearing so didn't hear him when he asked for help.
Then yesterday morning I get a frantic knock on the door of my room saying that a nurse was there asking for me and that there was an emergency with my husband. We ran over and on the way she told me that she had tried to move his bi-pap for the transfer and unplugged it so it could reach. Of course that turned it off, and he couldn't breath past the mask. He turned blue, started begging for them not to let him die, and began to black out. She managed to get 3 other nurses and they ripped the mask off, and put him in the commode chair and put him on his sip and puff. Thankfully he was still conscious enough to make a seal on his mouth piece and get a breath. They didn't have an ambu-bag or anything there to resuscitate him. His NA who came to get me was crying and apologizing but I know that she is the only one that would even attempt to care for Tim. I got his into his chair, cleaned up, dressed packed everything and we loaded him into the van and came home. I will never leave him alone again.
Paulette
