Pay It Forward

I'm going to be a might busy and preoccupied for the next few days or so. We have a good friend who lost her husband a number of years ago. Since Mazatlan and Mexico has been her home for over 10 years she wasn't about to move back to the States just because her kids are. (yeah!) There are many spouses who make this decision to stay when they have lost their partners. The only real problem that this decision creates is having someone to help care for you while you are in hospital. Lee had surgery for a couple of crushed discs. and kinda needs a lit'l sister

What that means is I have been given the chance to pay it forward.  You guys have heard me say plenty of times that I have found the medical care to be far superior to that up in the Northlands. Part of the reason is that the medical staff here bring the patient and their family into their Plans of Care. This is one of the most positive things that can be done in health care. They have not gotten so busy and overloaded with all the other non-patient care demands that their colleagues up north have. Here it is expected and planned for a member of the patient's family will remain at the hospital to help care for them. There are so many little details that can eat up the staff's time that can easily be tended to by a family member. But don't think for a minute that the nurses,physicians and support staff are not giving the best most professional care. In fact by freeing the staff of those many little chores they have the time to provide the needed medical care and wonders of wonders really listen (and hear) what the patient is saying.

The pluses on the patient side or to numerous to count. One of the greatest is that the patient has some one they know with them before they are taken into surgery and a familiar face when they wake up from surgery. The families are not herded into waiting rooms waiting for hours for "the doctor" to come and tell them what is going on. You can not imagine how the stress level of the entire environment lowers and becomes for more positive and healing. Parents know what is happening to their children, and children can see that Mom or Dad are going to be okay. It truly saddens and makes me very angry to see how the patient/family care in the North has disintegrated to nearly the point of extinction in order to line the pockets a money driven industry.

Okay then, I'll just be climbing down from my little soap box and pack a new knitting project in my hospital survival bag. :)

If all continues as well as it has. I should be home in my own bed by the day..er..night after tomorrow. (yeah)  Hold my spot in Bloglandia for me. I promise to come visiting the first chance I get! Until then... Have a most audacious art filled day no matter where you are in the world you are.  p;)