DAYS OF OUR LEAVES

My fair view of Grand Central Parkway will soon be terminating.  Knowing when you’re checking out of this nursing and rehab center is important in order to look towards changes that I may have to make in my home as well as what equipment will be provided and what you would have to purchase. What will Medicare pay for? I am first told that I will be leaving on the 15^th but a few days later get info from the PA saying, “2-3 weeks”.  I am not going to be cured so, what will an extra week or so make a difference?

It is Wednesday the 6^th when a podiatrist finally comes to visit.  A rehab person had put a little too much pressure on my toes when stretching some muscles and seemed to have injured one of my toes where it would hurt when walked.  I didn’t get that it was broken, but perhaps sprained.   He wanted to get an x-ray taken.  As he is examining my feet I tell him about what occurred.   He is cutting my toe nails.  I wonder what Medicare gets charged to have a podiatrist cut you toe nails vs. having a pedicure. 

Just afterward he asks, “How did you injured yourself?”  I repeat the scenario realizing  that he must have zoned out when I told him.  He comments on discoloration in the lower portion of my legs saying that he would be ordering a certain test.  I look up the name of the test and remember that I had this test done within the first two days of being at the hospital. 

I do tell someone but a person shows up on Thursday anyway as I tell them not to do it.  They did not explain that it was a different test.  More so I question the timing.  Doctors and nurses here have seen the discoloration as early as over a month ago, so why test now?  Another Medicare charge.

Report on toe, I am told that it is degenerative.  If so, why did I not experience the pain prior to the manipulation? Why did a nurse visit me two days later wanting to bandage it?

I am so looking forward to doing my own cooking.  Saturday night dinner was “pizza and a chef’s salad”.  The pizza was two pieces of mini pita pocket with jarred sauce and some small of amount of some sort of cheese.  The chef’s salad was no different from the normal iceberg lettuce salad.  No hard boiled egg or any sort of meat.   Why even call it a “chef’s salad”?  The alternate was a tuna wrap but they said they already ran out of them.  In the long run I was able to get a tuna platter.  What was so difficult in taking the tuna and making into a wrap?

Mother’s Day menu. You would think that they would want to show off a bit since many people would be coming to visit their mothers.  Roast turkey…deli turkey with pre-package gravy.  Herb stuffing…more like a mystery stuffing.  Corn bread….not.  Mother’s Day cupcake…oy vey.  

Dinner was totally inedible.   Fettucini Alfredo was like paste.  Sauce from a jar and totally tasteless.  Sauteed Zuccchini. Heavens knows what it was sautéed with and tasted awful.  Chocolate pudding that came out of a can and no sweetness.  I think they gave me the diabetic one, despite instructions of “no diabetic food”. 

Back to leaving. I call the social services person and told that LIJ will be getting back with me on both rehab and aide.  But she doesn’t know when. WHAT? I have to know about the aide so that I can inform Access-A-Ride as other things that need to be planned the day I get home.  Will the PA get the people she promised to talk with me the next day?  Will I leave when planned?  Will my blood pressure rise? Stay tuned for the next episode of Days of Our Leaves!