Day 3, Saturday, started out quietly. I got to the hospital and saw yet another bag of blood slowly dripping it's way into my mom's arm. Since it was the weekend there were fewer staff running around and, surprisingly, fewer patients in rooms. Later in the day the doctor said she had done a lot of discharges.
My dad popped in for a quick visit but he was visibly tired and I could tell he really wanted to sleep but he also wanted to be there so I put it on me and told him I wanted to take him home now rather than around 2 like other days so I could make sure I saw the doctor.
I ran him home and came back and when I entered the room I saw this guy standing there. Rapid firing questions at my mom. "How did you fall?" "When was the last time you walked?" The problem was she was answering with her slow speach and he was literally not waiting for answers;clearly running a script in his head. He was her physical therapist
So I need to describe this guy, he was probably in his late twenties with a deep tan, a Polo shirt under his white coat(I was surprised he didn't have the collar popped), a pair of chinos and suede slip on shoes. He looked like he'd just come from his fraternity reunion; I expected him to call me bro.
He kept firing questions, and then roughly grabbed my mom's leg to show her some exercises. He had a good theory about how you breathe in before you start an action and then do the action as you breathe out to minimize the pain. But my mom is always on oxygen and it takes some time for her to breathe in, so basically he was just pushing her leg up and down completely out of sync with her breathing, which made her hurt and me wince every time he did it.
The whole time he kept firing questions at both of us. He was very focused on the hand railings to her stairs and got really annoyed when I couldn't remember which sides they were on on which flights of stairs.
Then he asked me when the last time she had walked was, which I had already told him was on Tuesday just before she fell. Then he asked how she had been walking and I told her she'd been fine the first week I was here and also 6 months ago when I was here. "That's a long time ago," he said this like I was a complete moron and I fired back very frustrated and slightly annoyed "I'm just answering your question."
I felt like his alpha maleness was feeling threatened so I asked if he'd rather I step out while he was working, but he told me to stay. I think he was pretty freaked out by my mom's age and her tough speaking style. He was really annoying me but I didn't say anything.
Then as he was trying to get her out of bed I saw this strange look in my mom's eyes. He had abruptly ripped off her velcro leggings that kept her from getting blood clots. And he was roughly swinging her portable catheter container around. Then he grabbed her legs and started to swing them off the bed. Her eyes got wide, she started breathing heavier than usual, and she went rigid. But he kept pulling on her legs. Then she said loudly "I don't like you!". This was the first time he stopped running his script he looked at her and I saw a brief flash of fear mixed with anger in his eyes.
He tried to egg her on again and then she actually yelled again"I don't like. I don't like you. I'm not doing this with you. STOP."
There was that look in his eyes again but he quickly put her back in bed, put her leggings on and then said ominously"There will be consequences you know."
At that point she started sobbing and as he left I followed him out. He looked at me and said "I don't know why she doesn't like me I get along with everyone. I'm kind of hurt."
Despite my anger, I very calmly looked at him and said "Truthfully, I didn't like you either when I first came in. You're very aggressive." I thought he'd get mad but this actually seemed to get through to him and he said he'd send someone more relaxed tomorrow and shook my hand. I didn't tell him how mad I was about his "consequences" comment and just let him slink away.
When I came into the room. She was loudly sobbing and breathing very hard. "I'm not going to a nursing home. I'm NOT. I'm NOT." This went on for a few minutes and when she calmed down. I told her that I didn't want that either but she was going to have to work with the next therapist they sent in and she nodded and closed her eyes to rest.
(Next- the thrilling conclusion)
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