Decision Makers

 Toby's sister called on Friday to say that she thought their mother was not doing so well in the nursing home. You might remember that Toby's mom turned 90 last April. Although we have seen her a few times through the glass door at the nursing home, they stopped letting the patients out of their rooms  last summer - so we have not seen his mom since then. Really, we have not been able to visit with her since last March. A month ago, they opened up the visiting to two people - just two per family - not two at a time or anything like that - not three people as would be helpful in Toby's family. The two people had to have ID's made especially to get them in (I guess a regular ID wouldn't work) and have to take a Covid test every time they visit. Toby's sisters are the two who get to visit. Crazy! Why not three people? Who makes up these rules? 

Anyway, Toby's sister told him that they would let him in to see his mom since she was not doing well. So he called to make an appointment. At first they told us that Saturday was full. They would have to look at Sunday and for us to call back later. Toby called back. They put him in touch with someone higher up in the decision making department. He told them that he had already tested positive for Covid and that he was done with his quarantine. They told him he could come on Saturday if he brought proof that he had already had Covid. Then by the time the conversation was over, the decision maker decided that maybe he should wait one more day making his quarantine after Covid 14 days. The CDC has put out guidelines saying 7 to 10 days after your first symptoms and no fever for 24 hours - but this person decided to add a few days. Toby did not argue. He really wants to see his mom. The only real difference was that Saturday was a beautiful day, and Sunday it rained and snowed all day. Fortunately, the temperature stayed slightly above freezing so the snow did not stick and driving was not so bad. Still, I think some of these decision makers have gone power crazy. BTW, these healthcare people told Toby that he was good for 90 days since he had already had Covid. Good to know, right?

Speaking of power crazed decision makers, I have a few more rants :) One of my good friends has a 30 year old daughter who is severely handicapped - she doesn't walk, talk, or communicate in anyway. The only reason this daughter is still alive is that her mother has been an amazing caregiver. Recently, the daughter has had several health issues requiring her to be hospitalized. Of course the decision makers decided that the mother could not be with her daughter due to covid. My friend has spent 30 years of her life caring for her daughter - her daughter is like a baby in an adult body. My friend has been frantic to be with her daughter. Then through another friend who called the hospital to beg the decision makers to let the mother see the daughter, we found out that the hospital had the daughter on sort of death watch - like these are her last days, yet they had not communicated this to the mom. The second friend was able to talk the decision maker into letting the mother in with the daughter. Yay! 

I don't know if I mentioned this, but quite a few people from my church all had Covid within weeks of each other leading us to think that is where we might have all gotten it. Actually, it could have been anywhere - Walmart, the art reception, etc. So many people in Duncan have been exposed or been sick, that I think Covid is just there - you can be very careful and still get it. You can be very lax and NOT get it (my sister was with me for two days prior to me getting sick, but she has been perfectly well) - who knows how it works? Most of the people I know, who have had it, have had what I would call a mild case or just regular flue-like symptoms and have gotten over it easy enough. But I have two friends who had to be hospitalized. Both had respiratory issues already. Both are home now, but not necessarily out of the woods. 

Yesterday I went to visit one of these friends. She was really doing well, but having to check her oxygen levels often and had oxygen and breathing treatments on hand if needed. My friend told me several things about the hospital and the healthcare people that seem odd to me. I will share them. 

1)They told her she is not contagious, but they also told her she could get Covid again at anytime - like immediately. I shared that the healthcare people at the nursing home said that Toby was good for 90 days and did not have to test during the 90 days in order to come see his mom. Do those seem at odds with each other? My brain works a bit different, so to me, if you can get Covid again immediately, then my friend could possibly be contagious already and not know it. After all, she has been in a hospital where Covid is rampant. Just sayin'.

2) They told her to throw out anything she had read on Covid - that it was probably not true. In other words, just listen to them and do what they said. They also said that they still did not know much about Covid, that they only treated the symptoms. 

I am glad that my friend is doing much better and seems to be on the mend. I am also glad that my other friend got to be with her daughter. And I am super glad that Toby got to spend time with his mom. This all proves to me that the decision makers are not always right - they make decisions on what they think is right (although it is not always best). And sometimes, just sometimes, you can get them to change their minds, but you must be slow to anger and slow to speak. But, you know me - those two things are not my strong points.