Just got home, but stopped and saw friends after I left Tom and stopped at the grocery store.

Talked (on the phone, so we haven't yet me face-to-face) with the doctor who is supposed to be coordinating his care. The major thing right now is they will be moving him to a nursing facility on Friday (they'll do the planned carotid angiogram tomorrow, I think). The ONLY reason for sending him to a nursing facility (for 3+ weeks!!!) is his insurance co/Medicare won't pay for the 6-times a day antibiotics (through the PICC) at home having him do it himself (with startup assistance from Visiting Nurses) as he did the last time he had a blood infection.

She also said the infection is a common one (I didn't have a chance to write it down) that is usually picked up in the hospital. ARGHHHHHHH!!!! Sigh. After all, he's had several recent vascular diagnostic procedures lately.

And, no, he can't come home for a few hours and take care of a few things around here to simplify life a bit in between hospital and nursing facility because the facility will only accept him directly from the hospital.

#@%#ING BUREAUCRACIES!!!!

His COPD was probably a temporary flare-up.

I still have some questions, but I have her name & phone number. She asked if I had a medical background because of what I was asking, what I knew, and how often I brought up things like exercise to work with meds -- trying to be proactive since I have my doubts at how proactive his primary care doctor is. And the specialists only seem to be interested in the aspect of Tom that relates to their specialty -- as if cardiac, vascular and pulmonary don't interact with each other! You can't ignore any aspect of that equation!

He said he had a heart racing problem the other day caused by the fact they didn't give him his evening pills -- the nurse said they'd given him stronger ones earlier. He had to make a ruckus about that -- you don't change heart meds that have been working for 6 years, fer-pete's-sake!

This afternoon, too, we set up what we've basically ignored way too long -- durable medical power of attorney and Living Will -- because in New Hampshire the spouse doesn't automatically have that power. The hospital makes it very easy to do, so we BOTH signed the papers. Don't know why we didn't do this six years ago.

Then, just before I left, someone finally pointed out that the hospital makes available laptops with internet connections that patients can borrow. And he got one. I know he's read this thread -- he didn't post because (he just told me when I called him) it's difficult for him to see the keyboard in the low light of his room.

That's the news for now, folks!

Linn