It was a both good and bad day at dialysis.

Unfortunately, he didn’t arrive till 11:15 for his 10:45 start. And then then didn’t get hooked up on the machine for another 45 minutes after that. So it was two hours after I left my house that I even got to go in an see him. I was so mad.  I know this happens on days I am not there, and it’s unfair for those people who have so kindly volunteered to be with him to have to extend their time with him, just because someone screwed up earlier. But when I am there, I can a least make a little fuss. I called the ambulance service as well as the care home to get to the bottom of it. There was a lot of shrugging, but it seemed to be that Vernon wasn’t ready in time for the transporters (who did admit to being twenty minutes behind when they arrived to first fetch him.) But it was worse than that: he’d arrived after 11, when the technician assigned to his chair had already gone on break. That’s why he couldn’t get hooked up for so long.

I could only stay till 12:45, which gives me just enough time to get back in time to pick Justine up from Kindergarten in south San Clemente. So he was only able to be dialyzed for one hour today.

Most of the time, things work out well in his schedule, but when they go wrong, it goes very wrong, affecting a lot more people than a morning staffer of one of these agencies realizes.  Now that he is getting exercise on some days, I am especially watching the clock, as I don’t want to take the chance of missing out. Fortunately, Vernon has so many hours of dialysis a week, that I believe it’s okay to end early when necessary.

Anyway, I’m hoping to get to the bottom of this problem so it doesn’t keep happening. It’s a tight routine for Vernon, and it needs to stay that way.

The good part?

Well, Vernon was in a great mood today. He was so sweet and romantic, for that hour I was with him. He kept asking where we should live together next? America seemed to win. He told me he’d like us to get married this summer, and then we would move. In those moments, his eyes were so sweet and clear, it seemed as if he was imagining our lives early in our relationship, when those kinds of questions came up. I suppose in some ways, it does feel like we are dating: we see each other for short periods of time and then we go our separate ways, we don’t live together as normal married couples do. I can see the connections he might be making. He certainly was putting on the wooing moves…and I loved it!

Another good thing: I noticed how straight his right leg was.  I assume its the recent exercise and stretching attention that is making a difference there. Look how evenly his ankles are crossed.

I did get a call from Mesa Verde this evening. Dr. Kavorian had made an order for Ativan (as needed) to help when Vernon becomes combative (I didn’t get a report that he was that way this evening, but I’d heard this recently from Joe.) It’s a problem, I know, and I want to make things easier on that end for everyone, but after Vernon’s ugly experience with it last year, I just can’t sign off on that drug. I told them no, but agreed to talk to the psychiatrist after/when he looks him over tomorrow. Hopefully we can find something else that works.