General Update #27

Room service arrived at 8:11 a.m. to take Joyce's breakfast order. Joyce requested only a piece of toast with cream cheese, a half of a banana, and a cup of hot black tea. Estimated delivery from the hostess, Alicia, is 30 minutes. 

Craig arrived at 8:25 a.m. with Joyce's shoes and upper denture, making hand off with Dusty.

Breakfast was delivered to Joyce sometime after 8:37 a.m. (Dusty had departed to use the bathroom). 

Joyce was unaware that breakfast had been delivered when Dusty asked upon his return. Joyce started preparing to eat her breakfast at ~8:55 a.m. Joyce declined installing her denture.

Connie called Joyce at 9 a.m. via room phone to check in with her. Joyce had just gotten one piece of toast in her mouth but spat it out in her excitement to talk with Connie. Joyce resumed attempting to eat following phone call with Connie. Joyce continued to fall asleep while trying to eat her breakfast.

Amy from radiology arrived at 9:14 a.m. to take a picture of Joyce's back. Breakfast stopped for Joyce as she needed to be moved back to bed for that to occur. Nurse's aides/orderlies (and nurse?) asked if she had finished breakfast and Dusty noted that she had only had one bite of toast since her phone call with Connie. Joyce spat out the second bite of toast she had taken, as the staff was anxiously standing in room waiting for her to finish it. They said Joyce didn't have to spit out her toast but Joyce told them they would be a while if they waited for her to finish it. So, no toast has been eaten by Joyce at this time (both bites having been spat out at this point with none swallowed). Staff was going to use gait belt on Joyce to assist in moving Joyce back into bed, Dusty stopped them, reminding them that she had a fractured vertebrae. After being informed, one staff member (student nurse's aide?) muttered "I forgot." Dusty knows that nursing staff had been using a gait belt on Joyce yesterday. Dusty was removed from room while mobile imaging equipment brought in.

While in hallway, Dusty asked the nurse's aide (who stepped out after assisting radiologist with maneuvering Joyce for imaging to be done) if she knew any information about Joyce's overnight events. She indicated that she did not know as she was "on call" and was brought in after the morning meeting had occurred. The student nurse's aide and nurse's aid conversed nearby shortly after this with the nurse's aide stating to student nurse's aide that she had been called in "because they [Gritman] was so busy. But I don't know why I was brought in as it doesn't seem that busy to have had to called me in." 

While in hallway ~9:30 a.m. Dusty saw nurse Becky pass by. She informed him that Joyce did not have a bowel movement overnight (aside from small discharge that was had when Dusty was last present as Joyce used toilet under Lucy's care). The imaging being done now to Joyce is to help them determine if there is a blockage or other internal issues needing to be addressed. 

~9:33 a.m., Karen (Dana's weekend counterpart), found and introduced herself to Dusty and informed him that due to Joyce's lack of bowel movement they are not intending to transfer her to the Good Samaritan today. Karen has contacted Keri's weekend counterpart Cassandra at Good Samaritan to confirm this. Karen said that if Joyce's bowel issues can get sorted out and she begins functioning normally today then Joyce may be transferred over to Good Samaritan on Sunday (if Good Samaritan has staffing/capability to do a Sunday transfer). If Good Samaritan cannot take Joyce on Sunday, if Joyce is ready to be transferred, then Joyce will be kept at Gritman until Monday.

Dusty readmitted to room at 9:38 a.m., Joyce continued to attempt eating breakfast. Still struggling to stay awake while eating. "That was an ordeal," said Joyce, recovering form the pain she endured. She had squealed with pain as they moved her about on the bed. Joyce managed to eat half of her banana but stated she no longer felt she was feeling well enough to continue trying to eat her toast with cream cheese. "I don't want it [the toast]," she said. "It feels like my stomach's full." 

9:45 a.m. - Dusty explained to Joyce why they had to move her back to the bed and take imaging of her using the mobile equipment so Joyce understood the new plan for her. Dusty explained to Joyce that she wasn't going to Samaritan today until she had a bowel movement and that the Gritman staff are very concerned that she hasn't had one yet. 

Message(s) from Joyce:

After briefly discussing the D-Day anniversary, Joyce stated after a pause that "I'm probably a lot better off this morning, really, than a lot of those poor boys were." Dusty consulted the D-Day timeline and notified Joyce that at the time of her statement, ~9:13 a.m., the Canadians had already landed on the "Mike Red" area of Juno beach (at about 9:05 a.m.) and reported that the situation was excellent while the American Rangers had landed on Omaha beach (~about 9:10 a.m.) and reported that the tide was rising rapidly and the beach obstacles had not yet been destroyed. The Rangers were requesting support from demolition teams to clear them. Joyce nodded her head while confirming that "...there had been a lot more going on back then by that time all over, of course. Yes. They were a lot worse off." 

Participant observation:

Dusty asked Joyce at 9:05 a.m. if she had anyone else stop by (like nurse Becky) while he was out using the bathroom and she indicated that she had a shower. She then walked back that statement, telling Dusty she had misunderstood what Dusty was asking and then clarified that the shower had occurred much earlier in the morning. 

Current location:

Gritman Medical Center, Room 202.

Current pain level:
Unknown. 

Visiting information:

No change from previous post. (Awaiting updated information from morning shift leader.)

Confirmed with nurse's station shift leader at 9:30 a.m. (on 6/5/2020) - currently only 1 visitor per day for Joyce, no exceptions. Once current visitor departs Joyce's room, no further visits for the rest of the day. No swapping out visitors (example, Dusty cannot remain on hospital grounds while Craig goes to sit with Joyce for an hour and then Dusty returns to room).