Another horrible Friday

I wonder when I'm supposed to do when I'm uncomfortable on the shower chair and no one will fix it. Whatever I do, I have to be very careful. What I did this morning did not work. The only way I got to be more comfortable was to be hoyered back into bed without the warm shower which would have made everything better.

Let's back up 45 minutes. I got my suppositories at 6:21 a.m. I put the call light on at 6:41 a.m. That meant I wanted to get up. I was hoping they would be in my room within 10 minutes. That would give me 10 or 15 minutes in the bathroom – maybe – before I would need to get going to get my shower.

Instead, no one came to my room until 7 AM, or a little after. That meant we were hurrying more than we really should have. I asked them to please make sure my right hip was back in the chair. I guess to them it looks okay. But since I cannot stand up to resituate myself in the shower chair, they have to get it right the first time. This morning they didn't and I'm the one who paid for it.

I was crooked on the shower chair. When they pulled out the Hoyer pad straps, I slid a bit more. There is no reason for that to happen. They act like they do not know how to get a Hoyer pad out from under me. AM (night shift aide) does it so slick. She pulls me forward and pulls it out. She's been an aide since she was 18 years old – and probably has used a few different Hoyer lifts. I wish she had been here this morning.

Everyone acted like their head was up there butt. They put me in the bathroom and I was not comfortable. There was not enough tension on the call light. They have no idea how hard it is for me to turn on the call light when they do not situate me properly. So I pulled the call light on before they left. I told them I wanted to be more comfortable. They will not do an arm and leg lift to get me back in the chair. Yes, it is not that easy. But, the only other alternative would be to use the Hoyer to get me back.

By the time I got to my room I was leaning in the chair and both of my hips were hurting. It was just because I was slanted and twisted in the chair. Sitting on a shower chair crooked is uncomfortable. I was told I had to go that way or not get a shower. I said I felt they were abusing me.

They went and got my nurse and she told me I had to go back to bed or I would be sent out for a psych eval. So I was hoyered back into bed. Two aides washed me up. It was never my shower day so my hair was not washed and my legs were not shaved. This same thing happened two weeks ago when the same two aides were assigned to me – E and J.

Ms. L the therapist came in while I was in here by myself and everyone was at resident breakfast. She asked me what happened. I asked her why I was not allowed to get up this morning. She assured me she told my nurse but I told her no one knew about it and they would not let me stand. If my standing was A-OK with everybody, then why didn't the aides stand me. Maybe they are supposed to be trained first – and I didn't know about that.

Suffice it to say that I made it through the morning. Ms. L put hot packs on my right hip and thigh for about 15 minutes. Then, she did some range of motion on my very stiff right knee and hip. She told me it's much stiffer when I'm lying down.

Then Ms. L/therapist, got me up with the assistance of an aide. Getting me up out of bed wasn't easy or slick. Ms. L told them they needed to raise my bed. For a minute there she was starting to sound like me. So, I guess I have to wait until Monday to officially start to stand with aides as they are trained by Ms. L.

For this weekend I will be using the Hoyer. I certainly hope the weekend aides are compassionate and allow me to sit back in the shower chair as much as possible, so I can be more comfortable.