Life Under Coronavirus

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_Res Ipsa
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Re: Life Under Coronavirus

Post by _Res Ipsa »

More fun on Life With Coronavirus. My wife has epilepsy. She's been seizure free for about 12 or 13 years. Until tonight. Two within an hour. So, the Ipsa household got to see what happens when you call 911 during a pandemic. The EMTs all wear PPE -- N95s and very thin paper gowns. The N95s get sterilized and the gowns are thrown away after every use. One of the EMTs told me that they transport COVID patients fairly frequently. Of their 300 firefighters, no infections in a couple months. So they've gotten pretty good at this.

The EMTs are not allowed in the hospital. They pull up to the ER entrance, call the desk, and hospital personnel come out to get the patient. They test everyone, and if someone tests positive, they move patients to other hospitals. (We've got slack in our system again.) Lots of emphasis on keeping hospitals from becoming sources of transmission.

Of course, the difference between tonight and seizures in the past is that I can't tag along to the ER. A very nice nurse called to get her medication information. She had another seizure at the ER, but is always confused for an hour or two afterward, so she hadn't given the hospital to share information with me. Our closest hospital is not part of our provider network, so our HIPAA waivers on file don't matter. Sheesh -- pandemic and bureaucracy.

Luckily, she sent me a text just after the nurse called. It said:
Ms Ipsa wrote:I have to beabns




Po
She called a minute later, but she didn't actually say anything. That's kind of what its like after her seizures.

She called again about 15 minutes later, very tired and groggy. They're keeping her overnight. That sounds about right. And now the nurse can call me and tell me what's going on. When she has a minute. In the ER....

COVID-19: it's a laugh a minute.
​“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.”

― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951
_Jersey Girl
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Re: Life Under Coronavirus

Post by _Jersey Girl »

Gosh, RI I am sorry to hear this. I'm sure that the hospital is hyper-vigilant regarding virus transmission. I'm just sorry you had to have an emergency in the middle of all of this.

This reminds me of when I elected to be transported Mar 16 in AFIB for the first time with no beta blocker on board. The EMT's asked me the COVID questions at the house but none of them were wearing masks at all.

In any case, I would like to hear a follow up as to discharge if you are willing. I'll be thinking about you both tonight and praying but that's my business. ;-)
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
_Res Ipsa
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Re: Life Under Coronavirus

Post by _Res Ipsa »

Jersey Girl wrote:
Thu Jun 18, 2020 5:47 am
Gosh, RI I am sorry to hear this. I'm sure that the hospital is hyper-vigilant regarding virus transmission. I'm just sorry you had to have an emergency in the middle of all of this.

This reminds me of when I elected to be transported Mar 16 in AFIB for the first time with no beta blocker on board. The EMT's asked me the COVID questions at the house but none of them were wearing masks at all.

In any case, I would like to hear a follow up as to discharge if you are willing. I'll be thinking about you both tonight and praying but that's my business. ;-)
Thanks, Jersey. Happy to follow up. And thanks for the thoughts and prayers. Much appreciated.
​“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.”

― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951
_Res Ipsa
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Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 11:37 pm

Re: Life Under Coronavirus

Post by _Res Ipsa »

She’s back home again, safe and sound. Seizures are back under control, and she’s lucid again. Gaps in recent memory, but that’s typical.

She called me and told me to drive to an entrance. I called and let them know I’d arrived. A guy in scrubs walked her to the car.

They tested her for COVID, but she hadn’t heard the result.
​“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.”

― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951
_Jersey Girl
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Re: Life Under Coronavirus

Post by _Jersey Girl »

Res Ipsa wrote:
Thu Jun 18, 2020 8:55 pm
She’s back home again, safe and sound. Seizures are back under control, and she’s lucid again. Gaps in recent memory, but that’s typical.

She called me and told me to drive to an entrance. I called and let them know I’d arrived. A guy in scrubs walked her to the car.

They tested her for COVID, but she hadn’t heard the result.
Good. Good. Good! I bet she is a veteran of such incidents and accustomed to the memory gaps. Oh but maybe not in the middle of a pandemic, though, which tends to complicate everything when we think about it. That day I was transported I was worried about COVID but the ER was deserted. JB had to argue his way in to get to the back where I was. I am sure that now, as you experienced, they won't let anyone in with the patient.

Happy everything worked out okay and Ms. RI has landed safely back home where I know some guy will keep a good watch over her!
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
_Lemmie
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Re: Life Under Coronavirus

Post by _Lemmie »

So scary that you couldn’t accompany her to the hospital, RI, but sounds like things are better. Give her our best, and best wishes going forward.
(No wheelchair out the door? I guess lots of things are changing.)
_Res Ipsa
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Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 11:37 pm

Re: Life Under Coronavirus

Post by _Res Ipsa »

Thanks, Lemmie. Much appreciated. Yeah, the absence of a wheelchair surprised me, too.
​“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.”

― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951
_DoubtingThomas
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Re: Life Under Coronavirus

Post by _DoubtingThomas »

Res Ipsa wrote:
Thu Jun 18, 2020 8:55 pm
She’s back home again, safe and sound. Seizures are back under control, and she’s lucid again. Gaps in recent memory, but that’s typical.

She called me and told me to drive to an entrance. I called and let them know I’d arrived. A guy in scrubs walked her to the car.

They tested her for COVID, but she hadn’t heard the result.
I am sorry. I hope the best.
_Res Ipsa
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Posts: 10274
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 11:37 pm

Re: Life Under Coronavirus

Post by _Res Ipsa »

DoubtingThomas wrote:
Fri Jun 19, 2020 2:30 am
Res Ipsa wrote:
Thu Jun 18, 2020 8:55 pm
She’s back home again, safe and sound. Seizures are back under control, and she’s lucid again. Gaps in recent memory, but that’s typical.

She called me and told me to drive to an entrance. I called and let them know I’d arrived. A guy in scrubs walked her to the car.

They tested her for COVID, but she hadn’t heard the result.
I am sorry. I hope the best.
Thanks, DT. She’s fine. Just have to make sure her
med levels stay in the right zone.
​“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.”

― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951
_Jersey Girl
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Re: Life Under Coronavirus

Post by _Jersey Girl »

We went to an actual restaurant today. Social distancing employed to the max to the point where the place seemed nearly empty and I'm not exaggerating. Wait staff were all masked. I think I felt safe enough though I was pinging some mild level anxiety in there. I do feel a bit uneasy about it.

Give it about 2 weeks and we'll know. :eek:
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
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