Student needing medical procedure - Page 3

somemom · 07-04-2009, 02:46 AM

Marian:

I am in agreement with Pat's mom, what city is he in? If it were mine, I would volunteer to help another long time poster's kid in need. Also, if you mention the specific city some of us may know other options which apply to that city.

My DD recently needed proof of her degree for a visa and had a short time limit, she had to find some one in summer to take a form to her university, after 4 years there, jobs, sports, Greek, etc, it was very difficult to find some one she knew well enough to ask who was actually in town and trustworthy.

What about contacting Hospice, not that it applies to him, but they ought to be up on all sorts of medical service options in that community.

Marian · 07-04-2009, 07:50 AM

Thank you very much to everyone for all the ideas and suggestions.

As for the personal offers of help, they are much appreciated, but I do not think we will need to take you up on them. My son does not know that I go on this forum, and he would be very embarrassed that I had discussed his situation here. I think that he would be more comfortable with the options that involve seeking help through university channels or paying for someone from a health care agency to help him -- and fortunately, he (or I) can afford the latter. But thank you very, very much anyway.

After reading all of your comments, I now have some very sound ideas to suggest to my son. And, if all else fails, there is still the option that I mentioned in my very first post -- that of having a family member fly across the country and help him out when the test is scheduled.

The situation I raised in this thread may not happen for several weeks, but it's great to have plenty of information in advance. Thanks to all of you!

Pizzagirl · 07-04-2009, 10:12 AM

Quote:

He was discharged quite soon after the test, and the drugs apparently removed the normal inhibitions on his behavior. He spent the whole hour's ride home not just criticizing my driving, but grabbing my arm and the steering wheel on repeated occasions to try to get me to change lanes or make turns when I didn't plan to make those maneuvers. Several times, he threatened me with violence if I did not pull over and let him drive, and on one occasion he attempted to get out of the car while we were traveling on a multilane highway, presumably with the intention of hitchhiking home.

Oh my! I might suggest that if you need to do this in the future, you bring along another person -- and that person and your husband stay in the BACK seat while you drive in the front.

If it makes you feel any better - I drove my H after a colonoscopy and he had a reaction to the Versed (sp?) which made him loopy. He refused my help in getting re-dressed, and then fell to the floor with a thud when trying to put his pants on. He beamed like a little boy when his pressures, heart rate, were "good" -- as though he'd gotten an A on a test. He walked like a drunk man in the parking lot, even though I was holding him. The funniest part was that he repeatedly told the nurses that the doctor had prescribed that I (wife) do .. well, let's just say certain marital acts ... to make him feel better -- he would NEVER talk like that. The nurses were amused and he was just so mortified when he found out that he had said such things. Like your H, he remembers none of this. My heart goes out to you if you have to do this periodically with your H!

sunnyflorida · 07-04-2009, 11:48 AM

There are tons of home health agencies that provide sitters, LPN's, RN's. My guess is that a home health agency would be very helpful in providing someone who would pick up your son, take him to the facility, pick him up, and stay for a few hours after. The fee would not be horrible, and probably not much more that a medical transportation service. They would be professional, help with being sure they got the doctors message afterward when your son/the patient is still groggy, etc. And personal information would not be "outed" to a friend or co-worker.

Marian · 07-04-2009, 12:41 PM

I agree with you, sunnyflorida (although I suspect there are more such services in sunny Florida than in the rest of the country because of the large number of elderly people living alone in Florida). I think that sort of service would be a good choice if it's readily available, and money in the range that we're talking about (probably three figures) is not a significant issue.

In addition to the reasons you mention, there's also the call back/come back list -- the list of things that might happen after a procedure (but usually don't) that warrant a phone call to the doctor or a return trip to the medical facility. A person who's still under the influence of drugs isn't ready to cope with this list on their own. If something unusual occurs, they might not think to check the list to see whether it warrants further contact with the medical system. That's another reason why you want a companion to stick around for a while until the patient is sober. I think that most of us would not hesitate to ask a family member or a paid health care aide to stick around after a procedure for this sort of purpose, but we might hesitate with an acquaintance who has already wasted several hours on our behalf.

menloparkmom · 07-04-2009, 12:52 PM

Marian, what school does your Son go to[ did I miss this somewhere?] If he is at USC please call me. My son is on campus this summer and it would be no problem for him to drive your son to and from the DR's office. Honest. He has his own car and is the "go to guy" for friends who need a lift around LA.

Percussion Mom · 07-04-2009, 01:48 PM

Here is another suggestion for Marian and anyone else to just file under the "hmmm, that might come in handy someday"
I came across a website called Care.com recently. I was actually helping a friend find child care. They have a listing service to offer and/or request different types of c are from child care, elder care, pet sitting, house sitting and what they called 'Care Gigs" which seem to be an assortment of things that you might need help with. Since this is something where you could screen people and offer to pay them for their time, it might really help with this type of issue. My son was looking at a special needs job where a preteen with Aspergers loved rollercoasters and the family wanted someone to take him to Knotts or Six Flags every week or so.
I'm in the San Diego area and I know they had listings here.

menloparkmom · 07-04-2009, 01:50 PM

I meant to say please PM me.

ellemenope · 07-04-2009, 02:16 PM

You wouldn't have to tell your S that you have virtual friends that could help out. Just tell him you have a friend...

Marian · 07-04-2009, 03:50 PM

Thank you very much, menloparkmom, but I think we can find solutions that don't involve direct help from CC members. I appreciate your offer and the others, though. You are very generous. But I would feel more comfortable flying to California myself (if we have to resort to that) than accepting any of the offers -- and so would my son. That's just the way our family does things. It is no reflection whatsoever on the wonderful people at CC. But this is a situation that we would prefer to keep private except for professionals and any people my son chooses to share it with. I have been violating his privacy with this thread, but I felt it was necessary because I needed information. I don't want to go so far as to make personal contacts with people who are not part of my son's life. Your willingness to help is much appreciated, though.

I have a personal contact in California who is a whiz at research and who knows my son. If my son finds it necessary to make use of a home health care agency or some other professional service but cannot find one on his own or with the help of his doctor or the university health center, she should be able to help him locate one. He would not be uncomfortable sharing his situation with her.

Thank you again to everyone for all your ideas and suggestions. I expect to be talking to my son tomorrow, before he makes an appointment with the gastroenterologist (where he is likely to be referred for the test I've been discussing and other tests as well). I now have several excellent ideas to suggest to him, thanks to all of you.

I may be offline now for a couple of days. If anyone posts anything after this, you may not get an acknowledgment from me. I apologize for that in advance.

wis75 · 07-04-2009, 07:18 PM

Make use of a local student "met" via CC. Kids will do a lot for each other, just need to know about the need. The involved students can always say no to the suggestion- they are adults, not children. You may not want them commiserating about their mothers, though...

You may want to suggest lots of allowed fluids with the prep to avoid dehydration. I drank a lot of Gatorade- good thing I knew it was fruit punch coloring ... I recommend a different color/flavor for that reason, rapid transit means the food coloring is still there.

downtoearth · 07-05-2009, 01:22 AM

Social sevices at hospitals handle these things .call the hospital and ask for suggestions and find out the hospital's rules. They run into these situations all the time.

ucsd_ucla_dad · 07-05-2009, 02:16 AM

Quote:

having a family member fly across the country and help him out when the test is scheduled.

I hope you don't have to resort to that since it'd be quite a lot of effort and expense to cover a simple ride home from a colonoscopy.

If nothing else maybe he can ask the doctor's office for suggestions on obtaining a ride home - they must have some patients who are 'stuck' for a ride in similar situations every now and then.

Even though they don't want you to drive on the day of the procedure, what about having it done early in the day, hanging around afterwards for 2-3 hours to let the sedative wear off, then taking a taxi home? After a couple or three hours the effects from the sedative are mostly worn off (at least it was for me) but he should probably check with the doctor on this point also.

HImom · 07-05-2009, 02:54 AM

College on-campus housing generally has "resident assistants," which I believe are working over the summer as well as during the year. Perhaps your S can ask the housing office about this & the FA could help. I agree that the student health center might also be a good resource as they must have come across this situation before.

Mary Mary · 07-05-2009, 10:33 AM

If your husband gets 'loopy' from anesthetics then the chances that your son will be a bit 'loopy' are higher than normal!!

My own mom gets really wacky with anesthesia and so do I. I always take much longer to recover from those sorts of meds than most people do. On the other hand my sister doesn't have the same reaction, so it's not a certain thing, but still, something to consider.

How scary about your car ride home with your hubby!!!