On Friday, February 2, I got a call from the hospital in Oakley. My mom had a stroke. Could I come to the hospital? I told the nurse I was 300 miles away please call my son who’s in Oakley and gave her his phone number. There were many phone calls about when someone might have seen her last, who had the authority to make decisions (turns out I do) and transferring her to a hospital with a stroke center.
I was having wine and pizza with a friend who is a nurse. After a few phone calls she graciously said she’d leave so I could get things worked out.
They told me that Wichita and Denver were the closest stroke centers. I asked if they would call KU Med Center because it was closer for most of us. They were also talking about the weather going to Denver. A plane wouldn’t go, and they couldn’t find an ambulance crew to take her. KU Med Center wouldn’t take her. Who knew they could refuse a patient in an emergent situation?
My brother, who lives about an hour east of Kansas City, said he and his significant other would drive to Oakley. They got there around 2:30 am and relieved my son who had been in the ER with her. His SO is a CRNA (nurse anesthetist) and we were relying on her for medical help. There was still discussion on where mom should go later Saturday morning. After telling the ER provider that we were OK with paying the extra to transfer her to the Kansas City area they found her a bed in Overland Park Regional Medical Center, and she arrived at the ER there around 5:00 pm on Saturday. This is healthcare in rural western Kansas.
A Discussion with Mike’s Doctor
Susan (Ohmart) Bloom & Carol Ann (Socolofsky) Ohmart win first place in Lead Line
One day while Mike was having a CT scan in Colby I was talking with his doctor in the hall. He told me about a couple who had a similar situation. The man had chronic health conditions. They were faced with deciding whether to stay in western Kansas where they had the lifestyle they loved. Or should they move closer to a city where it was easier to get the health care he needed? They decided to move, and the man died a few months later. Mike came out and heard the end of this conversation and said there was no way he was moving to a city.
I also learned that I needed to advocate for him and myself within the healthcare system. At one appointment with my primary care doctor, she told me that I needed to keep after the nurse of the specialist who was referring him to the Mayo Clinic.
This situation was no different. We had to fight to get Mom to Kansas City which is about 100 miles further than either Denver or Wichita. Insurance will only pay for the closest hospital. If we insisted, we would be paying for the extra miles. Honestly, the extra money for transport will be made up in savings from trips from eastern Kansas to Denver. It’s also been shown that it’s best for the patient to be with family. And it turns out that they had a major snow in Denver where we only had rain and not freezing temperatures here.
Do you struggle with standing up for yourself or a loved one? Are your boundaries with others clear? The horses can help. Click the button below to set up a no-obligation Zoom to see if you’re a good fit for Equine Gestalt.
Sometimes you must be a Fighter.
Make a Connection in the comments below.
Onward!
