Caregiver Survival In The ER: How It's Done

Here we are again. Back in the ER in Henry Ford Hospital - West Bloomfield.

I cannot tell you the amount of hours I have spent here with my mother. Today she has been having swelling in her legs so we went to visit her doctor. The doc wants to rule out blood clots, so what started out as an in office doctor visit instead turns into a whole ER Adventure!

If you care for a parent or a patient/client then you know an ER visit is never quick. I have never been here for less than 4 hours - usually longer. I have gone through entire nurse shifts here! But this is what we do for our loved ones. We put aside our desires our plans and do for them what needs to be done, because we love them and we want the best for them. Does it get frustrating? Yes sometimes it does, but then life is full of frustrations and that's just the way it is.

In the next room a young man is sitting with what looks like his mother or grandmother. He has obviously been through this before because he is working on his laptop; he came prepared. If you do this once then you learn how to prepare for the next time and the next.. Like me, you may even put together an ER bag with snacks, Sudoku puzzles Tylenol,  because if your are a caregiver you will learn the drill and do it often.

How Do You Survive All Those Trips To The ER ?

Share your ER survival tricks with me. Personally I make sure I have phone charger, food and my 'meds' because, I may be here a long time!


Take care and please share,
Ruth Anne