The Morning After

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Although the Mister was weak in his knees all yesterday afternoon after his fall, the bruised hands weren't bothering him except he mentioned that his fingers seemed to be lacking some feeling. This morning when he got up he showed me his hands. Right hand has a large blister near the nail and the left hand has a blister on the pad of each finger, not the thumb. The ring fingertip on that hand was seeping lymph fluid. I called the local hospital to see if there was a doctor available to see him this morning. Due to it being a weekend, only the emergency doctor was available for an office appointment and it was scheduled. 

I then called our daughter across town to see if she could take him. He definitely should not be driving with those blisters and I no longer drive due to my old shoulder damage that now doesn't allow me to reach the gearshift and steering is difficult. She also has legal POA and surrogate privileges so should be allowed in for the doctor appointment. 

Daughter was allowed to accompany him after the copy of the POA was re-copied. We had sent the hospital copies when they were first filed in 2004, but who knows where they are now since the hospital went from one location to another a couple of years ago. They returned home with four of his left hand fingers covered with a gauze wrap, leaving the tips open for drainage that may occur. The doctor did prick the blister on the middle finger and covered it as well. A package of antibiotic ointment packets,  gauze pads (to be cut with scissors included) and a roll of tape to hold the wraps in place leaving the tips open was sent home with him. Doctor didn't use the word frostbite but did say the blisters should be treated as those of a severe sunburn. They should dry out and heal in several weeks. The main thing is to keep his hands clean and dry and without infection.

Well, there goes my dishwasher! I will be Nurse G. for a few days. I'm not excited about any nurse duties but one must do what one must do.