The frequent flyer. The one who goes home after a stay in the hospital, only to return to the hospital after a period of time. Some of them return because they are just lonely. They live alone and have a hard time doing the normal activities of daily living. Some of them return, because they cannot or are unwilling to follow the instructions for care at home. The illnesses they have become overwhelming even for some with help at home to try. At every hospital, there are patients who know all of the staff because of many stays over a period of time. George was one of those patients. End stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); a chronic or long term disease that causes inflammation in the airways and usually a result of smoking. It can be debilitating and result in the need for continuous oxygen use and sometimes severe enough to require several respiratory medications. A patient with long-term COPD has a hard time getting air out of the lungs, rather than into the lu...
Nurse stories - the ones you remember