PA Bob whites and updates

Male bobwhite

I left for the hospital and all things Uncle at 7:30 this drizzly morning and barely started along the drive of the RV park when a bobwhite flew alongside my window and then dive bombed the car!  You have to have lived in western PA to appreciate these crazy birds which are  similar to CA quail, yet oh so different with a western PA attitude.  I saw why the feathery challenge as ahead a small covey of baby bobwhites no bigger than 4 inches tall and barely visible against the gravel and  dirt road, were scurrying across the gravel drive, in righteous indignation at my intrusion of their early jaunt.  Of course I stopped to let them go by laughing at their antics as they looked over their collective shoulders at me while the escort settled into the field ruffling her wet feathers and almost prodding the younguns, "c'mon kids." I wonder if these are where we get the term gooney bird as they are hysterically funny. 

  Wikipedia says: "The clear whistle "bob-WHITE" or "bob-bob-WHITE" call of these birds is most recognizable. The syllables are slow and widely spaced, rising in pitch a full octave from beginning to end. Other calls include lisps, peeps and more rapidly whistled warning calls.Like most game birds, the northern bobwhite is shy and elusive. When threatened, it will freeze, relying on camouflage to stay undetected, but will flush into low flight if closely disturbed. These birds are generally solitary or found in pairs early in the year, but family groups are common,  in the late summer and winter roosts may have two dozen or more birds in a single covey."  Well here at Mt Top RV, these birds are not shy but aggressive ala western Penny's. Wish I could have had a camera on the side flight.

I have not yet had time to snap more photos of the glorious dogwoods which I mentioned previously in bloom.  But I did snap this one leaving Mt. Top the other day as Jerry drove, you can see the white dogwood in bloom in the woods. 

View of the woods from car window; white dogwood in bloom

It was on to the hospital  where I jogged quickly inside once I parked, delayed by 20 some minutes while a construction truck delivering a load of beams to the ongoing construction at the hospital turned  in the street; sitting there I worried that my intent to catch  the doctor on morning rounds would be foiled.  As I caught an elevator inside, I heard someone running and shouting"please wait."  It was an employee caught in the same traffic backup and I recalled the working world where promptness was encouraged.  Once on the elevator, the woman  commented, "Do you always walk that fast?  I saw you in the parking lot and you really got here fast."   I guess I do walk fast especially when on a mission as this morning.

Well Uncle's long time family doctor was on rounds and immediately changed the diagnosis and treatment for uncle.   He says the skin rash is neither shingles (we knew that) nor is it a recurrence of the scabies for which he was hospitalized in March.  He said there was no decision by a dermatologist and that he believes a steroid treatment is in order and this is severe psoriasis, complicated by Uncle Carl's hard scratching.  I had to laugh as did Dr Ferlin when Carl declared from his bed, "when I itch I scratch!"  Uncle Carl was alert and mostly in our world this AM unlike yesterday afternoon when he was so lethargic caring neither to eat nor be awake.  They had done an MRI and may have given him a light sedative which reacted strongly on his weakened system.  This morning he was up to eating all his breakfast and then some.  Diagnosis is not good and as I have suspected he is in decline, but at 93 as the Doctor emphasized "everything is wearing out." 
I have determined he will have hospice care when he returns to the personal care facility.  However, I cannot discuss this with Dr. Ferlan as the other doctor's reminded me he is very old school and does not believe in hospice, but treating until the end.  I encountered this in 2009 when my aunt was terminal; it was not until her release from the nursing home that we arranged hospice.  Uncle Carl is wearing out and down but he has surprised us before. Classically his dementia is worse in the evenings.  Friday he pulled out his IV's and took off his hospital gown because he was "discharging" himself  but ended up on the floor, I made a dash to the hospital to talk sense.  That did not work as he thought I was his dead sister, Jinx.  His cognition vacillates as do his vitals.  This morning his blood pressure was elevated so Dr. Ferlan administered lopressor; Thursday evening in the ER his blood pressure dropped very low.  This is all related to the congestive heart failure which will take him on sooner or later.  But at 93 all we can do is ensure his comfort and care.  Friday evening I took his advanced directive to the hospital as they admitted to not giving him the DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) status.  All this information is in their files from his previous admissions in November and March, but lawsuit potential and federal law requires renewing the documentation each admission; I understand this as people do change their minds but Uncle Carl, as all of my family, is vehement about this having drawn up paperwork and updated it. I was astonished to learn yesterday that they still had not flagged him DNR.  I marched out to the nurses' station to remedy this once again and was informed that the doctor had to sign off to which I inquired, "well a doctor is in here daily and I provided this on Friday evening so what else must I do, see the doctor myself?"  The nurse assured me it would go on his top chart while I said that if an event occurred and they did not follow the directive they would not be enjoying my wrath.  So frustrating but I do have the advantage of knowledge and ability to work around and in medical systems and to take care of problems which could wear down a lesser informed individual.  .  

Left to right Carlie, Rich H, Me (standing), Dayna

We have had rain and more rain here, unusually heavy at times and more on the way the next days.  Last night several of us gathered for Chinese food and to catch up; one friend saying, "for food and fellowship" like they say at churches only we toast ourselves. Major news photo and event  the other day was a local drug bust and arrest including one of our classmates from Ken Hi '62; Rich Hemprich here was always the class clown, we are coaxing him into emceeing our 50th reunion next year; true to his reputation Rich mentioned, "I asked Ralph to join us but he's tied up."   He had emailed me the news article saying I likely wanted the photo of Ralph's 15 minutes of fame led out in handcuffs.  This scumbag  annoys all of us, kids who knew the best of times. None of us had any contact with him but as we  look toward our golden gathering next year it torques us; junkies, druggies and those who sell and deal are bottom feeders, and we are righteously insulted as he once was one of us.

Big news coverage here in the Pittsburgh area is our own Steeler's Hines Ward on Dancing with the Stars. Show time approaches and I will be watching and voting.  Each  edition of each newspaper has something to say about this, cheering on our own.  I am off line and ready for  feet up.  Hines has attracted watchers to the show from fans,  people who have never watched Dancing.  That's Steeler Nation.