I just did NOT think Mr. Hamil could be discharged back to his home.

He had been with us for a week since New Year's Eve. Came in with chronic urinary tract infection secondary to his prostate problem. I imagine that his enlarged prostate caused the urinary retention, which lead to infection. For a 83 year old man, this is VERY common. But in addition to the problem that he can not empty his bladder, he also has severe pulmonary and cardiac problems. So, very much he can not pee, can not breathe, and is weak and easily tired all the time -- in pretty bad shape the way I looked at him.

"So who do you live with at home, Mr. Hamil?" I asked, the morning I assisted him to get out of the bed and used the bathroom. Hoping that he lives with his children or at least someone who is physically able to take care of him. For Christ sake he needed me to pull him out of the bed to stand up. I simply do NOT think he is able to do much anymore. "My wife," He answered.

Mr. Hamil is 83. His wife can NOT be too young. So, 80?

"Is she as OLD as you, Mr. Hamil?" I looked at him, wishing the answer would be no. But he nodded. "80," he said. GOD BLESS YOU, Mr. Hamil. There is NO WAY for an 80y/o woman to do the job the way we, the nursing staff, do in the hospital for her husband. PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. I started worrying for him.

To solve the repeated UTI problem for Mr. Hamil, his urosurgeon exchanged the 3 stents in his bilateral tracts, which are literally to open up the tract, thus reduces the chance for any further retention. 3 days after the procedure, bloody urine stopped and Mr. Hamil started having yellow urine. It seemed like his peeing pronlem was solved.

As far as his lung and heart problems, we did not actively do any interventions. A lot of people think once they check into the hospital, the doctors will take care of ALL the problems for them. Well, that might happen in a PERFECT world. But nowadays the doctors will only do ONE diagnosis at one time -- for Mr. Hamil, they only worked on his UTI problem. Then the patients will be discharged for outpatient follow-up with their specialty doctors.

Thats how it was that day when Mr. Hamil was being discharged. His peeing problem was solved. He was expected to go home.

But Mr. Hamil's son-in-law did NOT think so. After I left him alone in the room to help get dressed for his father in law for 15 minutes, he sounded like he was FREAKING OUT. "He can NOT go home," he looked at me, then I looked at his father in law. Mr. Hamil looked quiet. "He can NOT even get dressed for himself," he gushed it out.

And that is MY problem because....? OK, I wish I could be more compasionate with him. But people DO get old. The hospital does NOT treat that. We treat acute conditions that threaten life. Once it's not acute anymore, you need to go back to where you are from. DON'T you know that? I looked at Mrs. Hamil. She was silently looking at her very elderly husband.

"He WILL definitely come back to the hospital," the son in law kept saying it to me. What am I going to do? I DON'T think Mr. Hamil was ready to go home either. He needs to go to a rehab or, if worse, a long term facility.

"I understand," I said, "but you have to know that he has MULTIPLE health situations -- his lungs, his heart and his bladder. In this hospitalization, he developed atrial fibrilation, simply meaning his heart is deteriating." I don't know how I can get them to understand that Mr. Hamil is simply getting OLDER. To the point that he may be alert and awake but physically can not take care of himself anymore. And there is NOTHING to stop the process -- not doctors, not nurses. We are mortal.

"He WILL definitely come back (to the hospital,)" GOSH, this idiot does NOT get it. Mr. Hamil came here for fixing his infection problem, NOT for a life-transplant (if there is such a surgery.) Thinking the hospital will give him a brand new life or old life back, a lot of people have TOO MUCH expectation or simply HIGH HOPE on modern medicine.

After all, we ain't God.