Let’s Chat: I should have been a nurse

By Linda Tooth on February 25, 2026.

Let me fill you in on what transpired since my last submission.

On Sunday afternoon, a full 48 hours since my partner’s surgery, he was so swacked (my word) out on drugs they were feeding him through his IV that he did not know which end was up. He had a roommate who at 45 years of age was facing the horrible possibility that their cancer had spread and my partner was convinced the same was true for him.

He even went as far as to get a bit stroppy with a nurse and demanded they tell him if his cancer had spread and was he in palliative care. The nurse reassured him it had not, but he did not believe them and my heart broke.

On Monday, the doctor came in, and I told him the drugs they were giving him had to stop. He was hallucinating and becoming quite agitated. They took him off the IV drugs and started giving him oral pain medicine and his whole demeanour changed.

Now I was dealing with someone I knew. The rest of that day went by in a bit of a blur as he was so tired and desperately wanted to get home, but discharge was not possible until Tuesday at the earliest. As we all know, every patient wanting to be discharged from a hospital must have a bowel movement before they set you free, so guess what was next? Laxatives!

By Tuesday morning when I got to the hospital things started moving. Hallelujah! We now need the doctor to stop by and sign the discharge papers. We patiently (some more than others) waited for three hours before the doctor came in.

He looked at the incision and was happy with everything and told us we could leave once the nurse came in and took the IV needle and drainage tube out. More waiting.

This is where it gets interesting and because I love that kind of medical stuff, I stayed to watch. The IV needle came out but he started bleeding like he had been stabbed. Blood down his hand, all over his gown, he was a mess.

Next came the drainage tube on his side. My face was right in there. First the stitches had to be taken out. OK, that was no problem. The drainage tube was another thing. It was much longer than I thought it would be.

He was clearly in pain, and they could not get it out quickly enough for him. Once all things medically were removed, I watched when the nurse applied a circular draining bandage thingy to his wound. That was cool.

Anyway, once he was dressed and ready to go, the nurse then realized he was diabetic and they had not been checking his blood sugars during his stay. I was utterly speechless and needed to leave before losing my ever-loving mind.

We made it back home safely and now the recovery has started. As of today, he is sleeping and eating a bit better. I am going to suggest he goes to the gym to walk laps as the snow and ice we have just received has hampered walking outside.

We will find out the pathology report from the lesion they removed in about three weeks. Fingers crossed it is good news.

Have a Meowtastic Day and keep reading!

Linda Tooth is manager of philanthropy and volunteer engagement, YMCA of Southeastern Alberta