I'm glad you're there with her, SD. My son has been hospitalized many, many times over the years, and I try to stay with him as much as possible. He is deaf and has developmental disabilities, plus reads and writes at a less than first-grade level. Not all sign language interpreters are created equal, so even if the hospital manages to find an interpreter when he needs one, they can't be there 24/7, nor does it guarantee effective communication just because there's an interpreter there.

It can be scary to realize the extent of staff incompetence at times. Thankfully, the hospital where my son gets his medical care is better than most, but mistakes can still happen.

Hang in there, and please take care of yourself as best as you can. I would often see my T when my son was in the hospital, and tell him I just needed to rant, or vent, or swear, or be sarcastic. My motto at those times is, "Swearing beats homicide."

Hopefully your friend can get transitioned from the hospital to your home soon. Thinking of you.