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Back to the hospital
Dick seemed fine this morning at 9 when I gave him his pain meds and Tylenol. By 10:45 he had a fever of 100.9 and was not willing to take a drink of water. Our son got immersed in caregiving bit time. I phoned 911 and the EMT’s said his oxygen was down to 76. A ride to the hospital was in order. I had Geoff go with him in the ambulance and then packed up stuff here, emailed the pulmonologist and phoned our daughter. Also fielded a call from the ER nurse re history. By the time I got there they had done blood work, CT scan of Head, chest x-ray and the ER doc took off the Fentanyl patches.
I was livid. I was told when people come in confused and on Fentanyl is is SOP. Well I told then he is confused because of his fever and you do not take a 100 mcg Fentanyl off just like that. He needs them for his metastatic rib pain. What are you going to do for his pain. I never got a good answer. However this was his fastest time yet in the ER before admittance. They turned over the case to medical and the attending came into talk with us. She said Dick had a UTI. Confused well duh, this is classic sign of UTI in the elderly. She reinstated the patch, we went over the med list so I was satisfied he would get what he needed while inpatient. By 5 p.m. he was in his hospital room. After two IV antibiotics and IV hydration he was looking a lot better than he did at 11 a.m. They also think he has pneumonia but it is hard to read the x-ray because of the cancer.
These things come on so suddenly. We had fun at Joe’s Crab Shack last night. Dick ate very well as he polished off all his shrimp plus clam chowder and key lime pie. I had hoped we had seen the last of the UTIs. I so hate what they do to him.
Last weeks visitors left today, they did add to my stress level. I hope the remaining visitors won’t be so needy. I really want to see my grandson but I also cannot imagine a 19 month old staying here for anything more than an hour. I’m still struggling with how to accomplish having our daughter bring him along for her visit. She wants to help but she is also high maintenance and a toddler is always high maintenance. Julie
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Thanks, Julie. I caught up with the other thread already. Yes, the winds come whistling down the plain, for sure.
Doran is in the hot tub, and I’m going to have breakfast, and start packing.
Stephany in Iowa
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I had never heard of Watsu until we moved here but I checked with a friend in Madison, WI who is a massage therapist and he said that one of the athletic clubs with a pool had someone doing Watsu. I’ll ask my massage therapist how to find one in your area. Tucson is a big resort town and she works at Canyon Ranch for her day job.
I’m going to start a new thread re Dick’s release. Good luck in Zion. I’m sorry Doran had another collapse it must be very frustrating for him. Dick’s shortness of breath really forced the issue of using a wheel chair for him.
I know those prairie winds would you believe winds are a major problem here. I didn’t know that until after we moved here. I’ll be praying for you and Doran. Julie
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A massage in a pool? HOW relaxing. Where could I get one of those miracle treatments? I’ve never heard of that.
We are going to the Zion, Illinois, center, at Midwest Regional Medical Center. I have been working on paperwork for them for the past week, it seems like. There are forms and forms and forms.
On Monday, I’ll be running around getting local copies of scans, etc., and refills of meds to take. I’ve gotten the forms to the hospitals. I also filled out two new sets of paperwork for the long term disability insurance that turned us down this year, because Doran kept trying to go back to work. He won’t make that mistake again, and we’ll be getting to the end of the 90 day waiting period next month. I had forgotten how much paperwork there is. If only I had known…..
Anyway, I’m glad you’re getting away once in a while. I changed my massage to Tuesday morning, just before we get in the car for the drive to Zion. I figure it will do me the most good. We have about four and a half hours of driving, but I’m hoping it will be mostly in the country, instead of city.
That’s wonderful news about Dick. Doran was up and around a couple of times this weekend, but collapsed in the parking lot of the music building, after he told me he would NOT use the wheelchair. Luckily, we were still at the car, and I could get him into the chair. Then he was OK :^L
I hope Dick is home and resting well very soon. And you can get a breath of air, too. The wind is blowing so hard here it is pushing around the patio furniture, and I had to take down the umbrella before it carried the table away.
Stephany in (windy) Iowa
Hi Julie
So pleased Dick was feeling better and that you took some time out for you it will do you the world of good.
Lisa x
Yes I feel guilty leaving him but I also can’t stay all the time or I pay physically so I have had to limit my time in the room with him. Then I miss some of what is being done. I found out tonight that starting 3 nights ago they had put him on lidocaine patches for the rib pain which has given him additional relief.
I was pleased with the Home Health Agency when we had them before. The nurse was the person who told me that he had worked on cases side by side with hospice.
They do keep and I and O chart it is pinned on the bulletin board across from the foot of the bed along with a sign off for when the round every hour.Stephany where will you go to get service from Cancer Treatment Centers of America?
Dick phoned me this morning before I left the house to let me know he was feeling much better. His wheezing was not nearly so bad today and the Dr. had come in and said he might go home tomorrow. What a change I don’t know what happened from one day to the next as they had already done about all they could do. Perhaps it was the steroids. He looked so much better today. I took a couple of hours and went to have a massage treatment in a pool. it was so relaxing just to float and have someone work out the kinks and tension. I just thought about what my body was feeling and put everything else aside. I will be getting more of these massages. Julie
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Scary, Julie! You just feel guilty leaving them, don’t you? Remember when I went back to the hotel room to sleep, and came back to find nobody had cathed him for eight hours? The residents couldn’t believe I got 1700 ml out. They still want to accuse Doran of not cathing enough.
We’re going to try Cancer Treatment Centers of America, they had an opening next week, so I’m frantically getting things changed around so we can be gone for a week or so.
It sounds like you have a GREAT home health agency. I hope your hospice works as well for you and Dick.
Do you have to keep an eye on that I and O (in and out) chart posted on his hospital door? Or do they do that where Dick is?
I hope your weekend gives you some respite.
Stephany in Iowa
Today when I got to the hospital Dick was sitting on the edge of the chair, flushed, wheezing and in distress. I lifted up his feet in the recliner and rang for the nurse. She said he had been wheezing since he sat up to change to the chair which he had wanted to do. His temp had been normal at 8 but i insisted he was running a fever now. His behavior was the way it is when he has a fever. She was saying it was because of his breathing. It could have been both but when she finally took his temp it was over 100.
I know they were concerned about his breathing as the Dr. had already ordered an increase in the prednisone. But they are not giving him enough insulin to keep his blood sugars under 200.
He was looking a bit better by the time I had to leave for my appointment with the pain Dr. about my knee.
I convinced the Respiratory Therapist that he needed the breathing treatment every 4 hours not just if awake. By about 6 he was doing better and we were able to talk some about how to reduce the behaviors that set off the wheezing. He usually looks worse in the morning and by evening he is better. All I can say is late afternoon and evening has always been his best time of day. He is so not a morning person.I came home after my appointment to bring in the package of Procrit that arrived via Fed Ex. and put it in the refrigerator. The Dr. phoned while I was at home to discuss what was going on and what she was going to do to find out what was causing the fever. They drew blood to culture it again. Nothing has shown up in any of the blood cultures yet. Nothing has shown up on any of the urine cultures either.
So have no idea when he will be released. I can just hope they check on him frequently.
Julie
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Dick did a lot of sleeping yesterday. His blood sugars were elevated because of the prednisone so the nurses think that is why he slept so much. We got word late in the day that the hospice agency I interviewed Monday will take Dick in their service along with the home health agency.
Also the hospital social worker arranged for us to rent a furnished one bedroom apartment for a week that Joella and family will stay in next week. It has a pool and a grocery store across the street and the rate is very reasonable without any hotel tax.
Now I have to find a Pac n’ Play for Kaspian to sleep in. Julie
Volunteer Coordinator
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I have left a list of questions I wanted answered. Sometimes they have phoned me and sometimes I am told to let the nurse know and they will phone the Dr. to have them come speak to me. I ask the nurses a lot of questions and they are pretty good about getting answers. Today I did talk to Dick’s doctor on the phone. She had come by when she thought I would be there but I got delayed and luckily phoned while she was in the room.
I really agree with her reasoning about keeping him in the hospital until he gets 7 days of IV antibiotics as we both think he was switched to oral meds too soon the last hospitalization. j
I wind up coordinated a lot of care. i was on the phone today with our prescription service and finally got that settled. The customer service agent was very helpful and got them to authorize the Urelle so I will get reimbursed what we paid for it and the Procrit will arrive Friday.Dick’s appetite remains good and his Dr. is letting him have a regular diet to keep his energy up. The Zofran and Lexapro combined have helped. Julie
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I wish there were some way we could force all those professionals to call our cell phones when they come to see the patient, and we have stepped out.
It may take more of their time initially, but patient care would improve.
Maybe we should just pin a note to their pj’s, saying “don’t talk to me without calling my wife’s cell phone #XXXX”
What do you think?
Stephany in Iowa
Dick will be in the hospital until he finishes the IV antibiotics at least. His wheezing was really bad yesterday so they started him on Steroids to help clear the airway. I took our son over to his Mother in Laws as she was giving him a ride to Phoenix to catch the plane back to Seattle. When I got back to the hospital Dick’s breathing was improved although he had a couple of more episodes of asthma. He kept dozing all day and didn’t remember much.
I saw the urology resident on my way out of the hospital and we talked for a bit and went back to the hospital room. She was on the phone with his urologist and found out he had seen Dick at some point but Dick had not told me. The Dr. said yesterday and Dick said Monday. Anyway the stent stays in even if it is irritating the bladder but there will be no more exchanges of stents as Dick could not handle the sedation required for the procedure. Also the urine culture was negative so there was no urinary tract infection. The white cell count was up because that is what happens when a stent is in place. He can’t have a catheter as that would be a point of entry and then he could get infections. So all the problems of incontinence will remain. The best hope is the lymphedema massage treatment which of course will be delayed because of the hospitalization.The OT and PT saw him while I was gone and they said he did better than Monday. Dick told me he did what they asked him to do such as stand up and walk here.
I’m off to the hospital now.
Julie
Volunteer Coordinator
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As well they might be….I’ll bet you are so tense you could play ping pong on your back muscles!
Sounds like everyone is pitching in, too. What a great crew.
I hope he gets out tomorrow. Doran just saw his surgeon today, and he passed us on for another three months.
My fountain is up and running (or dripping) as planned. It’s beautiful, and worth the wait.
Julie, I hope your evening is restful. Maybe a little glass of wine……?
Stephany in Iowa
Thanks you everyone for your caring and suggestions. My son-in-laws Mother is giving him her frequent flyer miles so both of them can come. This way Karl can watch Kaspian (19 months old) while our daughter visits and they can both watch him when they are at our house. They will be staying in a motel. My sister is coordinating obtaining the tickets and scheduling. While I had manual labor I had our son help me get more patio blocks as we decided the path needed to be wider. He also set up the trickle charger on the battery on our spare car which I will let visitors use to go back and forth to their hotels.
Tomorrow the screen porch will get sorted out by our son before we visit the hospital. He leaves tomorrow afternoon. The good news is he and his family will be back at Christmas.I managed to catch the DR. this morning. We are talking about a Wednesday release if he continues to improve. Dick wheezed most of the day. I asked that he get breathing treatments more often. I also interviewed another hospice agency. Then I had an overload of interviews and just sat the rest of the afternoon. Geoff (son) and I went out to an Indonesian place for dinner and home for desert and glass of wine.
A massage sound good right not. I will see if I can get one this week. My shoulders and neck are aching.
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Everyone’s responses have “covered the bases”,I agree with all said…but I did want to chime in that you and Dick continue to be in my prayers, for strength, comfort, and peace. Margot and Harry
When Jerry was in the worst of his chemo last year, our son and his wife and their almost 2 year old wanted to come visit for the day. Before I could catch my breath they sweetly said they’d booked a room nearby with an indoor pool. Our granddaughter thought it was all an adventure. We were able to go there, sit inside by the pool with her, and Jerry was able to go to their room to lay down to rest before joining us for another poolside visit. Then we returned home so Jerry and our granddaughter could both get their naps in. The kids brought supper and visited for a short while out here.
This was a great way to see them, and not wear anyone out. And the added bonus of Allyson never realizing something was up with PeePaw. She didn’t cry when it was time to go as she was excited about going back to the pool.The hotel route is a great sanity saver!
Keeping you all lifted up in prayer.Traci
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