Let's see, since I last wrote, our week-end was quiet after Bill came home on Friday. I called the vet and made an appointment for Cat to have her front claws removed for Tuesday morning. And, if I had known just what they do during this process, I wouldn't have had it done. Yet, at the same time, since they were suspecting that Bill had Bartonella, which is also known as Cat Scratch Fever, his health is more important. So, they told me no food or water after midnight and let me tell you, she was one miserable kitty by the time we left! Those great big eyes looking at me and following me everywhere thinking that it was FINALLY time for food was almost enough to make me give in for just a little water. But, I just took her in early. They told me that she would be there overnight and I needed to have shredded paper litter to use for 7-10 days so there wasn't any chance of infection.
Wednesday was Bill's follow-up appointment with our dr. and his white count was back up and he was crackly again. I had noticed Monday night that he was short of breath walking again and Tuesday night he started coughing again, so it was a good thing he had the appointment. Connie decided that she didn't want to take any chances and called the Infectious Disease Dr. So, we left and after I took Bill back home, went to pick up Cat. That poor kitty! She was very vocal as they put her in her carrier and in the car. She threw up in her carrier (she does get car sick if she has recently eaten) and could barely walk. I had moved her food, litter box and bed into a small towel covered area in the dining room so we could see her, but all she wanted was to be held.
Connie called about 1:30 and told us that the infectious disease dr. wanted him re-admitted and to just go to the emergency room again and he would have made the arrangements. So, I called the vet back and asked if I could bring her back for boarding, then packed a small bag for Bill and a bag for my stuff (knitting and books) and loaded everyone up. Bill held Cat's carrier and unzipped the end a little and she put one paw out on his chest and had her head out enough to get a little head petting. Dropped her back with the vet and we hit the road.
We got to the hospital as the school across the street was letting out and traffic was horrible. Luckily it is a high school so there weren't a lot of little kids about. There was no parking and since I'm uneasy leaving Bill where questions will be asked, we unfortunately had a long walk. We finally made it to a bench close to the door and I was able to get a wheelchair. There was nothing in the system about him being a direct admit back to the transplant unit and we were in the er for 5 very long hours before he was taken upstairs. He was very grumpy by then, mainly because he was hungry and they stuck him so many times. They had to take samples from different arms to rule out a blood infection. I know at one time they ordered 29 cultures! The er dr. was the same one we had seen and his first words were "I remember you". Finally at 8 we made it upstairs and the nurses remembered him. We got all the questions answered and meds gone over and he was waiting for transport to take him for another ct scan of his chest when I left. I was so tired I talked to Mistie most of the way home. There had been an accident on the northbound side of the interstate the day before that damaged an overpass so it was closed and traffic was being rerouted and it was a nightmare. We had seen the back-up on our way south and I didn't want to go that way. Mistie knew a way through the country and I thought I knew the same way. It would bring me out on the west side of the town (where we live) instead of the east side where the detour was. I got home at about the same time I would have normally. I fed the outside cat, took my meds and was in bed 10 minutes after I got home.
I had told Bill I wouldn't be there early because I had some business to take care of. I had to cancel an appointment and make a couple of other phone calls and it was mid-morning before I got there. Of course I had missed some of the drs! I did see Dr. Yusuf, the transplant cardiologist in the hallway as I was leaving and he said he needed to talk to me, so he detoured to Bill's room. He said the ct showed that the pneumonia area was still there at the bottom of his lung, in 2 places, but it was smaller than before. So he thought some more IV antibiotics were necessary.
Before I go on, I need to say that Connie had checked with home health on IV antibiotics at home and they said all they do is teach someone in the home to administer them. They just change the bandages and bring the supplies. And, the antibiotic he had been on was $4000 a bag and insurance would not pay for it!
OK, back to the hospital. I told Bill when I left that I would be there early yesterday so I was up at 5 and out the door at 5:45. And of course, the drs. didn't start rounding until mid-morning! I never did see Dr. Yusuf, but did see the nurse. We got lots of conflicting info, he was going home on IV meds, he was going home on no additional meds, he was going off the IVs and being watch for a day...very confusing. Finally it was decided by a different infections disease dr., who I really liked, that he didn't think he needed any antibiotics. He said, after consulting with the pulmonary dr., that this pneumonia may never completely go away. But, again, everything they were testing for was negative. The only thing that showed up was E.coli in his urine and that could have been from a little accident he had in his pants. They didn't seem to be concerned about it as being the cause. So, after another long wait, we were finally discharged about 4. Of course I hadn't brought any oxygen with me, but Lincare brought us a tank to get home on.
I talked to Stephanie after both of us playing phone tag and she cancelled his appointments. She had his records and said that it included the echo so they could use that. They are going to reschedule him and we are just waiting for that. I don't know if they will be in December or have to be after the first of the year.
I was going to get the cat this morning, but I think we may leave her through the week-end. I have until noon to decide if I'm going to get her. I do miss the little critter!
We had talked about needing to get some good room air purifiers with HEPA filters to maybe help and when I told Emily she said that they have a friend who is a heat/air guy and he could install a filter on the furnace itself that would purify the air before it gets forced into the room. She checked with him and it is only $200, which we would spend on the room ones if not more, she she's going to tell him to order it tomorrow when she sees him at church. Maybe that will help both of us. She knew someone who had it installed because the whole family was suffering from allergies all the time.
So, that's our week. Hopefully we can have a relatively quiet week-end. Tomorrow Emily will be 40. Doesn't seem like my little girl should be that old! See you next week!
No comments:
Post a Comment