Bill was again having an interrupted breakfast this morning when I got there and he was rather testy about it. I suppose I would be too under the circumstances. Respiratory got there right before breakfast came for a breathing treatment and then the nurse came with all the meds and sugar checks. He just said he wasn't going to eat because it would be cold, but Molly took it when she finished and heated it, like I knew she would.
It wasn't as good a day today. He just didn't feel well and said he hurt all over. I think a lot of it was just being in bed for 3 days with only getting up to use the bedside commode. You know how you feel when you're sick and have been confined to bed, you can't get comfortable. He was also coughing a lot and I think his muscles are just sore from that.
They are giving him everything they can to get the secretions thin enough for him to spit out, but he just won't do it. Dr. Schriner, the new lung dr. this time, has not ruled out needing to do a bronchoscopy if necessary. The pulmonary nurse that came in was going to look at his x-ray and see if they needed to tweak anything. The IV antibiotics are working and Dr. Yaranov said he didn't hear the wheezing today that he heard yesterday.
Things may ramp up some tomorrow since the week-end will be over. They did get him switched to the high-flow nasal cannula oxygen instead of having to use a mask, but he is still on a pretty high amount and it will have to be lowered before he can come home. They may start some therapies tomorrow, but that hasn't been mentioned. His tubing is not long enough for him to get to his chair and there would have to be some major rearranging for him to be able to sit in it, so I'm going to see if they can get some longer tubing. If not, I'm going to see if he can sit on the edge of the bed and at least do his leg exercises. I always keep a pulse ox with me so his sats can be monitored if therapy isn't coming in.
That's really it for today. I'm updating tonight because I'm leaving early in the morning and didn't want to rush through in the morning.
I'll update after tomorrow's festivities!
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Bill was trying to have breakfast when I got there yesterday and Amanda from cardiology was there disturbing him, along with Marcus, the nurse. Apparently they had weaned him down far enough to use a nasal cannula at some point, but as he was eating his sats dropped to 77, so they were going to put him back on a mask. I don't know if any of you have tried to eat or drink with an oxygen mask on, but picture it this way...get your food on your utensil, take the mask off without dropping your food, put the bite in your mouth, put your mask back on, chew the food...repeat. The same with drinking. Get the glass/cup in your hand, take off the mask, take a drink, put the mask back down. I think all Bill managed to eat was his Cheerios and banana. He left the eggs and sausage untouched, but I wouldn't have wanted to eat after all the messing around. At one point Marcus mentioned that they may want to move him to ICU. That did not happen. After a breathing treatment and being put on super hi-flow oxygen and mask he evened out and his sats came up to the low 90s. Bill doesn't like the hi-flow, it dries him out too much so that he wants to drink more, but he can't drink freely so it was a tough day.
He was started back on the IV antibiotic after I left Friday night. It's the same one as before. Dr. Yaranov said that his white count had already come down to 9, so the 2 infusions of Rocephin and Omnicef had started to work. We again talked about long term antibiotics and he said that was still on the table and we would all get with Dr. Threlkeld about that. They are considering using the IV steroid they used last time but the lung people had not made a decision on that either.
We also talked about the Bactrim and why he was on it and, it's so nice to say one of the Mayo names and he understand the reasoning! The Bactrim had been discontinued, but he started it immediately after we talked.
Bill kicked me out about 3. He said I was just wasting my time sitting there and he knew there were other things I needed to be doing. I had planned on leaving about 4 anyway and I did need to go to Walmart and get gas, so I didn't argue. We still hadn't seen a lung doctor, and Stacy, the supervising nurse, said that they were also ordering an endocrinologist consult. All of these antibiotics play havoc with his sugar, along with the steroids. So they were calling Dr. Oktied. He had not come in before I left. I told Bill that if any drs. came after I was gone and needed to know something he couldn't answer he could tell them to call me. They all have my number.
Bill himself called me about 6:30 and said that they had him back on the nasal cannula using a high low one and he ate all of his dinner. He said it was a lot better. Since I didn't get any calls in the night, I guess everything went well in the night. He also said no-one else except nurses and respiratory had been in to see him.
The phone call from Dr. Threlkeld has worked miracles! I don't think he was pleased with what class of patient we were considered. I don't mean we were treated badly, but you've heard about the attitude that Dr. Edwards and 1 of his nurses had, and we were told early on that when Bill was in the hospital, we had to see the transplant lung doctors. I don't mind that group, at least they listen. Anyway, on Bill's board it shows that Dr. Shirwany is the attending physician, and we have seen Dr. Yaranov each day. He did say that Dr. Munday would be by, but Stacy also said that he wanted Dr. Shiner/Shriner from OUR lung group to see him. So, since I had also told Dr. Threlkeld who Bill's pulmonologist was, we are now getting something done. His doctor, Dr. Burbeck, doesn't round. She's in a wheelchair, and while I've seen other doctors in wheelchairs or scooters, she may also have another reason. But, at least it's the same group and they can see the notes in the office.
That's how our Saturday went. I got my shopping done, but I forgot printer ink which was one of the reasons I needed to go to Walmart and gas and was totally wiped out when I got home. I had bought some easy things to cook, mostly frozen dinners, but stopped at Taco Bell instead. And yes, Mom, our deal still holds about 1 meal of real food a day. For lunch I had country fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy and corn, and ate every bit of it. For those of you who are knew readers, after the transplant, my mom and I made a deal that I would have 1 nutritious meal a day. If that was lunch, then I could go home and eat peanut butter toast if I wanted. At the same time, if I ate a not so nutritious lunch, I had to have a decent dinner, whether it was out or home. And I have kept to that.
So, we'll see what happens this morning. I need to get moving although I don't have to leave as early today again as I will tomorrow. It was a lovely drive yesterday morning and afternoon, pretty day, lighter traffic, and a good parking spot. Hoping for that again today. Tomorrow by this time I will be on the road with all of the trucks, hoping to get a decent parking spot and fighting the early morning traffic in Memphis.
Until tomorrow, or tonight whichever I feel like doing!
He was started back on the IV antibiotic after I left Friday night. It's the same one as before. Dr. Yaranov said that his white count had already come down to 9, so the 2 infusions of Rocephin and Omnicef had started to work. We again talked about long term antibiotics and he said that was still on the table and we would all get with Dr. Threlkeld about that. They are considering using the IV steroid they used last time but the lung people had not made a decision on that either.
We also talked about the Bactrim and why he was on it and, it's so nice to say one of the Mayo names and he understand the reasoning! The Bactrim had been discontinued, but he started it immediately after we talked.
Bill kicked me out about 3. He said I was just wasting my time sitting there and he knew there were other things I needed to be doing. I had planned on leaving about 4 anyway and I did need to go to Walmart and get gas, so I didn't argue. We still hadn't seen a lung doctor, and Stacy, the supervising nurse, said that they were also ordering an endocrinologist consult. All of these antibiotics play havoc with his sugar, along with the steroids. So they were calling Dr. Oktied. He had not come in before I left. I told Bill that if any drs. came after I was gone and needed to know something he couldn't answer he could tell them to call me. They all have my number.
Bill himself called me about 6:30 and said that they had him back on the nasal cannula using a high low one and he ate all of his dinner. He said it was a lot better. Since I didn't get any calls in the night, I guess everything went well in the night. He also said no-one else except nurses and respiratory had been in to see him.
The phone call from Dr. Threlkeld has worked miracles! I don't think he was pleased with what class of patient we were considered. I don't mean we were treated badly, but you've heard about the attitude that Dr. Edwards and 1 of his nurses had, and we were told early on that when Bill was in the hospital, we had to see the transplant lung doctors. I don't mind that group, at least they listen. Anyway, on Bill's board it shows that Dr. Shirwany is the attending physician, and we have seen Dr. Yaranov each day. He did say that Dr. Munday would be by, but Stacy also said that he wanted Dr. Shiner/Shriner from OUR lung group to see him. So, since I had also told Dr. Threlkeld who Bill's pulmonologist was, we are now getting something done. His doctor, Dr. Burbeck, doesn't round. She's in a wheelchair, and while I've seen other doctors in wheelchairs or scooters, she may also have another reason. But, at least it's the same group and they can see the notes in the office.
That's how our Saturday went. I got my shopping done, but I forgot printer ink which was one of the reasons I needed to go to Walmart and gas and was totally wiped out when I got home. I had bought some easy things to cook, mostly frozen dinners, but stopped at Taco Bell instead. And yes, Mom, our deal still holds about 1 meal of real food a day. For lunch I had country fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy and corn, and ate every bit of it. For those of you who are knew readers, after the transplant, my mom and I made a deal that I would have 1 nutritious meal a day. If that was lunch, then I could go home and eat peanut butter toast if I wanted. At the same time, if I ate a not so nutritious lunch, I had to have a decent dinner, whether it was out or home. And I have kept to that.
So, we'll see what happens this morning. I need to get moving although I don't have to leave as early today again as I will tomorrow. It was a lovely drive yesterday morning and afternoon, pretty day, lighter traffic, and a good parking spot. Hoping for that again today. Tomorrow by this time I will be on the road with all of the trucks, hoping to get a decent parking spot and fighting the early morning traffic in Memphis.
Until tomorrow, or tonight whichever I feel like doing!
Saturday, November 16, 2019
I thought we'd dodged a bullet this week, but it wasn't to be. Bill saw the Infectious Disease dr. Memphis and I had had his labs done the day before and saw that his white count was up, as I suspected it was. I really wish there was a home test for that! Anyway, Janet, the nurse practitioner, listened to him she brought Dr. Threlkeld in for a listen. We also had a very frank talk about the transplant cardiologists.
Janet asked if I had contacted the transplant center and I told her no because they wouldn't care. She had a young man shadowing her that day and his head popped around immediately. I told her that I had been in touch with Mayo and they were good that he was seeing Dr. Threlkeld as this wasn't something transplant related. Anyway, when Dr. Steve (he and his brother practice together) came in he asked which of the cardiologists was Bill's and I told him we prefer Shirwany over Edwards and Yaranov over both. I also told him what Chandra had said last year about Bill technically not being their patient and not wanting to follow his meds, even after they had made the changes to them. I asked if Dr. Yaranov saw patients in an office setting and he said he thought he did and I said we would gladly see him. So, he said "Let me make some phone calls".
After he left the room, and didn't come back, it was decided to give Bill an infusion of Rocephin and then oral antibiotics. They would have preferred to have him do daily infusions of something else, but didn't want me to have to drive down there every day. I told her we have an infusion center at our local hospital 10 minutes away, but none of them are licensed to practice in Arkansas, so they couldn't order them for our facility. She said that if, when we went back to see her on the 25th, if he was not better, it was "back to the hospital for a tune-up".
This was on Wednesday. Thursday he started the new antibiotic and did not move off the couch from the time he walked into the room from the bedroom until it was time to go to bed. He was "so weak" that I had to get his urinal from the bedroom for him to use. I don't know what he would have done if he had to...you get the picture. I decided that day, especially after repeatedly telling him that he was turning himself into and invalid that I couldn't take care of and we would have to start using his feeding tube because he was starting to not eat enough to make me happy, that yesterday would be the beginning of "Keep Bill out of the Nursing Home". He wasn't going to like me very much but I was going to make him move and eat. His regression is as much my fault as his for not making him do what he was supposed to do. But as I told Mayo once, sometimes you have to stop being the caregiver and be the spouse and it's a very fine line to walk.
Anyway, in my quiet time yesterday morning, I fixed a schedule for him. When it was time for his meds, I told him he had to get up and dressed. He managed to put a shirt on and that was it. He could barely move, so I started gathering things together to head to the hospital. I called and left a message with Dr. Threlkeld's service and when I started to get Bill dressed he just said "I can't", so I called 911.
One of the crew members had been to the house before and remembered that he was a transplant. Another one told me, after I had told him about bumping his O2 to 5, switching from cannula to mask, and giving a breathing treatment when I couldn't get his sats above 84, that I had done everything right that was in my power. He did suggest that instead of just switching to mask to also use the cannula using tank air. That way he got oxygen no matter how he breathed. I had not ever considered that, but since I keep a tank ready all the time, I will do that the next time.
Anyway, off to the local ER and they got him stabilized. It took quite a while to get his oxygen level up and for awhile it wouldn't stay stable. It also took 2 hours from the time this ER called the ambulance provider back for transport to Memphis before it got there. The dispatcher screwed that up. It was the same crew as before, and becaue Bill was on oxygen and a heart monitor, not only did he get 2 EMTs, he also got a paramedic. So, arrived at ER a little after 10 in the moring and headed to Memphis about 2:30.
He was a direct admit to the step-down unit, which was a plus since that meant that he wasn't critical needing to go to CVICU. The nurse said that when she gave them his name, they said we were like family coming home! Not the kind of home I would want to go to, but it was a nice thought. And when I saw Horace, a favorite PCA I gave him a hug and thanked him for inviting us for Thanksgiving!
He was getting settled in when I got there and I found out that his admitting dr. was Dr. Yaranov. Dr. Edwards is the attending, so Dr. Yaranov must still be surpervised somewhat. He missed dinner and they brought him a turkey sandwich but he only took a couple of bites. They were lowering his oxygen little by little to get him off a mask and back to cannula, but it was going to take most of the night to do that. They didn't want to rush it. It was very hard for him to remember to take it off to take a bite or a drink.
They had to do another PICC line because the IV site Blytheville had put in had gone bad. It was bleeding under the covering and the nurse (a student who was very good) couldn't get it to stop bleeding. She needed to get some more gauze and told Bill to put his finger on the pad. As she left the room, I walked over and got some gloves and took over for Bill. She was surprised when she came back in with Rachel, the actual nurse, that I was gloved and holding pressure. I just told her Mayo trained me well. When she took over I took the gloves off and sat back in my chair.
Dr. Yaranov stopped in before I left and said we would discuss all options with Dr. Threlkeld, who he did talk to on Wednesday, about long term antibiotics, and of course the lung team. I told him we can't keep coming back to the hospital every 10 days. I then came home for the night and will go back shortly. I was going to stay in town a little later to take care of some banking, but I have to come home early on Tuesday to meet the chimney sweep, so it can be done then.
I did some figuring Wednesday and Bill was in the hospital these same dates last year. I also looked up all of his hospitalizations/rehab stays/skilled nursing and, out of 491 days, going from his hospitalization in June of 2018 through his last discharge Nov. 2 of this year, he had spent 177 days in the hospital! Just 3 days shy of 6 months! That's a lot!
As an aside, there is another man from Blytheville in need of a transplant and has gone downhill rapidly this week. They have moved him to the transplant ICU, which isn't unusual. What is unusual, and frankly very disturbing, is some of the information they have been given. He was at a status 6, which is the lowest status and means that you can basically live a relatively normal life. They were told the highest status was 2 and he wasn't there yet and wouldn't be able to get a heart if one became available. The highest status is 1A and Bill was at that for 2 months because of the malfunctioning seal in his LVAD. They were also guaranteed that he would have a heart in 2 weeks! Now remember, the heart is the only organ that the donor has to die for it to be able to be available. All of the others can be living donors, except possible corneas or bone. But to guarantee 2 weeks! There are so many factors against that. But, as Emily said, when the dr. thinks he's a god, what do you expect. I wondered if he was going to start killing people just to harvest their heart! Anyway, even while joking about this, the young man is in extremely critical condition, and I pray he does get a heart soon.
And, as you know God sends angels in all forms. When I was getting gas yesterday and car pulled up to the other side of the pump and a very nice black man said hello and we chatted about the warmer weather a bit. He wanted to know how my day was going and I've learned not to just say fine, so I told him about Bill and he immediately wanted to know his name so that he could pray for us. He may not, but from talking to him, I believe he did and will.
So, I think I got everything caught up. It's a little after 7 and I need to get moving. I told Bill I would try to be there by 10 but that was when I was planning on banking. So, I need to throw his pajamas in the wash and get some clothes on and gather the few things I hadn't picked up and hit the road.
Daily updates will begin again, so stay tuned!
Janet asked if I had contacted the transplant center and I told her no because they wouldn't care. She had a young man shadowing her that day and his head popped around immediately. I told her that I had been in touch with Mayo and they were good that he was seeing Dr. Threlkeld as this wasn't something transplant related. Anyway, when Dr. Steve (he and his brother practice together) came in he asked which of the cardiologists was Bill's and I told him we prefer Shirwany over Edwards and Yaranov over both. I also told him what Chandra had said last year about Bill technically not being their patient and not wanting to follow his meds, even after they had made the changes to them. I asked if Dr. Yaranov saw patients in an office setting and he said he thought he did and I said we would gladly see him. So, he said "Let me make some phone calls".
After he left the room, and didn't come back, it was decided to give Bill an infusion of Rocephin and then oral antibiotics. They would have preferred to have him do daily infusions of something else, but didn't want me to have to drive down there every day. I told her we have an infusion center at our local hospital 10 minutes away, but none of them are licensed to practice in Arkansas, so they couldn't order them for our facility. She said that if, when we went back to see her on the 25th, if he was not better, it was "back to the hospital for a tune-up".
This was on Wednesday. Thursday he started the new antibiotic and did not move off the couch from the time he walked into the room from the bedroom until it was time to go to bed. He was "so weak" that I had to get his urinal from the bedroom for him to use. I don't know what he would have done if he had to...you get the picture. I decided that day, especially after repeatedly telling him that he was turning himself into and invalid that I couldn't take care of and we would have to start using his feeding tube because he was starting to not eat enough to make me happy, that yesterday would be the beginning of "Keep Bill out of the Nursing Home". He wasn't going to like me very much but I was going to make him move and eat. His regression is as much my fault as his for not making him do what he was supposed to do. But as I told Mayo once, sometimes you have to stop being the caregiver and be the spouse and it's a very fine line to walk.
Anyway, in my quiet time yesterday morning, I fixed a schedule for him. When it was time for his meds, I told him he had to get up and dressed. He managed to put a shirt on and that was it. He could barely move, so I started gathering things together to head to the hospital. I called and left a message with Dr. Threlkeld's service and when I started to get Bill dressed he just said "I can't", so I called 911.
One of the crew members had been to the house before and remembered that he was a transplant. Another one told me, after I had told him about bumping his O2 to 5, switching from cannula to mask, and giving a breathing treatment when I couldn't get his sats above 84, that I had done everything right that was in my power. He did suggest that instead of just switching to mask to also use the cannula using tank air. That way he got oxygen no matter how he breathed. I had not ever considered that, but since I keep a tank ready all the time, I will do that the next time.
Anyway, off to the local ER and they got him stabilized. It took quite a while to get his oxygen level up and for awhile it wouldn't stay stable. It also took 2 hours from the time this ER called the ambulance provider back for transport to Memphis before it got there. The dispatcher screwed that up. It was the same crew as before, and becaue Bill was on oxygen and a heart monitor, not only did he get 2 EMTs, he also got a paramedic. So, arrived at ER a little after 10 in the moring and headed to Memphis about 2:30.
He was a direct admit to the step-down unit, which was a plus since that meant that he wasn't critical needing to go to CVICU. The nurse said that when she gave them his name, they said we were like family coming home! Not the kind of home I would want to go to, but it was a nice thought. And when I saw Horace, a favorite PCA I gave him a hug and thanked him for inviting us for Thanksgiving!
He was getting settled in when I got there and I found out that his admitting dr. was Dr. Yaranov. Dr. Edwards is the attending, so Dr. Yaranov must still be surpervised somewhat. He missed dinner and they brought him a turkey sandwich but he only took a couple of bites. They were lowering his oxygen little by little to get him off a mask and back to cannula, but it was going to take most of the night to do that. They didn't want to rush it. It was very hard for him to remember to take it off to take a bite or a drink.
They had to do another PICC line because the IV site Blytheville had put in had gone bad. It was bleeding under the covering and the nurse (a student who was very good) couldn't get it to stop bleeding. She needed to get some more gauze and told Bill to put his finger on the pad. As she left the room, I walked over and got some gloves and took over for Bill. She was surprised when she came back in with Rachel, the actual nurse, that I was gloved and holding pressure. I just told her Mayo trained me well. When she took over I took the gloves off and sat back in my chair.
Dr. Yaranov stopped in before I left and said we would discuss all options with Dr. Threlkeld, who he did talk to on Wednesday, about long term antibiotics, and of course the lung team. I told him we can't keep coming back to the hospital every 10 days. I then came home for the night and will go back shortly. I was going to stay in town a little later to take care of some banking, but I have to come home early on Tuesday to meet the chimney sweep, so it can be done then.
I did some figuring Wednesday and Bill was in the hospital these same dates last year. I also looked up all of his hospitalizations/rehab stays/skilled nursing and, out of 491 days, going from his hospitalization in June of 2018 through his last discharge Nov. 2 of this year, he had spent 177 days in the hospital! Just 3 days shy of 6 months! That's a lot!
As an aside, there is another man from Blytheville in need of a transplant and has gone downhill rapidly this week. They have moved him to the transplant ICU, which isn't unusual. What is unusual, and frankly very disturbing, is some of the information they have been given. He was at a status 6, which is the lowest status and means that you can basically live a relatively normal life. They were told the highest status was 2 and he wasn't there yet and wouldn't be able to get a heart if one became available. The highest status is 1A and Bill was at that for 2 months because of the malfunctioning seal in his LVAD. They were also guaranteed that he would have a heart in 2 weeks! Now remember, the heart is the only organ that the donor has to die for it to be able to be available. All of the others can be living donors, except possible corneas or bone. But to guarantee 2 weeks! There are so many factors against that. But, as Emily said, when the dr. thinks he's a god, what do you expect. I wondered if he was going to start killing people just to harvest their heart! Anyway, even while joking about this, the young man is in extremely critical condition, and I pray he does get a heart soon.
And, as you know God sends angels in all forms. When I was getting gas yesterday and car pulled up to the other side of the pump and a very nice black man said hello and we chatted about the warmer weather a bit. He wanted to know how my day was going and I've learned not to just say fine, so I told him about Bill and he immediately wanted to know his name so that he could pray for us. He may not, but from talking to him, I believe he did and will.
So, I think I got everything caught up. It's a little after 7 and I need to get moving. I told Bill I would try to be there by 10 but that was when I was planning on banking. So, I need to throw his pajamas in the wash and get some clothes on and gather the few things I hadn't picked up and hit the road.
Daily updates will begin again, so stay tuned!
Saturday, November 9, 2019
We made it through the first week at home. It was trying at times, I'm sure for both of us. Bill still is not wanting to move much, and when I tell him to do his exercises, he just starts wiggling a finger. Very frustrating!
We did have a talk about him getting weaker and if that happens, I won't be able to care for him and he'll have to go to a nursing home. I didn't say that to be mean, but it's the truth. If he should fall, I would be hard pressed to get him up.
He did get better as the week went on until yesterday evening. He stopped keeping his urinal with him and started to walk to the bathroom to do more than...well you know what he can't do with a urinal. He also started getting dressed instead of staying in his pajamas. Now, I like staying in my robe and pajamas too, but not every single day. So, getting dressed without me telling him to do it was a plus.
His appetite has been slow to come back. Part of the reason for that is he's drinking more. We had burgers the other night and he only ate 1/2 of his, but he drank 2 glasses of milk. I've told him I'm going to have to treat him like we did the kids, limit the amount they could drink until they had eaten. He got better after that, but still only ate 1/2 of his sandwich the next day for lunch.
His stomach still seems to be full of gas/air. If he has been reclined some, as soon as he sits up he starts belching. He's on a probiotic and an acid reducer so I'm not sure what is causing that. It's almost like he has acid reflux, which he could have.
Yesterday we had a turning point with meals. I fixed a big breakfast; eggs, sausage, biscuits, gravy, coffee and Bill had 2 eggs, 2 sausage patties, 1 biscuit, with gravy on half and butter on the other half, coffee and milk and cleaned his plate! I told him since we had such a big breakfast that if he didn't want lunch, that would be OK. But, around lunch time he saw an ad on TV for pizza and said he thought he might like to try pizza. Instead of ordering one, I just went to the store to get the frozen ones we like and he ate 4 slices! During this time, he didn't complain about his stomach at all. We've tried having him eat before taking his meds, but his meds are the same as he was taking before so that stymies me a bit.
Mid afternoon, he told me he couldn't get up to go to the bathroom, he was just too weak and his stomach was bothering him. I was on the phone so instead of insisting he get up, I just got the urinal for him. He was still complaining about his stomach, but decided he wanted a bowl of chili for supper. I had made it the day before since it was cold and rainy and he ate a big bowl of it. By 8, his stomach was bothering him, and he wanted to go to bed, but I had to help him to the bedroom (he stopped using his walker by Wednesday). Again, every time he sat up straight, or tried to stand, he would grab his stomach and start burping. (I had terrible reflux in the night and my throat still burns, even after the Gaviscon at midnight). So, it's still a mystery. We haven't gone to the local dr. yet. They are in the middle of switching to a new system, and our practitioner is up to her hair roots in it, which is driving the ones who are actually being trained on it nuts, but that's another story. So, I'm just monitoring it.
Brianna came over Monday and between us we got his feeding tube flushed. It did take using the little skewer again before we could get the water through. She found out that some of what they were told in nursing school was wrong, and she passed it along to her fellow students. They had been told that patients couldn't feel when the tubes were flushed, or bolus feedings were given. Bill can feel when his tube is flushed (the water is cold). She had also asked her instructor if the water should be warmed first and she said it didn't matter. I haven't tried warm water to see if he can tell a difference.
His sugars have gone up again and he's coughing more again since he's been home. But, his oxygen levels have been within his normal range except for after he's walked. He's dropping, but we know he does that and he recovers well. We see the infectious disease dr. on Wednesday. We actually see the nurse who told us last time just to avoid sick people and wash hands a lot and they he was in the hospital the next day. I requested labs be done on Tuesday so that I can go armed with a white count this time. I also heard from Stephanie and she wants to have his Prograf level checked since Memphis increased his dosage, so we're getting that done at the same time.
I have a dilemma about which lung dr. to call. We love Dr. Burbeck, but whenever he's in the hospital, he has to see the lung group the transplant program uses, no matter how much I've complained. So, that group now knows more about him than Dr. Burbeck, so do we switch to the other group? Dr. Burbeck can read all of the hospital notes, so she can have the same information they have. I'll have to think on that a little more.
So that's it, I think. The cats let me sleep until 6 this morning, which was nice since I was up and down all night. And Bill has gotten up and needs to have some breakfast before his meds, so I'd better get busy. I'll let you know what we find out Wednesday!
We did have a talk about him getting weaker and if that happens, I won't be able to care for him and he'll have to go to a nursing home. I didn't say that to be mean, but it's the truth. If he should fall, I would be hard pressed to get him up.
He did get better as the week went on until yesterday evening. He stopped keeping his urinal with him and started to walk to the bathroom to do more than...well you know what he can't do with a urinal. He also started getting dressed instead of staying in his pajamas. Now, I like staying in my robe and pajamas too, but not every single day. So, getting dressed without me telling him to do it was a plus.
His appetite has been slow to come back. Part of the reason for that is he's drinking more. We had burgers the other night and he only ate 1/2 of his, but he drank 2 glasses of milk. I've told him I'm going to have to treat him like we did the kids, limit the amount they could drink until they had eaten. He got better after that, but still only ate 1/2 of his sandwich the next day for lunch.
His stomach still seems to be full of gas/air. If he has been reclined some, as soon as he sits up he starts belching. He's on a probiotic and an acid reducer so I'm not sure what is causing that. It's almost like he has acid reflux, which he could have.
Yesterday we had a turning point with meals. I fixed a big breakfast; eggs, sausage, biscuits, gravy, coffee and Bill had 2 eggs, 2 sausage patties, 1 biscuit, with gravy on half and butter on the other half, coffee and milk and cleaned his plate! I told him since we had such a big breakfast that if he didn't want lunch, that would be OK. But, around lunch time he saw an ad on TV for pizza and said he thought he might like to try pizza. Instead of ordering one, I just went to the store to get the frozen ones we like and he ate 4 slices! During this time, he didn't complain about his stomach at all. We've tried having him eat before taking his meds, but his meds are the same as he was taking before so that stymies me a bit.
Mid afternoon, he told me he couldn't get up to go to the bathroom, he was just too weak and his stomach was bothering him. I was on the phone so instead of insisting he get up, I just got the urinal for him. He was still complaining about his stomach, but decided he wanted a bowl of chili for supper. I had made it the day before since it was cold and rainy and he ate a big bowl of it. By 8, his stomach was bothering him, and he wanted to go to bed, but I had to help him to the bedroom (he stopped using his walker by Wednesday). Again, every time he sat up straight, or tried to stand, he would grab his stomach and start burping. (I had terrible reflux in the night and my throat still burns, even after the Gaviscon at midnight). So, it's still a mystery. We haven't gone to the local dr. yet. They are in the middle of switching to a new system, and our practitioner is up to her hair roots in it, which is driving the ones who are actually being trained on it nuts, but that's another story. So, I'm just monitoring it.
Brianna came over Monday and between us we got his feeding tube flushed. It did take using the little skewer again before we could get the water through. She found out that some of what they were told in nursing school was wrong, and she passed it along to her fellow students. They had been told that patients couldn't feel when the tubes were flushed, or bolus feedings were given. Bill can feel when his tube is flushed (the water is cold). She had also asked her instructor if the water should be warmed first and she said it didn't matter. I haven't tried warm water to see if he can tell a difference.
His sugars have gone up again and he's coughing more again since he's been home. But, his oxygen levels have been within his normal range except for after he's walked. He's dropping, but we know he does that and he recovers well. We see the infectious disease dr. on Wednesday. We actually see the nurse who told us last time just to avoid sick people and wash hands a lot and they he was in the hospital the next day. I requested labs be done on Tuesday so that I can go armed with a white count this time. I also heard from Stephanie and she wants to have his Prograf level checked since Memphis increased his dosage, so we're getting that done at the same time.
I have a dilemma about which lung dr. to call. We love Dr. Burbeck, but whenever he's in the hospital, he has to see the lung group the transplant program uses, no matter how much I've complained. So, that group now knows more about him than Dr. Burbeck, so do we switch to the other group? Dr. Burbeck can read all of the hospital notes, so she can have the same information they have. I'll have to think on that a little more.
So that's it, I think. The cats let me sleep until 6 this morning, which was nice since I was up and down all night. And Bill has gotten up and needs to have some breakfast before his meds, so I'd better get busy. I'll let you know what we find out Wednesday!
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Bill is home! He was discharged about 11 yesterday morning. He's still pretty weak and his stomach is still bothering him. He's not complaining about me making him use his walker to get around and he said he can't believe how hard it is to get anywhere in the house.
I told him he could have the week-end off as far as his exercises go, but come Monday, the fun begins. There wasn't anything in the discharge paperwork about Home Health, so I'll call them tomorrow morning. I've also got to call Mayo, Dr. Threlkeld, and Dr. Burbeck. I think I'm also going to make an appointment with our dr., especially to have his stomach checked out. As soon as I'm done with my morning internet surfing (it is a habit you know) I'm going to start making my Monday to do list. I usually do that on Sunday night, but since it's fresh in my mind, I'll do it this morning.
They didn't make any medicine changes and he didn't come home with any antibiotics. They think they got it with the IV ones. But his white count is still a little higher than I think it should be at 14.3. But, what do I know, I'm just a wife! They also increased his Prograf (transplant med) so I need to find out from Mayo when to get labs done to check that level. They've put him back on his regular steroid instead of the high powered one and back to his regular insulin regimen. I was surprised that his sugar was only 117. It hadn't been that low for a long time, even fasting. But his A1C was 8.8 which was higher than the last time. So, another thing to talk to Connie and Mildred about at the local dr.
He did lose 13 1/2 pounds in the 10 days he was there. The sheets that come with meals don't list calories, they only list grams of carbs, so I don't know exactly how many calories he was taking in. So, we'll be back to packing on the calories for a while. I'm sure the weight loss has contributed to the weakness.
So, there you have it. He's home, Cat was in his lap almost as soon as he sat down, and Mouse looked at me like "who is this and why is he here". He warmed up to him again after a while, but Cat didn't want to share him at all! And Bill was just as content to have her on his lap as she was to be there.
Unless something happens during the week, I won't update again until next Saturday as usual. But, if necessary, I'll post sooner. I hope everyone enjoys the time change. I didn't really get an extra hour of sleep since the cats thought 3:30 was breakfast time. But, I just booted them out of the bedroom and closed the door and slept until 5:30, so I guess I maybe did get an extra hour!
I told him he could have the week-end off as far as his exercises go, but come Monday, the fun begins. There wasn't anything in the discharge paperwork about Home Health, so I'll call them tomorrow morning. I've also got to call Mayo, Dr. Threlkeld, and Dr. Burbeck. I think I'm also going to make an appointment with our dr., especially to have his stomach checked out. As soon as I'm done with my morning internet surfing (it is a habit you know) I'm going to start making my Monday to do list. I usually do that on Sunday night, but since it's fresh in my mind, I'll do it this morning.
They didn't make any medicine changes and he didn't come home with any antibiotics. They think they got it with the IV ones. But his white count is still a little higher than I think it should be at 14.3. But, what do I know, I'm just a wife! They also increased his Prograf (transplant med) so I need to find out from Mayo when to get labs done to check that level. They've put him back on his regular steroid instead of the high powered one and back to his regular insulin regimen. I was surprised that his sugar was only 117. It hadn't been that low for a long time, even fasting. But his A1C was 8.8 which was higher than the last time. So, another thing to talk to Connie and Mildred about at the local dr.
He did lose 13 1/2 pounds in the 10 days he was there. The sheets that come with meals don't list calories, they only list grams of carbs, so I don't know exactly how many calories he was taking in. So, we'll be back to packing on the calories for a while. I'm sure the weight loss has contributed to the weakness.
So, there you have it. He's home, Cat was in his lap almost as soon as he sat down, and Mouse looked at me like "who is this and why is he here". He warmed up to him again after a while, but Cat didn't want to share him at all! And Bill was just as content to have her on his lap as she was to be there.
Unless something happens during the week, I won't update again until next Saturday as usual. But, if necessary, I'll post sooner. I hope everyone enjoys the time change. I didn't really get an extra hour of sleep since the cats thought 3:30 was breakfast time. But, I just booted them out of the bedroom and closed the door and slept until 5:30, so I guess I maybe did get an extra hour!
Saturday, November 2, 2019
This is going to be hard to do today. As I was getting out a bag of popcorn last night, the edge of the box sliced under my fingernail. Now, y'all know how that feels! So with 2 bandaids on my finger, it's a little hard to type this morning. I can probably take them off, but right now it's too early in the morning for all that. So, I'll suffer through.
Bill is coming home today!!! Other than his indigestion from the day before that carried over to yesterday, he's so much better. He finished the entire regime of IV antibiotics and while I forgot to ask what his white count was, he was just...better. Not coughing as much and not laboring to breathe at rest like he had been. The main problem from the last 2 days was indigestion and feeling bloated. I finally asked him and he couldn't remember, so I asked his nurse when his last bowel movement was. He couldn't remember, but Emily said it had been a couple of days, even with Colace. I guess one of the side effects of the IV steroid can be constipation. So, I think he was just full. When he did have to go it took him a little longer than normal. He's one of those that sits, does his business and is done. Horace, the aide said that it was a good solid one. That made him feel better for awhile. I told Emily (nurse Emily not daughter Emily) that he may go again since he was now opened some. All of the indigestion signs went away...until after dinner. When he called me the hiccups were back. I told him to ask for something again. They had given him something like Gaviscon during the day. I told him they didn't want him to get any acid reflux which could cause pneumonia again and may actually have caused this one.
He did all of his therapies, including working with occupational therapy with a therapist that I'm not fond of. I can't say that I don't like her because I don't know her, but she's very loud and a little overbearing. But, he needed to work with her, so I encouraged him to do it. He had already shaved. I took his electric razor with me yesterday and he did that as soon as he finished breakfast. But, he went in and washed up and got a new gown on and looked a little more human.
Speech came in and his swallowing exercises were finished in about 10 minutes. He breezed through those. His breathing ones also went fast, so she increased the resistance on his little device. She didn't just go up one notch, but 2 so he's on the next to the highest resistance. She's been really impressed with him.
Physical therapy came in and we went over the home health group we use as they are going to set him up for that again. He didn't walk quite as far as the day before, but he did well and, while his sats dropped to 77 at one point, he rebounded quickly, even into the mid-90s.
Respiratory had set his oxygen at 3 1/2 after his afternoon breathing treatment so Emily was checking his saturation a little more frequently to make sure he was maintaining at least his baseline of 88. The last time she checked it was 96, which is better than a lot of "normal" people. She told him she was impressed and he said he was glad he could impress someone, just as Dr. Williams walked in. I pointed to him and told Bill he was the one who had to be impressed and he said that he already was. He gave him a listen and said "I'm gonna tell Edwards he can go" and texted him right there and then. A few minutes later Cindy came in and said that lung gave us the green light to leave. I asked if he could wait until today since it was almost 3 then. She agreed that since it was so late in the day that would be fine. She had said earlier that we would talk about leaving on Monday, for him to just work hard over the week-end. But, lung won the day, as they should have since it is a lung problem that got him there.
So, I've got his suitcase in the car, it was in there from day one, and his heavy coat since it's gotten cold and as soon as they can get the paperwork done and the PICC line removed (unless he's coming home with steroid injections and that hasn't been talked about yet) we'll be out of there.
I told Bill I wasn't coming super early today since it's Saturday. I won't have to look for a good parking place and traffic will be lighter. Although ESPN's College Game Day is in Memphis this week, so there may be more traffic, but it's in an area that I'm not near, so once I get to the city it shouldn't be bad. I'm going to throw the sheets in the wash in a bit so they will be fresh when he gets home, but I'm just going to take my time this morning.
I feel very comfortable with him coming home this time since I can tell that he's feeling better, unlike last time. I hope his discharge instructions are a little more detailed with follow-ups, unlike last time, but I'll also take the initiative with that too.
I had a place come up on my back a few days ago. I thought I had just scratched a pimple open as it was a little weepy and didn't think much about it. But the next day I felt the area, which is almost out of reach no matter which direction I reach and it felt like a much bigger spot and was scaly. I could kind of get a look at it using mirrors but couldn't really tell, so Emily came over last night to look at it. She took a picture of it and it looks ugly. We had too thoughts on it, a psoriasis or shingles. It doesn't really hurt and it's only the one spot. She sent the picture to Mary-Rose and she said it looks more like a contact dermatitis and to just keep it clean and use an antibiotic ointment. Hard to do since I can't reach it. Anyway, when I went to bed last night, in addition to my regular Zantac (and I'm still taking it even though there's a chance that there might be something in it that could cause cancer), a Benadryl and one of Bill's prednisone. That's the magic cocktail for hives. I figured it couldn't hurt and it's not itchy this morning.
So, that's it for the latest update. Even though I don't need to leave right away, I still need to feed the outside cats and get the sheets in the wash and get dressed. I'll let you know when we get home and how that goes and then next week, we will most likely be back to our weekly updates.
Later, everybody!
Bill is coming home today!!! Other than his indigestion from the day before that carried over to yesterday, he's so much better. He finished the entire regime of IV antibiotics and while I forgot to ask what his white count was, he was just...better. Not coughing as much and not laboring to breathe at rest like he had been. The main problem from the last 2 days was indigestion and feeling bloated. I finally asked him and he couldn't remember, so I asked his nurse when his last bowel movement was. He couldn't remember, but Emily said it had been a couple of days, even with Colace. I guess one of the side effects of the IV steroid can be constipation. So, I think he was just full. When he did have to go it took him a little longer than normal. He's one of those that sits, does his business and is done. Horace, the aide said that it was a good solid one. That made him feel better for awhile. I told Emily (nurse Emily not daughter Emily) that he may go again since he was now opened some. All of the indigestion signs went away...until after dinner. When he called me the hiccups were back. I told him to ask for something again. They had given him something like Gaviscon during the day. I told him they didn't want him to get any acid reflux which could cause pneumonia again and may actually have caused this one.
He did all of his therapies, including working with occupational therapy with a therapist that I'm not fond of. I can't say that I don't like her because I don't know her, but she's very loud and a little overbearing. But, he needed to work with her, so I encouraged him to do it. He had already shaved. I took his electric razor with me yesterday and he did that as soon as he finished breakfast. But, he went in and washed up and got a new gown on and looked a little more human.
Speech came in and his swallowing exercises were finished in about 10 minutes. He breezed through those. His breathing ones also went fast, so she increased the resistance on his little device. She didn't just go up one notch, but 2 so he's on the next to the highest resistance. She's been really impressed with him.
Physical therapy came in and we went over the home health group we use as they are going to set him up for that again. He didn't walk quite as far as the day before, but he did well and, while his sats dropped to 77 at one point, he rebounded quickly, even into the mid-90s.
Respiratory had set his oxygen at 3 1/2 after his afternoon breathing treatment so Emily was checking his saturation a little more frequently to make sure he was maintaining at least his baseline of 88. The last time she checked it was 96, which is better than a lot of "normal" people. She told him she was impressed and he said he was glad he could impress someone, just as Dr. Williams walked in. I pointed to him and told Bill he was the one who had to be impressed and he said that he already was. He gave him a listen and said "I'm gonna tell Edwards he can go" and texted him right there and then. A few minutes later Cindy came in and said that lung gave us the green light to leave. I asked if he could wait until today since it was almost 3 then. She agreed that since it was so late in the day that would be fine. She had said earlier that we would talk about leaving on Monday, for him to just work hard over the week-end. But, lung won the day, as they should have since it is a lung problem that got him there.
So, I've got his suitcase in the car, it was in there from day one, and his heavy coat since it's gotten cold and as soon as they can get the paperwork done and the PICC line removed (unless he's coming home with steroid injections and that hasn't been talked about yet) we'll be out of there.
I told Bill I wasn't coming super early today since it's Saturday. I won't have to look for a good parking place and traffic will be lighter. Although ESPN's College Game Day is in Memphis this week, so there may be more traffic, but it's in an area that I'm not near, so once I get to the city it shouldn't be bad. I'm going to throw the sheets in the wash in a bit so they will be fresh when he gets home, but I'm just going to take my time this morning.
I feel very comfortable with him coming home this time since I can tell that he's feeling better, unlike last time. I hope his discharge instructions are a little more detailed with follow-ups, unlike last time, but I'll also take the initiative with that too.
I had a place come up on my back a few days ago. I thought I had just scratched a pimple open as it was a little weepy and didn't think much about it. But the next day I felt the area, which is almost out of reach no matter which direction I reach and it felt like a much bigger spot and was scaly. I could kind of get a look at it using mirrors but couldn't really tell, so Emily came over last night to look at it. She took a picture of it and it looks ugly. We had too thoughts on it, a psoriasis or shingles. It doesn't really hurt and it's only the one spot. She sent the picture to Mary-Rose and she said it looks more like a contact dermatitis and to just keep it clean and use an antibiotic ointment. Hard to do since I can't reach it. Anyway, when I went to bed last night, in addition to my regular Zantac (and I'm still taking it even though there's a chance that there might be something in it that could cause cancer), a Benadryl and one of Bill's prednisone. That's the magic cocktail for hives. I figured it couldn't hurt and it's not itchy this morning.
So, that's it for the latest update. Even though I don't need to leave right away, I still need to feed the outside cats and get the sheets in the wash and get dressed. I'll let you know when we get home and how that goes and then next week, we will most likely be back to our weekly updates.
Later, everybody!
Friday, November 1, 2019
After a day of doing absolutely nothing, yesterday I felt fantastic! The cats and I just laid around all day Wednesday. I looked at the floor and said "You need to vaccuum" and then "No, you're sick". I looked at the kitchen and said "You could at least load the dishwasher" and then "No, you're sick". I didn't read, or knit, or compute, or really pay attention to the TV. I just sat and dozed and slept. At all times there was a cat behind my head on the back of my chair and another one in my lap. But, that was our day.
When I woke up yesterday and I was wide awake and felt great and had energy...and felt that way all day, until about 9 last night and that's when I got tired. I'm not quite as perky this morning, the bed was too warm and comfy, but I'm up, cats all fed, first cup of coffee poured and ready to fill you in on Bill.
He did fine without me. He did his therapy, and the speech therapist, Amber, said that she was really impressed and then she sat and visited with him for awhile, listening to all of his military stories.
Yesterday he had indigestion all day, and was still bothered by hiccups when we talked last night. I told him to ask his nurse for something. They are giving him a protonic every morning to ward that off so that he doesn't have acid reflux, but it didn't work yesterday. His appetite was also off some and he didn't eat very well. He told me that they weighed him yesterday morning before I got there and he weighed 135 or 143, he couldn't remember which. But, the before he was admitted at the dr. he weighed 156, so that's quite a weight loss either way in a week! I'll have to ask his nurse today.
Dr. Munday came in while I was there and said he could still hear some crackles, but all in all he didn't sound bad. They are still working on getting his oxygen flow down lower before he comes home. He's still at 4 1/2-5 right now.
But, he walked more than 100 ft. total with physical therapy and his oxygen only dropped to the low 80s, which is an improvement from the mid to upper 70s. And he recovered pretty well. He did stop and rest on his bed each time instead of making it all the way back to his chair, but that could also be because of the indigestion and belching he was doing.
And, Dr. Edwards has returned from wherever he was unfortunately. I think, even though for attending physician it has "teach", he has taken over his care from Dr. Yaranov. The only reason I know he's back and, the only reason I have that suspicion, is that Bill has been taken off his Bactrim again. For you new readers, the donor heart had been exposed to the CMV virus and Bill had never been exposed. So, it was considered a mismatch and the Bactrim, which is a sulpha based antibiotic, has been given ever since to ward off exposure. It's actually like one of his transplant medications. Bactrim can affect kidney function after long periods of time, and his nurse said that one of his kidney levels had gone up. So, that could be why he was taken off. I asked Dr. Patel, one of his Mayo doctors about that once and he said it was much easier to deal with marginal kidney function than to deal with the
CMV. I'll ask Dr. Threlkeld about it. He put him back on it last time.
The IV steroids are playing havoc with his blood sugar. Yesterday it stayed in the 400s. They were using the standard sliding scale for insulin but yesterday added Lantus which is a long acting one, along with the regular insulin. They have also consulted with Dr. Oktied the endocrinologist and he will tweak things. I will need to ask if we go back to the NPH he was on once he is home and back on regular Prednisone.
They still aren't giving any discharge date yet. They know I want him as well as he can be. But, his suitcase and heavy jacket are in the car and when they say they are releasing him I can bring them in. He wants to come home so bad, but he knows he can't yet. I want him to come home, but only if he can maneuver around the house. Brianna has offered to do range of motion exercises with him of his shoulders and he knows the leg exercises to do. I imagine we'll have home health again for awhile.
I think that's about it and I need to get ready to go. It's cold this morning, only 32. But, it's not raining! I'm actually looking forward to the time change this week-end, not because I'll get an extra hour of sleep, it will be getting light earlier. Of course, it will be getting darkl earlier too, but it's easier to leave the hospital early than to get there later. They don't have much parking, everyone uses the same parking, so you have to get there early to get a decent spot.
All for today. I gave myself 30 minutes to get this written and I've gone over by 5 minutes! Have a great day, see you tomorrow!
When I woke up yesterday and I was wide awake and felt great and had energy...and felt that way all day, until about 9 last night and that's when I got tired. I'm not quite as perky this morning, the bed was too warm and comfy, but I'm up, cats all fed, first cup of coffee poured and ready to fill you in on Bill.
He did fine without me. He did his therapy, and the speech therapist, Amber, said that she was really impressed and then she sat and visited with him for awhile, listening to all of his military stories.
Yesterday he had indigestion all day, and was still bothered by hiccups when we talked last night. I told him to ask his nurse for something. They are giving him a protonic every morning to ward that off so that he doesn't have acid reflux, but it didn't work yesterday. His appetite was also off some and he didn't eat very well. He told me that they weighed him yesterday morning before I got there and he weighed 135 or 143, he couldn't remember which. But, the before he was admitted at the dr. he weighed 156, so that's quite a weight loss either way in a week! I'll have to ask his nurse today.
Dr. Munday came in while I was there and said he could still hear some crackles, but all in all he didn't sound bad. They are still working on getting his oxygen flow down lower before he comes home. He's still at 4 1/2-5 right now.
But, he walked more than 100 ft. total with physical therapy and his oxygen only dropped to the low 80s, which is an improvement from the mid to upper 70s. And he recovered pretty well. He did stop and rest on his bed each time instead of making it all the way back to his chair, but that could also be because of the indigestion and belching he was doing.
And, Dr. Edwards has returned from wherever he was unfortunately. I think, even though for attending physician it has "teach", he has taken over his care from Dr. Yaranov. The only reason I know he's back and, the only reason I have that suspicion, is that Bill has been taken off his Bactrim again. For you new readers, the donor heart had been exposed to the CMV virus and Bill had never been exposed. So, it was considered a mismatch and the Bactrim, which is a sulpha based antibiotic, has been given ever since to ward off exposure. It's actually like one of his transplant medications. Bactrim can affect kidney function after long periods of time, and his nurse said that one of his kidney levels had gone up. So, that could be why he was taken off. I asked Dr. Patel, one of his Mayo doctors about that once and he said it was much easier to deal with marginal kidney function than to deal with the
CMV. I'll ask Dr. Threlkeld about it. He put him back on it last time.
The IV steroids are playing havoc with his blood sugar. Yesterday it stayed in the 400s. They were using the standard sliding scale for insulin but yesterday added Lantus which is a long acting one, along with the regular insulin. They have also consulted with Dr. Oktied the endocrinologist and he will tweak things. I will need to ask if we go back to the NPH he was on once he is home and back on regular Prednisone.
They still aren't giving any discharge date yet. They know I want him as well as he can be. But, his suitcase and heavy jacket are in the car and when they say they are releasing him I can bring them in. He wants to come home so bad, but he knows he can't yet. I want him to come home, but only if he can maneuver around the house. Brianna has offered to do range of motion exercises with him of his shoulders and he knows the leg exercises to do. I imagine we'll have home health again for awhile.
I think that's about it and I need to get ready to go. It's cold this morning, only 32. But, it's not raining! I'm actually looking forward to the time change this week-end, not because I'll get an extra hour of sleep, it will be getting light earlier. Of course, it will be getting darkl earlier too, but it's easier to leave the hospital early than to get there later. They don't have much parking, everyone uses the same parking, so you have to get there early to get a decent spot.
All for today. I gave myself 30 minutes to get this written and I've gone over by 5 minutes! Have a great day, see you tomorrow!
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