New Day, New Dilema

I just sent mom home from the hospital. She was waiting around to find out the results of the abdominal x-ray that occurred late tonight and to see if a CT scan would take place tonight as well. Dad's stomach has now distended and was bloated to the point where it was putting pressure on his diaphragm and making it difficult to breathe. The nurses want to get 7 cans of feed in him a day but he's not even tolerating 3 cans. The x-ray shows enlarged pockets in his colon but they are going to wait until morning for the CT as dad had fallen asleep and they don't feel it's an immediate concern. I am beginning to think that dad is just looking for attention!!! If only this were true.

His trach is currently plugged and if he makes it through the night without any complications then it could possibly come out tomorrow. After that, he has to stay another 24 hours for swallowing assessments and monitoring. We are still hoping for a Friday release but we'll have to wait and see what happens with his lung, and now his stomach.

The unit manager and nurse practitioner have been checking in many times today with mom. It is clear that mistakes were made and dad's case "slipped through the cracks" over the long weekend. Dad was supposed to loose the P.S.W. night sitter but one has been assigned to him anyway. I think they aren't wanting to ruffle any feathers with us right now!