We are all glad that dad is home and healing there. He has been sick for 14 days straight, causing great concern. Radiation, diet, and medication were all ruled out as possible causes so more tests were ordered when dad returned to Toronto on Thursday to have his trach stitches removed. Although they tested for C difficile when he was in the hospital, they retested again. We're glad the results came back negative for that once more. We're not sure why this is happening but are relieved to see some improvement in the past day or two. Hopefully it's just an infection that was taking a while to clear up.
Now we have yet another concern to add to the list. The on again/off again, re-occurring pressure sore near dad's tailbone, that previously had him bed-ridden for two years, is back with a vengeance as of yesterday. Mom checks dad a couple times each day and it wasn't there in the morning before getting up for the day. By the time dad was transferred back to bed, it was broken open very badly. We really hope this isn't going to be the big deal it has become in the past.
I write semi-jokingly: Who ever is poking that voodoo doll out there, enough is enough!!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
A VERY BIG SURPRISE!
The door bell just rang. Guess who was on the other side? No, seriously guess...
HE'S HOOOOOMMMMEEEEE! :D
HE'S HOOOOOMMMMEEEEE! :D
Good News!
The trach is out! We are so excited here this morning. An ENT just came by and took the trach out. Add this to the five hours sleep we got here last night and we are both ready to jump up and run around...well, wheel around in dad's case! Mom will be surprised when she arrives shortly. FINALLY some good news and progress moving us one step closer to going home! BIG smiles in this room right now! Dad was so excited he didn't mind the vampire lady taking blood this morning and adding one more hole to his vein!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wasted Day
It was a tad frustrating in our world today. Dad's nurse this morning was not our favourite. She apparently doesn't read charts because she showed up with a suppository. Thank goodness I was here to stop her! She also wrote in dad's chart that he is not to get any meds tonight in his feed tube...unbelievable!!! She also forgot to inform us of his cancelled CT scan until after the porter arrived and dad was transferred onto the gurney and wheeling down the hall to go! My favourite part of the morning was when she tried to tell mom that mom would not be bathing dad because it was the nurse's job. Even after we told her that mom does this by herself everyday for the past seventeen years, this nurse was still adamant that she would be the one doing his care. Needless to say, it was already done when the nurse returned a little later.
The neurosurgeon was by today and within minutes of his visit, ENT was shortly behind. They did not take the trach out this afternoon. With all of the chest thrusts and suctioning required right now, they felt it best to wait until the morning when the emergency team is in and he can be more closely monitored. So the plan is to get the trach out in the morning and then meet with the speech therapist for his swallowing assessment. It's looking more like a Saturday release now. We'll hope for that.
We're getting ready for some sleep here tonight. Now that dad can talk, he won't shut up, so I might have to tape his lips closed here soon. Just kidding. We didn't sleep much last night because just as we started to doze off, someone would come in to check vitals, take blood, give meds, empty IV, etc. Hopefully tonight will be a different story.
Thanks to all for continuing to check in. Dad appreciates all the comments you've been sending.
P.S. Dad says if he stays in here much longer, by the time he does get released, all the water he drinks will pour out all of the needle holes he's been pricked with, it will look like a sprinkler.
The neurosurgeon was by today and within minutes of his visit, ENT was shortly behind. They did not take the trach out this afternoon. With all of the chest thrusts and suctioning required right now, they felt it best to wait until the morning when the emergency team is in and he can be more closely monitored. So the plan is to get the trach out in the morning and then meet with the speech therapist for his swallowing assessment. It's looking more like a Saturday release now. We'll hope for that.
We're getting ready for some sleep here tonight. Now that dad can talk, he won't shut up, so I might have to tape his lips closed here soon. Just kidding. We didn't sleep much last night because just as we started to doze off, someone would come in to check vitals, take blood, give meds, empty IV, etc. Hopefully tonight will be a different story.
Thanks to all for continuing to check in. Dad appreciates all the comments you've been sending.
P.S. Dad says if he stays in here much longer, by the time he does get released, all the water he drinks will pour out all of the needle holes he's been pricked with, it will look like a sprinkler.
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!
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!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Always Something
Now that the long weekend is over and regular staff are back around, everyone is weighing in on what's been happening this past weekend. The neurosurgeon was surprised to see dad still here as he had ordered ENT to change the trach on Saturday (as we were originally told). He wasn't sure why the respiratory therapist was making these decisions because the purpose of dad's trach was the throat surgery, not a respiratory condition - an ENT responsibility. So within a couple hours dad's trach was changed right there in his room. Mom plugged the hole when I spoke to her and hearing his voice simply say "Hi Kim Kim" was the best sound I've heard in weeks. Finally some progress here. We are hoping that this trach will be removed by Wednesday.
Last night was another horrible night with dad. He required lots of suctioning and chest thrusts so an x-ray was ordered. Today we learned that part of dad's left lung has collapsed and he also has pneumonia. High doses of antibiotics were immediately started intravenously. Dad's "food" has finally been changed and we think the reaction to the old stuff is finally over. What a busy couple of days it's been for my mom who's been there for 36 hours straight (without sleep). Brad is taking over the night shift tonight as there is not a P.S.W. assigned to dad anymore (as he's out of the critical stage).
What an awful week but the end is in sight...just lots of hurdles to jump before we get there.
Last night was another horrible night with dad. He required lots of suctioning and chest thrusts so an x-ray was ordered. Today we learned that part of dad's left lung has collapsed and he also has pneumonia. High doses of antibiotics were immediately started intravenously. Dad's "food" has finally been changed and we think the reaction to the old stuff is finally over. What a busy couple of days it's been for my mom who's been there for 36 hours straight (without sleep). Brad is taking over the night shift tonight as there is not a P.S.W. assigned to dad anymore (as he's out of the critical stage).
What an awful week but the end is in sight...just lots of hurdles to jump before we get there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)