Sick Mother Update

[Comingback]

I do not want to keep posting excessively on the prayer board, but did want to update about my mom.  She is eating and drinking some, but will randomly think that some food will make her sick and won't eat it.  She wanted a milkshake yesterday.  I went and got her one, but then she said that it would clog her throat and kill her.  So the threw it into the garbage can.  She is taking some of her medications, but not all.  Her blood sugar came down from the 300s into the 200s. Her blood pressure is not quite as high as it was.  So her physical health has improved somewhat.  Tomorrow they will find a psychiatric hospital that will take her so that her medications can get adjusted.  They are threatening not to take her back in the nursing home.  

 

Thank you all so much for your prayers.  It has been a rough Thanksgiving.  I have used the Phorum as a kind of "get away" place while I've been up there.  

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

Will be praying tons for her (and you) at Mass. It's always tough with sick loved ones.

Edited December 1, 2013 by FutureCarmeliteClaire

[AnneLine]

Comingback, this is what Phamily is for.   Many of us have been there... and a lot of us WILL be there.

 

We are here for you... don't hesitate about posting prayer requests, status updates, or threads like this.  You aren't wearing out your welcome.  Prayers.... for all of you...

[Comingback]

Thank you both so much.  I really appreciate it.  

 

Will be praying tons for her (and you) at Mass. It's always tough with sick loved ones.

 

 

Comingback, this is what Phamily is for.   Many of us have been there... and a lot of us WILL be there.

 

We are here for you... don't hesitate about posting prayer requests, status updates, or threads like this.  You aren't wearing out your welcome.  Prayers.... for all of you...

 

[Comingback]

Today's update:  They found a new geriatric psych hospital fairly close to where she is and they think it would be a good fit, but they don't take her insurance and she is not on Medicare.  So, please keep praying.  Thank you.  I appreciate it.

[Comingback]

Well, on the advice of a nurse friend, I recommended that they bring her to the hospital where I live (and where she did before she went into the nursing home).  We found out tonight that she may be in the process of having a mild heart attack.  The EKG shows a heart attack, but the blood work is still normal.  They will do cardiac enzymes every 8 hours to see what is happening.  She has diabetes and the doctor said that diabetics could have "silent heart attacks."  The feeling in her throat where she said she cannot swallow might be coming from her heart as well.  They are trying to get her blood pressure down and get some ivs going to get her hydrated.  She interacted fairly well with the medical people and even laughed once or twice.

[Comingback]

Update from yesterday (Saturday).  They think that her heart attack might have been in the past, since all of her cardiac enzymes came back normal.  She had an echocardiogram done of her heart and the cardiologist said that her heart is in pretty good shape for someone 84 years old.  She did have a problem with congestive heart failure in the past, but he does not think it is happening now.  They think that she does have some artery blockages, but she would not survive cardiac catheterization to see where they might be.    She does have a hospital acquired kidney infection that she got some years ago when she got her knee replacement.  It comes back every so often.  It is back again.  It used to be able to be treated by 3 antiobiotics; now there are only 2 that will kill it.  It has gotten resistant to another one.  Now anybody who comes into the room or stays there has to be in gown, mask, and gloves even if they are not doing personal care.  Her kidney function has improved (she was in kidney failure because she was refusing to drink anything and because her diabetes was out of control because she would not let them test or give her insulin).  Her endoscopy showed that she has some stomach ulcers.  These may be from her taking aspirin to keep her blood being too thick (from the diabetes) or from h. pylori.  They did  biopsy in case it is pylori.  She can eat and drink but asks constantly if she can have a particular thing.  She refuses food because she says it will poison her.  I have finally gotten them to get a psych consult in.  Up till now, I think, it probably would have been hard to sort out what effects all this stuff being wrong with her was having on her mental status and what was the result of her mental illness.  She has been extremely hostile and verbally abusive, which is how she is when she is depressed.  So. kind of hard to stay in the room with her.  I really need to go back to work tomorrow, but am playing the "talk to the doctor" waiting game.  Her blood pressure still spikes to over 200.  They have been able to get it down with medicine, but I'm afraid she will have a stroke.  Thank you all so much for your prayers.