Try Not To Get Sick During What is Effectively a Holiday Weekend - Page 15

DanaC · 09-21-2009, 01:40 AM

How's your Mum today Wolf?

wolf · 09-21-2009, 07:25 AM

All Sunday momwolf was quite irritable and demanding. I suspect that the problem had it's root in there being physical therapy in the morning. After her initial assessment on Saturday, she was told that she would next go down on Monday.

Across the hall dude, he made a funny that was quite clever.

He's a big guy, probably 400-500 pounds. He asked a passing staff member for some more of the entree. He's always gaming staff for extra portions. Now, he didn't just ask for more food. He said, "Is there a pastability that I can have some more spaghetti?"

BrianR · 09-21-2009, 08:41 PM

I will always remember momwolf's voice as the Voice of God on our school's PA system, paging people. I knew she was voice-trained!

wolf · 10-09-2009, 10:25 PM

It's Columbus Day Weekend, so guess what that means ...

I haven't had time to post much since October 1st, because that's when momwolf came home.

It was a little unexpected. One day she was doing PT in the nursing home, and next day I get a phone call announcing her readiness for discharge.

Of course they were wrong. Okay, maybe not as wrong as three years ago when I had to call an ambulance to pick her up off the front walk because she could only walk 10 feet or so from the car, but let's just say wrong-ish.

Actually the first week was pretty good. We were set up for home services (nurse to monitor health condition and PT), and already had all the homecare equipment from before.

momwolf actually liked the nurse and the PT. This does not always happen.

So, things are moving along, siswolf went home, and I'm off work again.

Except for some irritability on momwolf's part (mainly demands for things like some mmm mmm good Campbell's Soup, which is far to high in sodium for someone with a tendency toward CHF), things had been going fairly well.

Except for this week.

I probably should have not taken no for an answer two days ago when I knew she was starting to go into acute CHF. I tried asking momwolf to go to the hospital, but no go.

There were some very big problems with the blood thinner that she was on, her lab values came back at a very scary level, and so the PCP discontinued the coumadin until things settled down.

Okay, fine.

Yesterday the nurse thought momwolf might be heading into failure ... except that she was probably already there. Her feet were swollen, but about at what the nurse considered near to baseline.

Apparently momwolf's body has decided to hide fluid elsewhere ... upper legs, arms, and other places that the nurse wouldn't ordinarily check.

Frankly, I had already decided that I was going to issue an ultimatum today.

momwolf beat me to it. She started screaming for me at 0500 hrs today.

I took one look at her and said, "I am calling an ambulance."

Okay, it was more than one look, and also involved getting a set of vital signs, which actually weren't as bad as I'd expected. Bad for a normal person, but not so bad for momwolf, you see.

Ambulance shows up, joy of joys, one of my friends is the medic.

Better yet, my friend the ER doc was working this morning, just finishing up his shift, so we got premiere service, including fairly quick admission onto the cardiac care unit, which momwolf didn't actually need, but they were out of beds on cardiac telemetry.

Dr. Doom met with us in the ER, and to help expedite the admission, pushed the litter up to the CCU himself. Go Dr. Doom!

You'd think that would be enough for one day, right?

momwolf is firmly ensconced in a bed on the CCU. I went home to grab something to eat and bring some of what she considers essentials back to the hospital (box of real, soft, name-brand tissues, instead of the 3"x3" sandpaper the hospital hands out in itty bitty boxes).

I go back for evening visiting. momwolf is petulant, and a bit scared. I spent a lot of time reassuring her, and a bit of time chatting with one of the nurses who remembered her from last month.

Then I heard screaming.

A woman on the other side of the unit was shouting. From what I gathered from her ranting and from the nurses' conversation, she was demanding to leave, and, more importantly, she was demanding to leave with an IV still in her arm.

The situation quickly escalated with her refusing to allow the nurses to touch her, and made it's way up to her assaulting two nurses. Then the nurses started screaming and calling security.

Now, as I was sitting there, I was thinking, "You know, I could resolve this in about three minutes."

A nurse came in to reassure momwolf and I that everything was safe and under control.

I explained that I was used to such situations, and was quite interested in seeing how someone else dealt with such things.

Security failed to handle the situation.

And the cops got called.

As things were heating up I repositioned myself so that I was in the doorway of momwolf's room, both to have a better view (shame you can't have a microwave on a cardiac unit, I would have liked some popcorn), and to be in position to repel any attempts to get into another patient's room to escape the evil staff who wouldn't let a (my assumption based on what I saw and heard the patient saying) junkie go home with a nice IV line to shoot up through.

She assaulted the cop too.

Another big surprise there. I was pretty sure he was going to taser her. Saw him reach for it, but he changed his mind. There are some officers in his department who wouldn't have thought twice about it.

Heck, if you're going to get tasered, on the CCU is probably about the best place for it.

I did not get the opportunity to tell the cop "Don't you dare try to take her to the nuthouse!" I really wanted to, though.

So, anyway, that's how I got an extra half-hour of visiting past visiting hours tonight.

Tucked momwolf in, left an origami crane or two or three behind in various parts of the hospital (two in the ER, one in CCU). The cranes are something that I do to burn some nervous energy rather than pacing. Apparently momwolf would probably rather I pace, because she got upset at me for making the cranes today. Getting upset at me seems to take her mind of the direness of her own situation, I think.

Oh, one of the multiple calls I got today was from a very cheery nurse who said she was from Hospice, which is being offered because momwolf has essentially decided that she won't get any invasive tests, doesn't want CPR, defibrillation, or intubation, but is okay with medical management of her condition. The Hospice nurse said she and momwolf had a great conversation, in which the nurse never said the "D" word (yes, she really called it that), but spoke in glowing terms of comfort, and learning more energy conserving ways of doing things, etc. etc. She didn't think momwolf associated Hospice Care with what we all know hospice care is.

Yeah, right.

When I walked in tonight what's the first thing momwolf tells me?

"The Death Nurse was here to see me today."

She's still sharp. She might not be entirely clear on what she had for breakfast this morning, but she's not ready for the nursing home with the anti-escape ankle bracelet monitors yet.

limey · 10-10-2009, 03:09 AM

Hugs to you wolf. It's hard being us.

wolf · 10-12-2009, 09:58 PM

momwolf remains in the hospital tonight, but there is a good chance she will be discharged tomorrow.

Most of the time, this is happy, encouraging news.

Not today.

Dr. Doom called me early this morning, explaining that they had done everything they could, and that if momwolf were younger and stronger, there were a large assortment of things they could attempt, including cardiac cathertization, and probably re-do her cardiac bypass.

As she is on the cusp of being 80 (her birthday is October 23) and she is medically fragile, these really aren't possibilities.

So, her discharge home will be into hospice.

I've been given a very nice brochure and a copy of the Hospice and Palliative Care Manual to look over.

I'm not retaining much of what's in there, although the words "dignity" and "compassion" and "quality" get used quite often.

momwolf, siswolf, and I have been doing a lot of crying.

I'm going to have to stop typing now, before I electrocute myself. Tears are salty and a good conductor.

Pie · 10-12-2009, 10:09 PM

I'm so very sorry, wolf. It's harder than fuck to look at your parent and know there is nothing that can be done to save them.

Hugs.

Clodfobble · 10-13-2009, 12:03 AM

I'm sorry, wolf.

xoxoxoBruce · 10-13-2009, 01:53 AM

I know the alternative, but I'm still sorry this decline is dragging on for her... for you and your sister, too.

Hospice is the next step for my Mom, too... she's 81... I'm not looking forward to it.

limey · 10-13-2009, 03:17 AM

Oh wolf, I am so sorry. It is so awful to be powerless to help your mother - the one person who was once able to make it all right for you.
You, your sister and your mother are in my thoughts (now I must stop typing for the same reason as you).

capnhowdy · 10-13-2009, 06:54 AM

Hugs from the capnhowdy camp to the Wolf family. FWIW, Hospice is a great organization. They were very helpful and supportive during my wife's demise. I shudder at the thought of what it would have been like without them.

classicman · 10-13-2009, 08:05 AM

Oh Wolf. I'm so sorry to hear that. My prayers continue to be with you and your family during this most difficult time. Hugs and healing thoughts from all of us.

Shawnee123 · 10-13-2009, 08:07 AM

I'm so sorry wolf. You and your family are in my thoughts.

jinx · 10-13-2009, 09:32 AM

Aw, I'm sorry wolf...

BrianR · 10-13-2009, 09:49 AM

Wolf, call if you need anything at all. I'm here.

09-21-2009, 07:25 AM	#212
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	All Sunday momwolf was quite irritable and demanding. I suspect that the problem had it's root in there being physical therapy in the morning. After her initial assessment on Saturday, she was told that she would next go down on Monday. Across the hall dude, he made a funny that was quite clever. He's a big guy, probably 400-500 pounds. He asked a passing staff member for some more of the entree. He's always gaming staff for extra portions. Now, he didn't just ask for more food. He said, "Is there a pastability that I can have some more spaghetti?" __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

09-21-2009, 08:41 PM	#213
BrianR Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,338	I will always remember momwolf's voice as the Voice of God on our school's PA system, paging people. I knew she was voice-trained! __________________ Never be afraid to tell the world who you are. -- Anonymous

10-09-2009, 10:25 PM	#214
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	It's Columbus Day Weekend, so guess what that means ... I haven't had time to post much since October 1st, because that's when momwolf came home. It was a little unexpected. One day she was doing PT in the nursing home, and next day I get a phone call announcing her readiness for discharge. Of course they were wrong. Okay, maybe not as wrong as three years ago when I had to call an ambulance to pick her up off the front walk because she could only walk 10 feet or so from the car, but let's just say wrong-ish. Actually the first week was pretty good. We were set up for home services (nurse to monitor health condition and PT), and already had all the homecare equipment from before. momwolf actually liked the nurse and the PT. This does not always happen. So, things are moving along, siswolf went home, and I'm off work again. Except for some irritability on momwolf's part (mainly demands for things like some mmm mmm good Campbell's Soup, which is far to high in sodium for someone with a tendency toward CHF), things had been going fairly well. Except for this week. I probably should have not taken no for an answer two days ago when I knew she was starting to go into acute CHF. I tried asking momwolf to go to the hospital, but no go. There were some very big problems with the blood thinner that she was on, her lab values came back at a very scary level, and so the PCP discontinued the coumadin until things settled down. Okay, fine. Yesterday the nurse thought momwolf might be heading into failure ... except that she was probably already there. Her feet were swollen, but about at what the nurse considered near to baseline. Apparently momwolf's body has decided to hide fluid elsewhere ... upper legs, arms, and other places that the nurse wouldn't ordinarily check. Frankly, I had already decided that I was going to issue an ultimatum today. momwolf beat me to it. She started screaming for me at 0500 hrs today. I took one look at her and said, "I am calling an ambulance." Okay, it was more than one look, and also involved getting a set of vital signs, which actually weren't as bad as I'd expected. Bad for a normal person, but not so bad for momwolf, you see. Ambulance shows up, joy of joys, one of my friends is the medic. Better yet, my friend the ER doc was working this morning, just finishing up his shift, so we got premiere service, including fairly quick admission onto the cardiac care unit, which momwolf didn't actually need, but they were out of beds on cardiac telemetry. Dr. Doom met with us in the ER, and to help expedite the admission, pushed the litter up to the CCU himself. Go Dr. Doom! You'd think that would be enough for one day, right? momwolf is firmly ensconced in a bed on the CCU. I went home to grab something to eat and bring some of what she considers essentials back to the hospital (box of real, soft, name-brand tissues, instead of the 3"x3" sandpaper the hospital hands out in itty bitty boxes). I go back for evening visiting. momwolf is petulant, and a bit scared. I spent a lot of time reassuring her, and a bit of time chatting with one of the nurses who remembered her from last month. Then I heard screaming. A woman on the other side of the unit was shouting. From what I gathered from her ranting and from the nurses' conversation, she was demanding to leave, and, more importantly, she was demanding to leave with an IV still in her arm. The situation quickly escalated with her refusing to allow the nurses to touch her, and made it's way up to her assaulting two nurses. Then the nurses started screaming and calling security. Now, as I was sitting there, I was thinking, "You know, I could resolve this in about three minutes." A nurse came in to reassure momwolf and I that everything was safe and under control. I explained that I was used to such situations, and was quite interested in seeing how someone else dealt with such things. Security failed to handle the situation. And the cops got called. As things were heating up I repositioned myself so that I was in the doorway of momwolf's room, both to have a better view (shame you can't have a microwave on a cardiac unit, I would have liked some popcorn), and to be in position to repel any attempts to get into another patient's room to escape the evil staff who wouldn't let a (my assumption based on what I saw and heard the patient saying) junkie go home with a nice IV line to shoot up through. She assaulted the cop too. Another big surprise there. I was pretty sure he was going to taser her. Saw him reach for it, but he changed his mind. There are some officers in his department who wouldn't have thought twice about it. Heck, if you're going to get tasered, on the CCU is probably about the best place for it. I did not get the opportunity to tell the cop "Don't you dare try to take her to the nuthouse!" I really wanted to, though. So, anyway, that's how I got an extra half-hour of visiting past visiting hours tonight. Tucked momwolf in, left an origami crane or two or three behind in various parts of the hospital (two in the ER, one in CCU). The cranes are something that I do to burn some nervous energy rather than pacing. Apparently momwolf would probably rather I pace, because she got upset at me for making the cranes today. Getting upset at me seems to take her mind of the direness of her own situation, I think. Oh, one of the multiple calls I got today was from a very cheery nurse who said she was from Hospice, which is being offered because momwolf has essentially decided that she won't get any invasive tests, doesn't want CPR, defibrillation, or intubation, but is okay with medical management of her condition. The Hospice nurse said she and momwolf had a great conversation, in which the nurse never said the "D" word (yes, she really called it that), but spoke in glowing terms of comfort, and learning more energy conserving ways of doing things, etc. etc. She didn't think momwolf associated Hospice Care with what we all know hospice care is. Yeah, right. When I walked in tonight what's the first thing momwolf tells me? "The Death Nurse was here to see me today." She's still sharp. She might not be entirely clear on what she had for breakfast this morning, but she's not ready for the nursing home with the anti-escape ankle bracelet monitors yet. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

10-10-2009, 03:09 AM	#215
limey Encroaching on your decrees Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: An island within the south-west coast of Scotland Posts: 7,016	Hugs to you wolf. It's hard being us. __________________ Living it up on the edge ... of civilisation, within the southwest coast of

10-12-2009, 09:58 PM	#216
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	momwolf remains in the hospital tonight, but there is a good chance she will be discharged tomorrow. Most of the time, this is happy, encouraging news. Not today. Dr. Doom called me early this morning, explaining that they had done everything they could, and that if momwolf were younger and stronger, there were a large assortment of things they could attempt, including cardiac cathertization, and probably re-do her cardiac bypass. As she is on the cusp of being 80 (her birthday is October 23) and she is medically fragile, these really aren't possibilities. So, her discharge home will be into hospice. I've been given a very nice brochure and a copy of the Hospice and Palliative Care Manual to look over. I'm not retaining much of what's in there, although the words "dignity" and "compassion" and "quality" get used quite often. momwolf, siswolf, and I have been doing a lot of crying. I'm going to have to stop typing now, before I electrocute myself. Tears are salty and a good conductor. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

10-12-2009, 10:09 PM	#217
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	I'm so very sorry, wolf. It's harder than fuck to look at your parent and know there is nothing that can be done to save them. Hugs. __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

10-13-2009, 12:03 AM	#218
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	I'm sorry, wolf. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

10-13-2009, 01:53 AM	#219
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I know the alternative, but I'm still sorry this decline is dragging on for her... for you and your sister, too. Hospice is the next step for my Mom, too... she's 81... I'm not looking forward to it. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

10-13-2009, 03:17 AM	#220
limey Encroaching on your decrees Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: An island within the south-west coast of Scotland Posts: 7,016	Oh wolf, I am so sorry. It is so awful to be powerless to help your mother - the one person who was once able to make it all right for you. You, your sister and your mother are in my thoughts (now I must stop typing for the same reason as you). __________________ Living it up on the edge ... of civilisation, within the southwest coast of Last edited by limey; 10-13-2009 at 03:23 AM.

10-13-2009, 06:54 AM	#221
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	Hugs from the capnhowdy camp to the Wolf family. FWIW, Hospice is a great organization. They were very helpful and supportive during my wife's demise. I shudder at the thought of what it would have been like without them. __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

10-13-2009, 08:05 AM	#222
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	Oh Wolf. I'm so sorry to hear that. My prayers continue to be with you and your family during this most difficult time. Hugs and healing thoughts from all of us. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

10-13-2009, 08:07 AM	#223
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	I'm so sorry wolf. You and your family are in my thoughts. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

10-13-2009, 09:32 AM	#224
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	Aw, I'm sorry wolf... __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

10-13-2009, 09:49 AM	#225
BrianR Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,338	Wolf, call if you need anything at all. I'm here. __________________ Never be afraid to tell the world who you are. -- Anonymous

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