Katkeeper update

Undertoad • Apr 16, 2012 7:53 pm
Mom is on a cocktail of blood pressure meds and is just waiting around for the people at her hospital to get together with the people at Penn. I am at her place helping out since she can't drive or lift more than 10 pounds, plus it is calming to have me around for some reason.

We will just wait all week for the call it seems
glatt • Apr 16, 2012 8:04 pm
Thanks for the update. I've been wondering.

I hope you get the call soon.
Undertoad • Apr 16, 2012 8:08 pm
so do I, only because this house has 64kbps DSL and it is horrible
monster • Apr 16, 2012 8:11 pm
best wishes flying your way.
Aliantha • Apr 16, 2012 8:11 pm
I'm sure you're a comfort to your Mum UT. You're a good guy. How could you not be?

I'll be thinking of you both while you wait. xx
Undertoad • Apr 16, 2012 8:14 pm
There are bits that are just kind of alarming, such as notarizing the power of attorney that I now get in case something goes wrong.

This is the sort of condition where there's a 4% chance of death in surgery but 10% each year you don't get it taken care of.

It's all so very shocking to us. But this is what life is, really, and before the CT scan and modern medicine it wouldn't even have been detected until the end.
SteveDallas • Apr 16, 2012 9:30 pm
Undertoad;806774 wrote:
so do I, only because this house has 64kbps DSL and it is horrible

Nice to see you still have your sense of humor! Would that power of attorney let you get away with upgrading to something faster?

Srsly, we're thinking of you both.
SamIam • Apr 16, 2012 9:53 pm
I hope all goes well for your Mom, UT. And remember, it could be worse. You could be stuck with dial-up!
zippyt • Apr 16, 2012 10:22 pm
Glad the slow Netz is all you have to Gripe about
BigV • Apr 16, 2012 10:28 pm
SteveDallas;806792 wrote:
Nice to see you still have your sense of humor! Would that power of attorney let you get away with upgrading to something faster?

Srsly, we're thinking of you both.


Laughter is the best medicine after all.

Glad to hear from you UT. I'm confident all will be well, we are all pulling for her and you.
classicman • Apr 16, 2012 10:29 pm
Wishing you and your family the best.
Clodfobble • Apr 16, 2012 11:02 pm
Hope all goes well and everyone is back to normal soon.
limey • Apr 17, 2012 4:06 am
Good to hear from you. Best wishes to Katkeeper, and yourself. Slow innernet is teh suxxor! (I live with it!)
DanaC • Apr 17, 2012 4:41 am
Well wishes from me and a nibbly kiss from Carrot.
Griff • Apr 17, 2012 6:28 am
I'm glad you can be there for her. best wishes g
Trilby • Apr 17, 2012 8:16 am
Hang in there both of you. Being there for her is the best thing.
A true act of love.

Here's hoping for a smooth path.
infinite monkey • Apr 17, 2012 8:22 am
I'm thinking of you, and I agree that being there for her is a really good thing.

Hang in there.
wolf • Apr 17, 2012 9:33 am
Hope all continues to go well and you get back to broadband asap!
Sundae • Apr 17, 2012 11:59 am
Much love to you and the Kat.
Undertoad • Apr 18, 2012 11:16 pm
And the update is...

NO UPDATE

which means they still haven't called her with more information. She's going to call them tomorrow, to try to move the process along.

She can't drive, can't lift 10 pounds, has a time bomb in her chest and is taking six different pre-surgical meds which is making her shaky and tired. Come on people, let's get going here.

But we did enjoy some of the area's best Japanese food tonight, so there's that.
classicman • Apr 19, 2012 1:27 am
Hang in there.
wolf • Apr 19, 2012 1:29 am
My friend is the wrong kind of surgeon (she does breast cancer), but I might be able to get you some names if you need them.
Undertoad • Apr 19, 2012 2:10 pm
She finally called them. And they had forgotten her. They say the surgeon's office at Penn will be calling today.
jimhelm • Apr 19, 2012 2:24 pm
unless they forget.

cocks.

The problem is 3rd party billing. If they treated us like CUSTOMERS instead of patients, we'd get better service. Stay on them. call every hour.

Sorry about your mom's health woes, bro.
glatt • Apr 19, 2012 2:33 pm
Undertoad;807326 wrote:
And they had forgotten her.


:rar:
classicman • Apr 19, 2012 2:49 pm
fuggers. What Jim said. "Stay on them. call every hour."
Undertoad • Apr 19, 2012 8:09 pm
The surgeon's office didn't call today. We will be calling them tomorrow.
infinite monkey • Apr 19, 2012 10:25 pm
Are you freaking kidding me? Document every call, every non-returned call, and the fact that they 'forgot about her.' Keep a written record, because their complacency is unacceptable.
Undertoad • Apr 19, 2012 11:33 pm
get this

She was prescribed a certain blood test. So Wednesday she went to the cardiologist's office to get that done. She spoke to the receptionist, who explained that the blood test isn't done at the office, it's done at the hospital.

Thursday upon calling the cardiologist's office to ask WTF why haven't we gotten an appointment with Penn yet, they answer....

"Oh. Well we saw you yesterday!"

[size=1]yes i guess technically that is true[/size]
DanaC • Apr 20, 2012 4:06 am
Oh ffs. Just when you really need people to be fucking competant.
Undertoad • Apr 20, 2012 10:16 am
Finally having enough she called the Penn doc directly and they were pros. She gets her first visit on Tuesday.

My own personal theory is that the incompetence reflects how shitty the Harrisburg area is.
wolf • Apr 20, 2012 11:37 am
I had given momwolf a book called "Don't Let Your HMO Kill You." I'm not sure if I still have it, or where it is, but it was a pretty good guide to negotiating the insurance minefield and becoming a director of your own care.
xoxoxoBruce • Apr 21, 2012 8:21 pm
Maybe they forgot because they didn't see her case as more than routine, not at crisis stage yet? No? I tried.
Tell her she's got a big peanut gallery rooting for her. :thumb:
DanaC • Apr 22, 2012 7:00 am
I'm allergic to peanuts, can I sit in the cashewnut gallery?
Clodfobble • Apr 22, 2012 8:53 am
There's a big gang of us in the almond gallery, you're always welcome here!
monster • Apr 22, 2012 9:57 pm
DanaC;807813 wrote:
I'm allergic to peanuts, can I sit in the cashewnut gallery?


you can sit in the carrot-chewed-up gallery too.
Nirvana • Apr 22, 2012 10:07 pm
Sorry to hear about your Mom UT!

Keep on them to help your Mom you will have to.. I have had issues with the health care system involving my Mom and I was thankful my sister is a nurse. She rode their butt. Good luck...
DanaC • Apr 23, 2012 4:10 am
monster;807946 wrote:
you can sit in the carrot-chewed-up gallery too.


Arf arf!
Undertoad • Apr 23, 2012 5:17 pm
Tomorrow at 10am is the first meeting with the surgeon, or at least his office. We don't know what to expect. Will she be admitted directly? Or will they give her a week of reprieve or something?

Mom is moved into my house temporarily, as the new doc is a half-hour from here... more like 2.5 hours from where she lives.

Both our lives have been on hold for a week and a half. They will continue to be for many more weeks to come.
BigV • Apr 23, 2012 5:24 pm
My Dad was in the hospital already when I received news of his aneurysm, so I don't have any first hand experience for your first question. When I did hear of his condition, I was very alarmed, but he wasn't. I attribute this to the reassurances he'd been given by the doctors. It seems to me that their attitude was more casual than mine based on better knowledge about the risk. It doesn't seem like a stretch to apply the same assumption to your situation, but I'm not a doctor, yadda yadda. Not minimizing, just... thinking.
Undertoad • Apr 24, 2012 4:28 pm
Katkeeper goes in for surgery May 7. It's like... there's about a 10% chance she dies or has a stroke during surgery... but about a 10% chance she dies of the aneurysm, every year it isn't fixed.

We all live and die with similar odds every day, but they are rarely shown to us, and we rarely have the ability to play the odds. For example, John Ritter RIP never knew he was playing odds until he died, because he was never diagnosed with what killed him.
classicman • Apr 24, 2012 4:43 pm
Wishing and praying for your mom. That would be good news and great odds.
I'd make that bet any day.
Trilby • Apr 24, 2012 4:57 pm
Best good vibes to both of you.
Griff • Apr 24, 2012 5:18 pm
Undertoad;808345 wrote:
Katkeeper goes in for surgery May 7. It's like... there's about a 10% chance she dies or has a stroke during surgery... but about a 10% chance she dies of the aneurysm, every year it isn't fixed.

We all live and die with similar odds every day, but they are rarely shown to us, and we rarely have the ability to play the odds. For example, John Ritter RIP never knew he was playing odds until he died, because he was never diagnosed with what killed him.


Really interesting perspective and good odds.
zippyt • Apr 24, 2012 5:51 pm
Walk in the park , best wishes from the front porch
Undertoad • Apr 26, 2012 12:57 pm
Yesterday I drove her back to her house, and she stayed there overnight by herself and was not shaky in the morning. She feels that she's adapted to the blood pressure meds, and doesn't need 24x7 help. She was also given clearance to drive, so she doesn't need chauffeuring.

Since she's able to achieve this level of independence, this lets me resume my life for a little while, although I will still be regularly hauling back and forth on the turnpike.

To better deal with all the hauling back and forth, I didn't rely on the Cellar Car. As great as the Cellar Car is, it should not face this amount of mileage and/or be the only available vehicle in an emergency. So I have had two rentals which have really helped get the job done. Even if they are big American boats, they are quiet and new, and manage to make the trip down the pike a little easier.
limey • Apr 26, 2012 4:58 pm
Glad to hear things are a little calmer for now. Make sure you keep on looking after yourself, too, UT, so that you can continue to be the support for KatKeeper when she needs it.
classicman • Apr 26, 2012 5:20 pm
More good news. I like that. :thumb:
BigV • Apr 26, 2012 5:21 pm
Thannks for the upbeat update UT. :thumbsup:
zippyt • Apr 26, 2012 5:34 pm
Glad to hear Momz is doing better
Undertoad • Apr 26, 2012 6:33 pm
limey;808808 wrote:
Make sure you keep on looking after yourself, too, UT, so that you can continue to be the support for KatKeeper when she needs it.


Yes -- I realize, I have to pace myself for the recovery period.
Nirvana • Apr 26, 2012 10:53 pm
Fabulous! :)
DanaC • Apr 27, 2012 5:02 am
Hugs to both of you.
infinite monkey • Apr 27, 2012 8:09 am
Good son! :)
Undertoad • Apr 27, 2012 9:38 am
She had some intestinal pain last night and so I will be staying there tonight and tomorrow night.

I don't know why I put this level of detail in here, except that it makes it somehow easier to share it with somebody.

J is the third-most affected in this situation as she is left alone in the house and it bothers her. Sometimes her own daughter is here for convenience sake (she works closer to here than where she lives).
Sundae • Apr 27, 2012 11:19 am
You answered your own question UT.
It is easier to share. And because we love you and we know her (longer standing members probably know her better than I do).

We're interested. We worry too. Share away.
Clodfobble • Apr 28, 2012 6:39 pm
Sharing helps you, and it may help someone who goes through it in the future. Sharing is good.
wolf • Apr 29, 2012 10:33 pm
Sharing helps. We're here for you and katkeeper.
glatt • May 7, 2012 10:24 am
Undertoad;808345 wrote:
Katkeeper goes in for surgery May 7.


Is she still going for surgery today? Good luck! We'll be thinking about you.
Undertoad • May 7, 2012 11:33 am
Thank you sir, and all
Right now she is undergoing the first step, a catheterization where they go in through a major artery in the groinal area and inject dye into the heart and aorta to do more imaging. I am in the hospital room waiting for the info from this procedure.
monster • May 7, 2012 11:41 am
Thinking of you all
Spexxvet • May 7, 2012 11:44 am
Hope everything is positive.
classicman • May 7, 2012 12:37 pm
Wishing her/you all, all the best.
limey • May 7, 2012 12:41 pm
Wishing you the best!
DanaC • May 7, 2012 1:19 pm
Positive vibes from me too. And a puppy kiss from carrot.
Undertoad • May 7, 2012 5:34 pm
The info came back good, she has no plaque buildup that has to be addressed. (It's "only" major aorta and aortal valve replacement, and not a bypass operation.)

I was going to stay until the visiting hours are over, but mom told me to beat it before the rush hour. She doesn't know that J is going to be paying her an unannounced visit later tonight. J doesn't have to do that. But J is a beautiful human being. She simply said "Everybody hates to be in the hospital!"
Spexxvet • May 7, 2012 5:44 pm
Thems 2 good women, UT
monster • May 7, 2012 5:46 pm
So is the surgery tomorrow?
Undertoad • May 7, 2012 6:17 pm
Surgery is Wednesday. She gets the preliminaries tomorrow, buncha tests and drugs and whatnot.
Ibby • May 7, 2012 7:30 pm
Good vibes and such. Break a leg or good luck or whatever it is that you're supposed to say before something like this. I hope it all goes off without a hitch - but they're professionals, I'm sure it will. They know what they're doing.
morethanpretty • May 7, 2012 7:33 pm
Good luck to her and y'all. Positive vibes being sent your way so put up you vibe catching net!
DanaC • May 7, 2012 7:35 pm
I'm picturing something like a dream catcher...
jimhelm • May 7, 2012 8:05 pm
maybe it's more strenuous.... like JellyFishing!

[YOUTUBE]uCd35BHwMds[/YOUTUBE]
fargon • May 7, 2012 8:12 pm
We are praying for your Mom Tony.
richlevy • May 7, 2012 8:28 pm
Undertoad;810551 wrote:
She simply said "Everybody hates to be in the hospital!"
Smart woman. Keeper.

I hope your mom is feeling better soon.
SteveDallas • May 7, 2012 10:24 pm
I'm glad things went well today. We'll be thinking of her, and you.
classicman • May 7, 2012 10:39 pm
Hugs, hope and prayers for your mom.
Good thoughts for her from down here.
Flint • May 8, 2012 1:19 am
I always say, you're lucky this [insert complicated medical scenario] didn't happen 100 years ago.

At least we understand things a little better, and you aren't totally ƒucked. You know, for what it's worth.
limey • May 8, 2012 2:22 am
Glad to hear the news, UT. I hope things continue to stay positive. X


Sent by thought transference
Clodfobble • May 8, 2012 11:19 pm
How are things this evening, UT?
Undertoad • May 9, 2012 7:43 am
I was totally exhausted last night... surgery begins at about 11am today.
DanaC • May 9, 2012 7:50 am
Thinking of you guys *smiles*
monster • May 9, 2012 8:49 am
hoping for the best possible outcome, everything's crossed (that's why my typing is so bad)
glatt • May 9, 2012 9:08 am
Thinking about you guys. Good luck!
infinite monkey • May 9, 2012 9:23 am
Big giant thoughts for you today. Please let us know how it goes.
Spexxvet • May 9, 2012 10:33 am
She'll be ready to run a marathon in no time. What hospital is it?
limey • May 9, 2012 10:47 am
x
Undertoad • May 9, 2012 11:28 am
Penn Presbyterian. She is in prep and they begin cutting in a half hour
Undertoad • May 9, 2012 2:34 pm
Why am I writing this. I know, sharing helps. Her procedure began at 13:00 and is expected to last 392 minutes. That is 90 minutes longer than we were told. J guesses that it means they have decided to replace her aortic valve. They replace it with a pig valve.
infinite monkey • May 9, 2012 2:35 pm
Wow...that's a long time.

Ain't nuthin' gonna go wrong, fella! :comfort:
Undertoad • May 9, 2012 3:19 pm
And just like that the procedure is over and she didn't need valve replacement. She's not out of the water but the surgeon was very optimistic.
glatt • May 9, 2012 3:25 pm
That's a marathon surgery. And a long time for you to be waiting in the waiting room for news. I'm glad you have J with you.

When a surgery gets to be that long, there are basic bodily functions for the surgeons that you have to wonder about. Do they work in shifts to get breaks?

That's like a transatlantic flight, and on one of those, they give you a meal and a snack or two and you use the toilets once or twice during that time.

Edit: I took a long time to write that and missed the update.

Glad to hear it went well.
Sundae • May 9, 2012 3:41 pm
I am so happy for you and Katkeeper (and J of course, who is alongside you)
Although KK's recovery is only just beginning.

Love, love, love.

Getting through surgery is a huge milestone.
Even routine surgeries can throw up complications.
She's out and is on the right road.
DanaC • May 9, 2012 3:56 pm
Oh, so happy it went smoothly UT. Give your mom a big Get Well Soon from Yorkshire.
monster • May 9, 2012 4:05 pm
hurrah!
classicman • May 9, 2012 4:51 pm
Been thinking of you guys today.
Relieved to hear things went well.
limey • May 9, 2012 4:55 pm
Good to see positive news at the end of the day, here.
Undertoad • May 9, 2012 8:00 pm
The ICU nurse woke her out of sedation briefly, and got her to move her hands and legs. She moved all four, which means she didn't have a debilitating stroke during surgery. (4% of patients having this procedure do have a stroke.)

Tomorrow morning they will raise her out of sedation completely and remove her breathing tube, and then we'll know she's 100% out of danger.

It's all positive!! Every last tidbit of news is positive.
glatt • May 9, 2012 8:06 pm
:thumb:
Dagney • May 9, 2012 8:24 pm
Great news Toad - I'll continue to keep you all in my thoughts.
classicman • May 9, 2012 9:53 pm
Great to hear UT. Thanks for keeping us posted.
limey • May 10, 2012 4:37 am
Thanks for keeping us informed UT. Healing vibes being beamed across the Atlantic as I write!
Spexxvet • May 10, 2012 9:47 am
Nice! That's great to hear. She did good work. :)
Undertoad • May 10, 2012 12:09 pm
She's been woozy and a little confused in the ICU this morning. But she's also been complaining, so we know she's herself. I'm still worried about her mental faculties but I have no basis to understand where she is with meds and stuff.
Undertoad • May 10, 2012 12:39 pm
ICU nurse: OK, you are retaining a lot of fluids from the operation, so we're going to give you a drug and you'll pee them out.
Me: is it Lasix?
Nurse: it is.
Me: my dog is on Lasix. She leaves puddles everywhere.
Nurse: that won't be a problem here.
Me: yeah some days I want to put a catheter up my dog.
SteveDallas • May 10, 2012 1:25 pm
Undertoad;810910 wrote:
ICU nurse: OK, you are retaining a lot of fluids from the operation, so we're going to give you a drug and you'll pee them out.
Me: is it Lasix?
Nurse: it is.
Me: my dog is on Lasix. She leaves puddles everywhere.
Nurse: that won't be a problem here.
Me: yeah some days I want to put a catheter up my dog.


:lol2: She sounds fine to me! I'm so glad things went well.
Sundae • May 10, 2012 1:28 pm
Snort!
Undertoad • May 11, 2012 12:23 pm
Image

Center city at noon, looking east from the west philly hospital parking garage roof.

Image

57 pulse, 98 blood oxygen, 130/51 blood pressure, 14 I never figured out.

Image

Mom hates, *hates* bad pictures of herself, so don't tell her I did this. I think it was a physician's assistant who came in and tested her vision because she was having issues with her eyesight. She tested two things: peripheral vision, which is being tested here; and stroke, which was trying each eye out independently to make sure the vision was the same in each.

The machine there at the bottom of the pic is attached to the green cuffs around the calves. It squeezes the calves gently, regularly, like a blood pressure machine, to make sure no blood is pooling there. The red pillow on her lap is given to all heart patients, as a thing to squeeze to maintain a little reverse pressure on the chest when they want to cough, sneeze, or (I suppose) laugh. The orange footy socks are for all patients.

S.I.C.U. stands for Surgical ICU, and all hospital pros say "sick-you" and never "Ess-Eye-See-You". The other ICU here is Medical ICU, and I have yet to hear somebody say "mick-you", although surely they must.

Unlike other hospitals, every sick-you room here is private, and every room has all the supplies needed for patient care. One nurse described it as unique to her ICU experience.

Image

Every room here, ICU and "regular", has a whiteboard for simple communications. Valentine, a tall, dark African man, was responsible for sticking her fingertips for blood sugar tests. She loved him, and by the end of her sick-you stay, they were sharing conspiracy theories about the oncoming inevitable war for water.
infinite monkey • May 11, 2012 12:29 pm
Thanks UT. I love that last paragraph. That's really cool. :)
BigV • May 11, 2012 12:33 pm
WOOT for Katkeeper! WTG for UT and his (large and extended) circle of loved ones who care for him and his. I'm glad to hear all is as well as it is.

happy happy happy!
glatt • May 11, 2012 1:09 pm
Undertoad;811104 wrote:
14 I never figured out.


Breaths per minute?
infinite monkey • May 11, 2012 1:11 pm
Judging by the line/symbol next to it, I'd say katkeeper has watched nyan cat 14 times?
SteveDallas • May 11, 2012 1:44 pm
Undertoad;811104 wrote:
14 I never figured out.

Klout score?
Undertoad • May 11, 2012 3:44 pm
Valentine told me that his mother died 3 months ago, at the same time as Whitney Houston; and his father died 2 years ago, at the same time as Michael Jackson.

He said with a grin that he was only sorry his parents got no traction with the media when they passed.
infinite monkey • May 11, 2012 3:46 pm
:)

My grandma died the same day as Diana.

Mom said Peter at the gates said "Oh, there's our classy beautiful person. And look! Diana too!"
classicman • May 11, 2012 4:40 pm
The 14 is her breathing rate.

I only know this because I watched those damn things all day every day for months.
Clodfobble • May 11, 2012 5:31 pm
Undertoad wrote:
The machine there at the bottom of the pic is attached to the green cuffs around the calves. It squeezes the calves gently, regularly, like a blood pressure machine, to make sure no blood is pooling there.


Ohmygod I HATE those things. They made me wear them after my second c-section, and I was literally clawing at my legs in frustration. It wasn't painful, more like Chinese water torture. After maybe 2 hours I just took them off under the blankets and didn't tell anyone.
zippyt • May 11, 2012 6:09 pm
Glad Momz is doing Good !!
Undertoad • May 11, 2012 10:41 pm
Well today was not as good, and now we understand. Yesterday she was still under the effects of the meds they had her on during surgery. Today those wore off and she had a lot of pain for a while before the new meds went on.

It turns out you are supposed to not have pain, because you need to cough post-surgery but coughing is painful if your chest has recently been cracked open.

At the same time, while we were visiting she went into atrial fibrillation, and she felt like it was hard to breathe while her heart started beating really fast and awkwardly. The doc on call was called, and we were ushered out of the room while they tested her and settled her with IV meds. This is a common reaction after heart surgery, and is probably not overly serious, but you never know, and to have all that activity while we were there was just unsettling.

She is not out of the woods yet.
BigV • May 11, 2012 10:45 pm
... <STRESS> ...

Hang in there, everybody.
infinite monkey • May 11, 2012 10:49 pm
Extra double warm thoughts being beamed in your direction.
classicman • May 11, 2012 11:08 pm
Hang in there UT. The path to recovery is never smooth.
Thankfully you are in a place where the recognized and immediately reacted to the situation.
Thoughts & prayers for you and your mom.
wolf • May 12, 2012 12:11 pm
Glad katkeeper is doing well. Penn Presby is an awesome heart center. Yes, they do call MICU "Mick-you." Neonatal ICU is "Nick-You." They do not, however, call regular ICU "ick-you." Probably something to do with the negative connotations.

Yes, the 14 is the respiration rate. I've spent a lot of time watching monitors also. Those were some nice numbers. I had to wear the squeezy-pants after my gall bladder surgery. It's a little weird, but they do prevent blood clots.

That arrangement with all the necessary "stuff" in an ICU room is becoming more and more common. Abington Memorial did that as well. I've tried to decide whether it is comforting or disturbing to have the crash cart in the room with you.

Was Bradford Linn on her surgical team? He was one of momwolf's cardio-thoracic guys, and he is really good. Actually, anyone down at Presby was really good.
Undertoad • May 13, 2012 10:16 pm
She is out of the water. The A-fib has not returned, whether due to the meds or due to it being a single event. Today she was able to walk 10 feet with assistance. They are thinking Bryn Mawr as a possible intermediate step between the hospital and my house.
monster • May 13, 2012 10:45 pm
yay!
Undertoad • May 13, 2012 11:20 pm
Bryn Mawr Rehab, that is... for those who have not yet had loved ones there.
classicman • May 14, 2012 12:24 am
UT. BMRH is an awesome choice. Moss is another, but I believe it is much further from you.
I was at BMRH last Friday to see the neurologist. I'll be back next weekend too.
We still go back to visit patients every couple weeks.
Another friend of ours has surgery and is back recovering from "tendon lengthening surgery" (Tenotomy, I think).
Undertoad • May 14, 2012 12:29 pm
They seem to be settling on Bryn Mawr and they seem to be settling on Tuesday.

It's so weird to realize that this has been a month ongoing so far, and probably has at least another month and half with my participation. But things should get better at this point!
BigV • May 14, 2012 12:44 pm
It gets better.


Not that there's anything wrong with that. I don't want to change her, well, I guess I do, just the aneurysm part though.

Kidding aside, I love good news, thanks!!!
wolf • May 14, 2012 1:07 pm
Bryn Mawr Rehab is top notch. Great that your mom was able to get a bed there.
classicman • May 14, 2012 4:32 pm
^WSS^
Good for you - GREAT for her.
One piece of advice - go to some therapy with her. Pay attention to what they do. TAKE NOTES. Duplicate/replicate/mimic/build upon what they do with her. Insurance only pays for so much and you have a closing window of rehab time from the moment she gets there. It'll all be on family after discharge.
Good luck!
glatt • May 14, 2012 4:47 pm
classicman;811582 wrote:
Insurance only pays for so much and you have a closing window of rehab time from the moment she gets there. It'll all be on family after discharge.


This.

Oh, and when my father in law was in rehab last summer, he was super nice and friendly to everyone. Learned everyone's names. Thanked everyone. Smiled to everyone. Etc.

When it came time for him to be kicked out, they fudged the forms a little bit and reported that he needed more rehab. And he got to stay a week or two longer. That extra time was very helpful when it came time to lining up a nursing home.
classicman • May 14, 2012 4:50 pm
Ooooh - Very good glatt. I forgot about all that.
After that ran out I bitched up a storm about how the home wasn't ready.
I got another week on them. ;)
SteveDallas • May 15, 2012 10:33 am
Great news!
Undertoad • May 15, 2012 10:36 am
Another round of A fib this morning means moving to rehab is delayed.

It seems like I am just documenting, at this point, not really sharing, but you do get the entire story.
BigV • May 15, 2012 10:50 am
documenting, sharing... is it working for you? I know that sounds cliche, but I think you know what I mean. We care for you and for those you care for. If this documenting / sharing is helping you, continue. If it's a drag for you, don't. We don't need to add to your burdens. (not all martyr-y, I'm just sayin.)
Undertoad • May 15, 2012 11:05 am
Well it's a story and I guess the whole story should be told, even if the most dramatic bits are done now.

I feel like this is a part of life and others of y'all may have to go through it at some point, or might someday know somebody going through it, so having heard all about it on the Cellar might be good.
limey • May 15, 2012 12:37 pm
Atrial fibrillation in and of itself is a manageable condition. My mum and my brother both lived with it for many years, managing it with medication. How it impacts on the other issues here, I cannot say. Continuing to send you and KatKeeper every good wish!
DanaC • May 15, 2012 12:50 pm
Undertoad;811677 wrote:
Well it's a story and I guess the whole story should be told, even if the most dramatic bits are done now.

I feel like this is a part of life and others of y'all may have to go through it at some point, or might someday know somebody going through it, so having heard all about it on the Cellar might be good.


Funnily enough that's exactly what I thought after reading your previous post. If any of my nearest and dearest have to go through somethinglike this (and lets face it it grows more likely with each passing year!) I would find this thread really helpful and reassuring.
xoxoxoBruce • May 16, 2012 6:05 pm
Undertoad;811677 wrote:
Well it's a story and I guess the whole story should be told, even if the most dramatic bits are done now.

Yes, but the happy parts are just starting, where we can share the joy of rehab progress, and her going on to cure cancer, discover a non-polluting renewable energy, and bring world peace. :thumb:
Undertoad • May 18, 2012 8:13 pm
Round three of a-fib at 3:30 am and improper responsiveness from the rehab place nurses. Rousted me at 4am. Decided to go to the hospital ER at 8am. Admitted by 3pm and IV'd with the right doses to keep her heart straight. She'll probably go back to rehab tomorrow or Sunday.

I worked an 11 hour day today.
monster • May 18, 2012 10:49 pm
frustrating times. hope she improves quickly and gets back to rehab and then back home
limey • May 19, 2012 4:24 am
^^ WSS ^^
wolf • May 19, 2012 11:26 am
At least the rehab is properly responsive to the issue. Good on them!
Undertoad • May 19, 2012 2:07 pm
Not really. This was supposed to be a cardiac rehab facility but they don't have EKG on premises, can't do IVs, not sure I get it.
classicman • May 19, 2012 11:52 pm
regarding rehab: WTH?

Hoping for the best for your mom.
wolf • May 20, 2012 1:02 am
Undertoad;812305 wrote:
Not really. This was supposed to be a cardiac rehab facility but they don't have EKG on premises, can't do IVs, not sure I get it.


Rehab is for when you don't need that stuff.

I can almost assure you that they have one of those machines that goe ping on the premises, but that doesn't mean they have someone handy that knows how to use them. Heck, even the nuthouse had one of those, and I suspect they have one somewhere in the back room at the rehab. But anyway, if something's a-lookin' and a-soundin' funky, they have 911 on speed dial, and they're close by to Bryn Mawr Hospital, which does have a pretty good ER. So do the other ones nearby, for that matter.
Undertoad • May 20, 2012 9:06 am
lost in the telling is that she didn't go to burn mawr rehab although now she might. She went to a smaller place. But her am phlebotomist at the hospital just said that rehab has a poor infection rate which is a bad idea for heart patients. Wtf
classicman • May 20, 2012 1:03 pm
ughhhhh
Undertoad • May 23, 2012 11:08 pm
We finally found out:

Acute care: 3-4 hours/day
Sub-acute: 2-3 hours/day
Skilled nursing: 1/2 hours/day

~~~

That's why a cardiac patient doesn't get into Bryn Mawr. Bryn Mawr is acute-only.

Mom certainly didn't need anything but skilled nursing -- except that it needed to be actually skilled, in which severe a-fib should be recognized as a problem, monitored as closely as possible, and referred to the hospital immediately and perhaps not left up to the patient's decisions.

But at the shitty rehab, none of that was really available -- and thus...

It was eventually the patient who decided that she should be taken to Pottstown Memorial's ER. By ambulance, so that she could remain on oxygen. Once at Pottstown she was evaluated as truly at risk, and far enough from surgery that she could get blood thinning meds, which reduced her stroke risk by half [citation needed]. She was admitted and then told she had to stay for 3 days.

That allowed J the time to germinate the idea that mom didn't have to go back to the shitty rehab facility, and that the local retirement community/assisted living facility Shannondell had attached to it a skilled nursing facility. And although it was said to be hard to get a bed there, they had one available -- which mom was slotted for.

What a difference! Shannondell's private rooms have wall to wall carpeting, walk-in showers with benches... everything is clean and smells ok! Her nurse met us right at the door with a wheelchair and told us jokes as he explained that every day would get better. The next day's menu was taken and it was top-notch: pan-seared duck breast and green bean casserole. Within two hours of admission another nurse was fighting to transfer the meds that the Pottstown doc hadn't put on her list.

And then she went into AF again, and this time she had the right meds to keep it in check. The S-dell staff was authoritative: you'll stay here, now that you have the right meds, and our doc has read all fifty pages of your history and will see you on rounds. And she did stay; and today, out of AF, she did the physical therapy she needs.

I suspect Shannondell's facility is more for its permanent residents, which I think number about 3000. But they've overbuilt it (which is a great idea) and allow laypeople to get in, in order to keep the facility running at max.

However it occurred, Mom is now at an elite facility with excellent elite staff. If we had known what rehab is, that it was inevitable, and that it differed greatly from place to place, we would have visited these places beforehand. As it was we were offered a list of places to choose from with no notion of which one was better and how.
classicman • May 23, 2012 11:38 pm
we were offered a list of places to choose from with no notion of which one was better and how.

Thats what your case manager is for - WTH?

Anyway - I'm happy to hear that she is in the right place with the right people and equipment.
Goooooo Rehab!
TheMercenary • May 24, 2012 2:10 am
A-FIB IS not a big deal if given appropriate meds, and if you feel like you are being screwed start the baby ASA a day routine and it will basically give you all the protection needed.
glatt • May 24, 2012 8:48 am
This is good news. I'm glad she's getting what she needs at Shannondell.

Don't get complacent though. Show an interest when you visit so the staff there continues the fine level of treatment. Hopefully she won't need to be there too long.
limey • May 24, 2012 9:35 am
Sounds like your mum is in the right place this time. Fingers crossed for you all, UT!
Undertoad • May 24, 2012 11:08 am
The problem Merc is that post-surgery she could not be given blood thinners of any kind, and clots are a more severe stroke risk then. The hospital would IV the med for it and it was always a more serious med, one that's only used for more severe arrhythmia, because it can't be used for more than two months without liver risk.

Now that she is further past surgery, and stronger, the AF will be less of a problem. And now that she can sit up without oxygen, I can be her ambulance service for anything that happens from now on.
limey • Jun 4, 2012 5:57 pm
How're things?
Undertoad • Jun 4, 2012 8:33 pm
Progressing along nicely, she will be out of the rehab and into my house by the end of this week, headed for a 100% recovery.

And that's when the fireworks really get started... hi mom
BigV • Jun 6, 2012 5:23 pm
Undertoad;813852 wrote:
Progressing along nicely, she will be out of the rehab and into my house by the end of this week, headed for a 100% recovery.

And that's when the fireworks really get started... hi mom


that's the good news.



the less good news, there's an old Ballard idiom for trouble represented by "two women under one roof". Good luck man!