One Journey After Diabetic Coma

(Marilyn) I spent 4 hours at NHC today.  Linda was lethargic and quiet and slept most of the time.  They now have her on an air mattress and next to the bed they installed what can only be called a "stripper" pole for her to hold onto when they get her out of bed for physical therapy.  She didn't like it when I called it a stripper  pole.  LOL.   She is also on an IV for fluids.  The nurse told me her vitals were good today. They tried to get her up for therapy and she refused.  This game is getting old. Tomorrow we are going to bring lunch to NHC and have lunch with her.

 (Marilyn) Addendum to earlier post. Did you ever feel like punching people in the nose?  Well, Tricia and I are too angry and frustrated for words. For the past two weeks, Tricia has been pointing out to nurses, CNAs and therapists, the fact that Linda's incision from her hip replacement didn't look right.  And everyone always said, "Oh, that's normal, don't worry." Tricia even called the doctor who did the surgery -- twice -- and he said that it was probably nothing and there was nothing he could do.  He didn't even suggest an appointment.  Well, today Tricia AGAIN pointed it out and guess what?  Now, everyone is agreeing that there is an infection and we have an emergency appointment with the surgeon for Monday morning. So now, looking back, it appears that we have ignored Linda's cries of pain for the past two weeks.  I can't tell you how many people looked at this incision DAILY: the people who help her shower, the people who clean her up seve

 (Marilyn) I still haven't gone to see Linda in over a week now.  It's too frustrating to try to keep up with her combative personality and work on myself too.  Also, the weather has kept me housebound!  However, I plan to go see her on Sunday. Tricia has kept up her vigilance, God bless her. Tricia got a phone call at 5AM yesterday morning that Linda had fallen while trying to get out of bed, because she swears she can walk even though she can't.  Anyway, it was what the nurse called a sliding fall so she did nut hurt herself.  They also gave her intravenous fluids because she is dehydrated.  And the NHC doctor wats to give her some medication because of very low blood pressure.  She is getting SOOOO many drugs you have to wonder what kind of side effects are coming with those medications. Last Saturday at my weekly Parkinsons session, a guest speaker (Sharon, from Transitions for Seniors) talked about nursing homes and how to get one that meets your needs.  One thing that

(Marilyn) I'm glad Tricia has done the updates (although I don't know how she found the time!!) She is definitely burning the candle at both ends.  All patients should have an advocate like her.  I try to help, in small ways, by making phone calls and accompanying Linda to doctor appointments. As for me, I've taken time off to participate in various Parkinson's programs, as well as Pacemaker maintenance, trying to make sure I stay as well as possible, all things considered.  Today I learned that my pacemaker only has 1.5 years of battery life left.  So I imagine the replacement surgery will be in about a year.  I know millions of people do this every year but it's scary....especially since my Pacemaker paces at 100-percent which means my heart cannot work on its own. In Denver I asked my cardiologist what would happen if the pacemaker ever failed, he said, "That would be bad."  Creepy.  I put that same question to my cardiologist here in St. Louis and he s

(Tricia) On Tuesday, I received an email from the social worker at NHC. She wanted to let me know that Linda was once again refusing therapy. If Linda refuses therapy too many times, the social worker told me, the insurance company will no longer cover the cost of the skilled nursing care or therapy. So, she wanted to ask me "if I had any suggestions." When this same thing happened last fall, I told them, repeatedly, what my suggestion is: Let me know the window of time when they will be working with Linda. If their PTs would just provide me with a schedule for Linda's therapy sessions, I could be there to persuade Linda to participate. However, getting the facility's PT to set actual windows of time for therapy, which seems so simple to me, was almost impossible last fall. Even a two-hour window would be fine. When I told the social worker this on Tuesday, she gave me a time for the next day and said that the PT working with Linda would set out a schedule for the fol

 (Tricia) As Marilyn mentioned, Ed and I did take a break Sunday night to watch the Superbowl with friends. I have lost my love of football since the much-hated and hateful Stan Kroenke moved the Rams from St. Louis to LA. A crushing Rams loss would have brought just a little light to my heart! But, unfortunately, the universe could not deliver. My sincere condolences to Cincinnati. :-) I was able to visit Linda late Sunday afternoon, and Ed and I went last night. With the hip injury keeping her bound to her bed and wheelchair, Linda has become increasingly sad and withdrawn. When she had been trying to walk on her own just before she broke her hip, we had tried to warn her that an injury could set her back weeks, or even months. And that is exactly what has happened. Whether it's the residual effects of the anesthesia from her surgery four weeks ago, the new medications she is on, or some combination of both, she has not regained the mental function she had had just before the

 (Marilyn) Today I took my new dog (Allie) over to Camp BowWow for an admissions "interview" so that I can board her there if necessary.  Camp BowWow is very close to NHC so I dropped in to see Linda after leaving Allie. Linda was in bed -- she doesn't get up unless she is more or less forced -- and we talked a little bit and she basically stayed sleeping.  So I watched a little TV and then left. Tricia and Ed will stop there in the early evening for a quick visit before heading to a friend's house to watch the Super Bowl game. And Allie has been accepted at Camp BowWow -- yay!

 (Marilyn) I went to see Linda for a little while today and she was depressed and conversation was weird.  She wanted me to help her sit down and when I told her she was already sitting down she said "Yes, I know, but can you help me sit down?"  Then she kept trying to get into bed by herself which could be really bad. She has a bed sore that is causing her a lot of pain but since she wants to stay in bed, it's kind of hard to help it heal. I didn't stay long.  

I'm just making this entry to keep everyone as up to date as I am. Tricia was going to stay at home today and get some work done and then go see Linda tonight.  But she got a phone call from what I think was a psychologist/neurologist.  He had an opening for a virtual appointment so Tricia had to go into speed mode to get down to NHC and get Linda ready and get the computer hooked up, etc.  She will fill you in later as to the details, but Linda was Linda. Linda is more and more in the mood to try to walk when she knows she can't and we are worried that it won't be long before there's another fall.  A nurse told Tricia and Ed last night that she caught Linda trying to get out of her wheelchair. I haven't gone to visit in a few days.  I. have my own health issues to take care of and I'm doing just that.

 (Marilyn) The last two days were stressful, just dealing with her constant demands to go home and then getting furious when we say no.  I didn't stay long.   We are once again looking for possible alternatives.  It's just a matter of time before she attempts to walk again and if she has another fall.........

 (Marilyn) I got there at 9:00 this morning and the door to her room was closed.  That's never a good thing. I went in just in time to keep her from slipping to the floor -- she was trying to stand up.  She swears she can walk.  Exasperating! We did not have any good conversation, she was very combative.  Said she had to go to the bathroom.  The nurses were very shorthanded but I got the nurses to come in and Linda said, "I don't have to go, I don't know why Marilyn brought you in."  And that's the way the day went.  

(Tricia) We were able to take advantage of a lull in the snowfall on Wednesday night to visit Linda, but we stayed home Thursday night, given the 8 inches of snow on the ground. Of course, I worried whether she would be OK! But we had let her know that the snow was coming, and that we likely would not be able to visit on Thursday, which she seemed to understand. When we were able to return to the facility on Friday evening, we were met by one of the nursing assistants as we were about to head down Linda's hall. He stopped us to say that he was shocked by how Linda's personality had changed. She had gone from being quiet and friendly with him to combative. He said that she had slapped at him and another nursing assistant that morning as they tried to help her out of bed. Linda had done the same to the nurses at BJC St. Peters during her last hospital stay, soon after they started her on pain medications for her hip.   As Marilyn mentioned, once Linda became combative with the nu

(Marilyn) There's been lots of snow so I haven't been over to NHC for a few days.  Tricia and Ed made it, though.  One thing they learned was that Linda has been put on anti-psychotic drugs and it has changed her personality dramatically.  She is calmer and she is not screaming.  She did her physical therapy without complaint.  I know we don't want to drown anyone in drugs, but in this case -- in my opinion -- if it's keeping her calm, it's worth it. That's all I know.  We got about 9 inches of snow here at my house so I haven't even gone to the mailbox.  And I'm letting the dogs do their thing on the deck because I'm not going out in the yard.  LOL.