Another disappointment today!

Originally published on Multiply, November 10th, 2007

We were so hoping that Tony would be able to come home even for a few hours, but it is not to be.

The cardiologist came over tonight to tell him that his INR was too low at 1.4, he needs to be around 2.5, so they had to put the IV back in and give him the Heparin drip in addition to taking the Coumadin orally, at 5mg. Sure hope they'll be able to stabilise it by tomorrow or Monday.

Before we got that news, he was walking quite a bit, around and around the corridor, kind of boring but at least it's exercise and keeps him balanced and out of bed for a while. As we were leaving I saw the lady that is across from his bed lying down in feces!!! So I called out to the staff that she had pooped in her bed, and she does wear a diaper, but I guess there was just too much. Man oh man, these people have no compassion for these helpless people in there. I really can't stand the staff there. But I guess they are all stressed out too, so I suppose I shouldn't bad-mouth them, but when I see that, it just makes my blood boil. What if it was me - in 20 years time who knows how I'll be, I sure wouldn't want to be treated like that.

Anyway, by the time we got around the floor and near the room, we heard she had made her way to the bathroom somehow and had fallen, thankfully she didn't hurt herself. They cleaned her up, and changed her bed and sprayed some disinfectant in the room.

Lunch was a delightful.........NOT, shepperd's pie, canned cubed beet - dried up. Cream of chicken I think - hard to tell, everything goes through a blender! One slice of brown bread with margarine, and for dessert, a yummy tapioca pudding - NOT!!!! And a small container of milk. He's still not allowed any caffeine, so skim milk is all he gets.

Supper was ham with pineapple sauce, the ham was drowning in it and didn't look appetizing, canned carrots, diced, cream of mushroom soup. One slice of brown bread with margarine, and a fruit cup for dessert, the fruits all dried up, no syrup included. And the requisite small container of skim milk.

Each lunch and supper consist of the same items, one soup, a main meal, meat or fish or whatever, one slice of bread with margarine and one dessert and one 250ml container of milk. It never changes!!!!

He finally got visits from his family today, nobody had come to see him since he's been hospitalized. His sister Carole and her hubby and his brother Jim all came to see him. It was Jim's birthday too, and I had bought a card for him, and brought it to Tony to see, and never had mailed it - I kind of was counting on him to come and see Tony and was counting on giving him the card then, so it worked out.....lol. Jim turned 65 today!.

When the day nurse left she came to see Tony to tell him the nurse that was coming on the next shift was one from an agency, and not to expect too much, because she was the only one on the floor tonight. Well I tell you, SHE is worth 10 of the others, at least she has a good disposition, while the others are so stern most of the time, she was smiling and making joked and she changed Tony's IV line, because it was starting to get infected where the line was in, it had been there too long, it was all red and Tony was starting to run a fever. It's always hard to find a good vein on Tony, poor guy gets poked and poked. The first vein she got, was blown, just like many other times, but the next one worked out ok. So hopefully he'll be good for the next day or two.

I left the hospital around 8:30 and it's now 9:20 and I'm pretty tired and I still need to go through my mail and then straight to bed I go.

I am thankful too that I had my friend Pat here, she raked up all the leaves in the front yard today, that was a big help. Last week she cut down the flowers and removed the annuals, so that I could spend my time with Tony. I'm grateful she did this for me, and she's not used to that, as she never had a house :)

My dog Tara is on the chair next to me, licking my arm, wanting my attention :) poor thing, she's missing her daddy too much :) she's daddy's girl..........lol.........but I'm a poor substitute for now........lol

ADDENDUM: I was letting Tara out to do her business before going to bed and noticed that the patio table and side tables weren't there - Pat took them inside for me AND on top of that, she did the repair to a shed we had bought on sale - the last left, and it was missing some parts, so Tony had phoned the manufacturer and they sent us the parts for free, well I noticed that the box wasn't there anymore and the empty box was in the recycling box - she fixed that too - WOW, she sure was a busy girl today and I appreciate that for sure.

Now on another note, I forgot to mention, that when the shift changed at the hospital one of the orderly wheeled in a scale to weigh Tony.......LOL..........he lost 8 lbs in 1 week!!!!! Of course it's not surprising when you're fed that kind of slop and also wasn't eating any solid food for 4 days!!!

OK NOW I'm going to bed :)

bluesie wrote on Nov 11, '07

Wow it never stops does it......
Can't you bring him something to eat....I used to do that ......I am so happy that Pat is there WTGGGG a good Pat lol.....AS I rofl...
I still have you both in my prayers and happy that you have help ....that is a blessing...
hugs Pat
the other Pat

moezie wrote on Nov 11, '07

hi mo! thanks again for the blog update on tony and sorry he didn't make it home yesterday ... ya know, i've never been to the lakeshore general and i'm glad as it sounds dreadful. what a friend you have in pat, she sounds like very good friend and bless her! wishing you and tony better days ahead and my thoughts and prayers are with you both xoxox

dreamyone wrote on Nov 11, '07

Oh Mo,
I'm so terribly sorry to hear that your hubby "Tony" is in the hospital and has not been feeling well,
I'm also so very sorry that I hadn't heard or read about any of this until now., I feel just awful that I hadn't typed or read before now of the news.. I'm in the hospital again myself right now, been here a few days or so and will probably stay for a few more days and have to have surgery again on Monday or Tuesday , Well!, up until today I did not have my computer.. Anyway I'm just delighted to be able to catch up again, but I'm sad to hear that Tony is in the hospital and now also I know you must be going through so much stress and so worried. I'm so sorry!. Anyway from this first entry I just read it sounds like Tony is doing well and I'm praying that he'll continue to get more better everyday until he can be released back home to you again.. I'm also glad to hear your friend Pat is there helping you so your not all alone right now. Anyway again I'm so sorry I hadn't heard before now... I also just switched my server to AT&T at home and for the past couple weeks when I was home I've yet to my email to work yet so I'm imagining that I have e-mails bouncing all over the place from people. Anyway please hang in there and again I'm praying that soon all will be back to well again and he'll be home again with you and all will be wonderful again. I'm praying that you'll stay strong and know that your so loved by all and that everyone is going to be pulling for you both and you know the power of prayers are amazing.. so hang in there dear friend..
Hugs Les

moscreations wrote on Nov 11, '07

Hi Moe and thanks for the prayers. The Lakeshore used to be great, but really the shortage of nurses makes it very difficult and I guess government cutbacks are taking their tolls, even if they are giving more towards healthcare lately, it's just not enough. It's very sad. I went in at 11 this morning, and Tony was very tired and sleeping, and a nurse and an attendant were fixing another patient in the room who had a stoke and brain hemorrage - several of them too, so he is unconscious, very likely will never wake up and might not make it, so they were washing him, the lady in the next bed had pooped in the bed again, when you get in the room, it's just so smelly, it's terrible. So I came home to get something for that, and some baby powder, at least with that Tony will smell better....lol
Pat has been living with us for the past 9 months, almost 10 now, so she's around to keep an eye on things and take care of the dog while I'm not here too.

moscreations wrote on Nov 11, '07

Leslie dear, you have no reason to apologize, I have been thinking about you too, I figured you were hospitalized too and that was the reason I hadn't heard from you in a while, quite a while too, so I hope that you're ok now??? Are they taking out that trach???
Tony was doing ok - so we thought, until last night when they said his INR level was too low, so he's back on a Heparin drip again and Coumadin.
You take care of yourself, it's nice that you can have a laptop in there, I don't know that this can be done here, but anyway, we don't have one.....lol
Big hugs sweetie

dreamyone wrote on Nov 11, '07

Mo, God I'm so sorry that his test are still not where they should be.. but then he's in good care and in the right place now to get the help that he needs and it's better that he wait there alittle longer and get that all taken care of so that he can come home and be healthy again and both of you can get on with the fun things in life again. Main thing is that you need to stay strong and make sure to get rest and take care of yourself too!.
No they just changed the trach out again on me for another one and this is suppose to be the last one..but then that granulated tissue or something else grew in and I had to check into the hospital again just in case it was to close my airway off..They will most likely do surgery tomorrow to find out what the deal is..
anyway thank you for your understanding my dear friend... And I only wish I could give words to comfort you and to help you now.. But all I can do is to pass on that I believe in my heart that prayers will see Tony through this all and that there are alot of us now doing just that for you and for him... You are loved and cherished... Big hugs and take care... hope to talk with you soon again like we used to do daily.. I miss that.. :)