It is amazing how someone’s condition can change so rapidly. On Friday, shortly after I posted to say how much better he was doing, my mother called 911 and my father was taken by ambulance to the hospital. He had begun chilling uncontrollably, was too weak to walk to the front door and was running a fever again.
His blood pressure began dropping in the emergency room. They started some IV fluids and gave him a bolus and the blood pressure started to come back some. He was finally sent to a regular room. It is hard to convince doctors and nurses that you know the patient’s history. (My mother took a list of all of his medications as well as a break down of all of his medical procedures with dates performed.) It took several hours for orders to start being given.
Saturday, he was so weak, his hands shook too much for him to be able to feed himself, he couldn’t turn himself over and certainly could not walk.
We had him transferred on Saturday from that hospital (which was closer to home) to Centennial Medical Center where all of his physicians are located. Again, it took several hours to get orders from the hospitalist. That part was very frustrating.
Evidently, flushing a suprapubic catheter is not something nurses normally do in either of these hospitals. My father, mother & I explained that we have been doing that twice a day per the surgeon’s discharge instructions following the surgery and offered to do it ourselves, but was still missed once at each hospital while they waited to find out how to do it.
He was given Levoquin (antibiotic) and has improved dramatically. Yesterday (on Sunday), he was no longer shaking and went for two extended walks in the hospital hallways. He even jokingly challenged another patient who was also out walking the halls to a race. His hands have stopped shaking. He was also able to get a sponge bath, shave himself and brushed his teeth.
They did inform us that his bloodwork showed his kidney functions were low and he had an ultrasound done. We have not had the results of that yet.
I just spoke with my mother who is with him right now. He is still feeling better today and has again been up to bathe, etc.
Carol
