I took my mother to the hospital today. She's been sick for a while, and finally let me take her in. I'm not comfortable with the details being posted online, but she went in for emergency surgery early this afternoon. I'm not a doctor, but I recognised the words they were using, and they were not good words - not horrible, panic-inducing words, but scary ones.
I'm being the strong one right now. My siblings don't recognise how serious things are, and my dad is having enough trouble himself and I can't make that worse. I just want to talk to someone. One of the nurses this morning was excellent and I couldn't ask for better, but since she went off shift, people have been more close. If I could email, I'd really appreciate it.
[ January 17, 2008, 12:38 AM: Message edited by: Eaquae Legit ]
Posted by divaesefani (Member # 3763) on :
Ali! I'm so sorry! I can't really help, but I just wanted to give you a *hug!*
I'll be thinking about you and your Mother will be in my prayers.
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
I can't really help with medical advice, but I'm free to talk by e-mail if you want. Address in the profile. (((EL)))
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Thanks, guys. I managed to get hold of a medico-in-training friend in real life (my oldest and best friend, too boot), and being the wonderful person she is, she dropped everything and we had a long talk. I also had a cry, which helped a bit.
I'm a bit more comfortable now. What she thought was a really bad flu was actually a double-perforated bowel which had gone necrotic and then she went septic. This was unrecognised and thus untreated for 10-11 days, which didn't help. The surgery was long, but went as well as could be expected, and while she was in rough shape coming out of the OR, by the time they let us see her in ICU, her kidneys had stabilised, at least.
I'm scared, so very scared. My mom is not old at all. She's got tubes all everywhere. She's very, very sick. I finally came home, and I'll be going back in tomorrow to make sure nothing in her med history got overlooked in the shuffle. I hope she's more responsive then, because that will help both her and us.
She's tough. She's a fighter. But I am still a little girl who's terrified for her mommy.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Of course you are! *HUG*
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, man. Prayers and hugs here, too.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
Hugs and prayers.
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
The morning report is that she's stabilising further, is awake and alert. She can't talk because of tubes, but she wrote my dad a note to pay the credit card bill, so really, that's excellent.
I'm being pretty optimistic. This is gonna be rough, but at least we can breathe some. I've been told that if I hadn't taken her in yesterday, it likely would have been too late. That scares me a lot, but I'm SO relieved I did take her in.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
I'm so glad for the improving news. You took good care of her when she needed you.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
So... blood pressure stabilised just in time for her to get pneumonia. Still scary, sadly. Things like this happen on tv, not to real people, not to my mom.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
More hugs and prayers heading your way.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
{{{{{EL and family}}}}} Lots of healing thoughts headed your direction.
Posted by divaesefani (Member # 3763) on :
*Another big hug*
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Well, she's still in ICU. They've been hoping for days to get her off the breathing tube and onto her trusty old CPAP, but no luck. She's mostly breathing on her own now, but the CPAP wasn't getting her enough oxygen when they tried yesterday.
I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed. My mom has always been the rudder and sail of the house. We're all pitching in, but we're just muddling along as best we can. My grandma comes tomorrow night, so everything is going to go up another gear for two weeks or so. Hopefully we can manage it.
I'm going to be a bit more assertive, for my own sanity's sake. My dad is doing his best, but he does things in a very different style, and doesn't even realise it's not the style everyone's used to. I know my own methods aren't, either, but I've got to have something familiar, some sort of rhythm I recognise, or I will get less and less functional. Step one, tomorrow: grocery shopping.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*hug*
Grocery shopping is a good thing. A little normality -- plus having food around is generally a good thing.
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
BREATHING TUBE OUT!
It's a wonderful day. Posted by divaesefani (Member # 3763) on :
I told you over at pweb, but I'm happy to hear it, babe. It's been a long, tough road for you. I'm sure it's nice to see some progress.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Yay!
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
What ElJay said.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Awesome! Sending prayers for her continued improvement.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Wonderful! Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Thanks, all. I went in to see her today and it was so great to see her smile and mouth "Love you." The breathing tube (and suction thingy) was definitely the scariest-looking thing and the thing she hated the most. She's so much more comfortable just having a mask. Hopefully things will move a little bit quicker now, but even if we continue to just plod along, having the tube out is amazing. She's also free to move her arms around more, since she doesn't have any tube to try to rip out. She can also communicate her needs more easily - all in all, her comfort level has gotten so much greater.
Posted by RunningBear (Member # 8477) on :
Fantastic!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
I'm glad to hear it, EL. Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Well, today my mom called.
She's out of the ICU!!
She's pretty cranky because her muscles have atrophied quite a bit in the nearly three weeks she's been in the hospital, and the week and a half bedridden before that. But the important thing is she is going to be okay. Everything else can be worked on, but she is alive and on the mend.
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
Yay!!! That is great news!! May she continue to improve as quickly as possible!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*high fives*
And she's well enough to be making phone calls! Excellent! Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Glad to hear, Eaquae. Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Terrific! <celebrates>
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Yay!
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Today I visited after work and ended up staying to talk for more than four hours. It was pure awesomeness. I really, really miss her hugs. We talked about pretty much everything, and she can't wait to finish getting better and get home. She figures as soon as she can walk again they'll let her go home. In pursuit of that, she's doing her physio exercises devotedly, and today she stood up! We'll be getting a home care nurse for her for a while when she comes home, till everything settles properly.
Thank you everyone who offered prayers or well-wishes. Thank you so very much.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
That is awesome! I'm glad she's doing better.
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
If there are any late-night prayers here, we're now taking my grandma to ER.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
!
*hugs* and prayers, headed your way. What a week!
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Grandma's in ICU. Fortunately, no surgery (yet). Unfortunately, kidneys, heart rate, and blood pressure: not good. I'm really tired of this.
Edit: I just ate a bowl of Cool Whip. It doesn't help anything, but it makes me feel a little happier. Whatever that means. What a year. DEFINITELY the most dramatic year I've ever had. It can stop now, please.
[ July 13, 2007, 09:02 AM: Message edited by: Eaquae Legit ]
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Oh no. I'm really sorry, Eaquae Legit.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Oh no. I'm so sorry.
I hope the bad year does stop. You've definitely had enough for one person lately.
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
{{{EL}}} Prayers headed your way.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
<prayers for EL's grandmother>
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
Wow, when it rains, it pours. Your family will be in my prayers.
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
So the update on grandma is no update. She's a little more stable, but in horrible full-body pain. She's pretty much morphine-ated, because whenever she comes to, she is moaning with pain. They're hoping tomorrow her kidneys are stable enough to do a CT scan. We're playing a waiting game.
The last thing that happened before she got really sick was we went out to the thrift store together and had a great evening. I hope that's not my last memory of spending time with her, but if it is, it's a very good memory. I want her to stick around, though. She's my very last grandparent, and I love her.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*hug*
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Another grandma update.
She's doing better-ish, it seems. She can talk again and she's more alert and in a lot less pain. They've moved her to a regular ward. It looks like she's going to be in for a few more days, and then she is going back to her nursing home. We're all kind of bummed because she's missed the surgery she was going to have to get her sight back. But, that can be rescheduled, and she's alive, which is the most important thing.
On the plus side, it seems that ambulance transport is available from one medical place to another, and grandma's nursing home seems to count. She'll be more comfortable travelling that way, to be sure.
So my family is intact, no one else shows any signs of needing emergency medical attention, and hopefully I can retire this thread in a couple weeks when my mom gets home (she is now walking a few feet at a time!).
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
I'm so glad. =) That's awesome!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*relieved*
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Mum's now come down with a hospital-variety staph infection. Treatable, and she's not in any huge danger, but annoying. She's not fond of all the vomiting. Just one more step, I guess. Despite that, she's getting stronger, and can now walk a little more.
Grandma is doing well-ish. She's not great, but then her health never really is. She's getting a ride on helicopter-ambulance back to her home tomorrow. I'm really glad we had the evening out together that we did, and I'm looking forward to seeing her later this summer when I'm in her area.
Life is slowly, slowly approaching normality.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Eaquae Legit: Life is slowly, slowly approaching normality.
Here's hoping for an accelerated approach. *hug*
Posted by NotMe (Member # 10470) on :
I'm not at all surprised by the staph infection. Unfortunately, in most of the world, anybody staying in a hospital that long is most likely going to end up getting staph. Here's to hoping it isn't one of the nastier drug-resistant strains.
Good luck getting her out of the hospital and on the mend.
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
The news today is that her surgeon wants her out sometime this week. She's walking more and more, and even tackled a couple of stairs today. The staph is almost gone, and she's gotten to know most of the nurses by name. She also says that while being sick stinks, she's learned a ton because every time someone comes to do something, she asks what's going on and why and how, etc.
We're really lucky, because we have good coverage. Bath chairs and walkers and a wheelchair and even a home nurse are all covered, as are any supplies that might be needed, like wound dressings. I go on vacation on Saturday, and I really, really hope I get to see her home before I go.
Grandma has gone home, by ambulance-copter.
And I fell off my bike today (packed-dirt path), which brings my summer injury count to: One scraped achilles tendon One strained ankle One severely bruised shin Two days of plantar fasciitis flare-up Three or four migraines An assortment of work-related bruises One episode of hair-pull head-butting One skinned knee One scraped and bruised calf And two hands, the pads of which now resemble the product of a meat-grinder
I post the above not to solicit pity, but rather to marvel that I haven't been in the hospital myself this summer. Yet. There's still time, the way I'm going.
My dad, my poor, benighted and over-wrought dad, helped me clean my hands. This was a Good Thing as by then I was going into shock. He was wonderful and as gentle as he could be, even if he grumbled about One More Thing. He's been first-aid certified for decades now, and since we grew up learning it and taking courses as well, I've always taken such skill for granted. I do know a lot of people who would Freak Out when confronted with a bloody, angry girl in shock, but not my dad! I am going to find a way to treat him somehow this week.
[ July 29, 2007, 05:16 AM: Message edited by: Eaquae Legit ]
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Whew. My mom came home on Friday August 3rd, 2007.
I was very busy at the time and left the next day for a camping trip, so I didn't get a chance to post. She is still weak and tired, but she is HOME. We went to the surgeon's office for a check-up yesterday, and he said she was healing well and he is pretty sure he can patch her back together fully, when she is strong enough. Meanwhile, she is off work for the year.
My dad is also going off on sick leave. This summer has taken a massive toll on him, and he is in real need of the time to put himself back together.
When I went camping, I called my grandma to see how she was doing and if she was up to having lunch together. She was, and she sounded *great*. Unfortunately, her building was under quarantine, so we couldn't go out. But that's okay, if she's okay. I will be up there again next month, and I'll try again.
Thanks again, guys.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Well, alas, another post here. Good news and bad news.
The bad news is my mom is back in the hospital. It's not too serious, but she was dehydrated and her sodium was too low (stomae are bad for sodium, apparently). So that makes our Thanksgiving plans wonky, but we'll figure things out.
The good news is my grandma can see again! She was flown down for the surgery and flown back, since they didn't need to do another pre-op. She's doing really well, and is very happy indeed with the results.
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Sorry if everyone is sick of this thread. It's just been a real blessing to me to be able to chronicle this whole crazy affair.
Anyway, mum's still in the hospital. I miss her like crazy. I visit her most days, but it's just not the same. She's getting better, though, and is off the IV again. She's also been doing her physio faithfully - every single day, no matter what else is happening - and it's paying off. She can take very short walks now bracing herself against the wall, and longer walks with the walker. And for brief periods, she can stand unaided.
For the first time since early June, I was able to give my mom a proper hug. I cried a little.
I want her home, and she wants to come home. We're going to move her sewing machine up two floors so she can go down and use it, and she can start helping in the kitchen and making some of her snacks herself.
I'm so happy. So ridiculously happy. It's looking like she'll be mostly functional/independent by the time I go to England, which will be a big ease to my mind.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
That is wonderful news. Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
I'm so happy to hear that she's improving steadily! I hope she will be improved enough to be able to come home soon!
Posted by divaesefani (Member # 3763) on :
Don't worry, babe. We're not sick of this thread!
I'm glad she'll be pretty much better by the time you leave. I'm sure it would be so hard for you to live that dream if she wasn't well. It's wonderful how much you love your mother! Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
No, we're definitely not sick of it. I'm glad you have a place where you can chronicle it and talk about it.
*hugs*
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Well, it's been a while.
Mum's been doing better and better, getting much stronger and mostly back to normal. Doing errands, taking the dog for short walks, etc.
But she goes back in for the first of the reconstructive surgeries in the morning. Kind thoughts and prayers appreciated. Everything is pointing to an uncomplicated surgery and recovery, but we're all a bit nervous anyway. She figures if God was going to take her, he would have done so in the summer.
Anyway, thanks again, everyone.
Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
More hugs and prayers heading your way.
![[The Wave]](graemlins/thewave.gif)
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