Posted on 11/25/2008 7:26:45 AM PST by STARWISE
Have just been up to the hospital to see him this morning and in himself he seems a bit brighter and better but this has the downsides.
He now is finding the oxygen mask hard to tolerate and refuses to wear it for long periods. This means he is down to 93/94 instead of the 98/99 they want.
Prayers asked that he will put up with for the rest of the time they feel it necessary to wear it.
Glad to hear the good news that your dad is feeling better...especially loved that he wanted to speak with his hairdresser! He is thinking about being out of hospital and being about his business. : )
Still praying for his complete healing. Prayers for him to do exactly what is needed to aid his healing and be home soon. The more he is able to endure the mask the sooner will come the time when he no longer needs it, of course! God bless him to be able to get the rest needed, and to continue to improve his ability to take in his nutrients.
Glad you are attending your own health needs too, snugs. Sometimes it’s easy to neglect ourselves when we are so focused on our loved ones, and it’s more difficult to regain strength than it is to maintain it.
Continuing to keep y’all in prayer for your dad’s complete recovery and a joyous holiday season together.
This is GOOD NEWS.
Thanks for the update.
UPDATE ON DAD Strange day in many ways he was a lot better but then just as I was coming home he complained that when he wore his oxygen mask (was he was basically refusing to do most of the day) he saw birds and frogs. After discussing this with nurses and the junior doctor on the ward it was decided to switch to nasal oxygen as his stats were 93-95 even not wearing it.
Prayers are therefore that this problem will be resolved and if he has to wear the mask again tomorrow that he will tolerate it.
He also was a little strange when I left normally he would not want me to go but he wanted me to go and get some rest in case I got called back in almost as though he felt he might have some sort of turn later.
I rang later and checked that they had put the new type oxygen on and the food and was told it was being done as we spoke, about an hour later dad rang me and said it was terrible with the new oxygen and could I come up.
I explained no but that I would be with him about 11 tomorrow. I just pray I made the right decision but I am sure if he was worse the hospital would have contacted me.
Earlier in the day I spoke with a doctor on the team looking after him and she was very pleased and showed me his scar which is about a foot long. It has started to heal and is only slightly weeping and has never oozed any puss. She said if he continues to improve and the chest infection recedes they will be looking to get him mobile within a few days and a plan for the next stage of his treatment will be known by the end of the week.
I am just going to ring and check how he has settled now. Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts.
Love Eleanor
That is a wonderful picture of your dad! If we were only judging by looks, he is looking very handsome and well. That in itself is remarkable considering all that he has been through in November.
I do pray that they get his oxygen and food adjusted to do the most good for him. There is certainly something wrong about hallucinating birds and frogs when he takes it!
Praying for God to surround him in His loving, merciful, providential care and comfort and give him the will and strength to continue his fight. He has to be tired after having come so far, but his health seems to be improving, and he will surely feel much better once he can be mobile.
Keeping y’all close in prayer.
An up and down day. The oxygen problem seems to be resolved. They now have him on nasal oxygen only and his saturation is in high 90s. It may have been he was getting too much oxygen yesterday and because he was not wearing the mask all the time the figures were not showing that he needed less because basically they were recording them with him not using oxygen but did not realise it.
I suspect the frogs and birds may have been because he was getting too much oxygen.
Today they lifted him out by a hoist into a chair for about an hour.
He is drinking milk even helping himself to the occasional sip or 2, again showing more arm strength and coordination. With this and yesterday telling me the phone number of his friend in London it shows that mentally he is all there.
The down is that he is still very weak and having tremendous sweats 2 or 3 times a time which soak his bed clothes. He had one just before and during the time I left the hospital this evening.
He is very fretful when I am not there and so far tonight he has rung me twice, once about midnight UK time and once about 1.00am. This must mean he asks the nurse on duty tonight to assist him as he would not be able to dial the number on the phone by the bed. Please pray that she will not get cross with him if he asks again.
I think urgent prayers are that he can rest and be more peaceful when I am not there especially at night.
For continued prayer that he will regain his strength, the chest infection will slowly clear up completely and his appetite will return and he will not be afraid of certain foods not being digested properly.
On the subject of food I met with his dietitian today and she said they are aiming at 1700 calories per day, 1000 of which are from the overnight feed and 700 from other means. I managed to get a third of lunch down him and 5 spoons of evening meal that coupled with 2 - 3 cups of milk and half a resource shake I think we were nearly up to that today.
On the whole though things look as if he is slowly progressing, of course he is sill classed as seriously ill but the percentages are certainly going up. His consultant visited him today and said this that it would be a long job but he had improved since he saw him last.
Thank you for the update snugs - I look forward to them.
Prayers said for all you mentioned.
SCB
thanks for the updates on your dad, prayers up everyday for you both.
Glad to hear that he was able to sit up for a while, and that the oxygen problem has been resolved. Every bit of good news is a blessing toward his complete recovery.
Praying that his anxiety is relieved and that he is able to get the sleep and rest he needs (you too!). Continuing to pray for those attending his health needs, that he receives the proper and needed attention and care, that his infection is healed, his body strengthened, and for his overall improvement each day.
God bless.
Just checking in to see how things are going over there.
Praying daily.
UPDATE ON DAD
He is having bad nights and prayers are needed that he can get sleep so that he be alert and able to do things for his rehab during the day. They are now getting him out into the chair for 3 hours a day and yesterday with the assistance of a machine got him standing.
He believes he had a TIA the other evening I know he worries about this not being on his normal blood thinner, though they do give him an injection each day but the blood is not as thin as it normally is. In view of this they did a CT scan and a ECG yesterday and today his medical team will review both and see whether or not they will re-start his normal blood thinners. So prayers needed here.
The other source for concern is getting him to eat and drink. We need to start weening him off the feeding tube and back onto normal food but he is very nervous plus there seems some issue of his teeth fitting. As will be up the hospital more today as we only work half day on Friday I will look into this more and see what the problems are.
He may have a test regarding his swallow next week but personally I do not think it is a problem only him being nervous after aspirating last week.
All in all though and as long as he does not suffer any complications things are encouraging though he is still very weak.
Thanks for your prayers, thoughts and support.
Snugs .. prayers continuing, now especially
that your Dad will be able to relax and rest.
I think hospitals and nursing homes over time
create this “sundowning” anxiety and internal
stress.
I know he needs this sleep to recover and heal.
I pray God blesses him with calmness and release
from his nervousness and sleeplessness.
I am very impressed with the medical care he’s
being given. They seem to be very attentive
and very on top of his situations and providing
skilled care.
My prayers are with you, dear FRiend. You are
special .. may God and His angels give you the
comfort and sleep YOU also need, and the focus
to make the decisions you’re called upon every
day to make in dealing with these challenges.
Hugs to you.
Thank you for the update, snugs. So glad to hear that he seems to be making good progress. The mobility will speed things up as well. Praying for continued improvement,and that each improvement will lessen his anxiety, and he will be able to rest more easily.
My mother went through similar anxieties about changes in her medicines and the adjustments her body went through at first, after she had quadruple heart bypass surgery. Glad your dad’s med team is doing the tests and checking his concerns...praying they all will be resolved satisfactorily.
Mother also says that her dentures do not fit as well since her surgery and recovery...gums seem to have shrunken and the dentures fit more loosely.
It’s a process. I’m glad he seems to be making good progress. Praying for you too, snugs. I know working, and the physical demands of attending to a sick loved one, plus the stress of the emotional demands can be draining.
God bless.
UPDATE ON DAD
Result of CT scan showed no bleed but ECG did not show the irregular heart beat had returned which maybe what he thought was a TIA. They have therefore decided to restart his blood thinner as of last night. They will check his blood again today and then decide the daily strength yesterday they started him off on a booster dose. I suspect they will check it daily or every other day for a few days and then probably once a week once they have it to the level they want it.
He finds it hard being in a chair for 4 hours a day with his back but they do not want to use certain pain killers after the frog and birds incident but I suspect once his blood is thinner this may be less.
They use a special machine now to get him in and out of bed which means he is actually standing which they are pleased about and he is himself seems to be pleased that he can do this.
The may areas for concern and prayer are his sleeping at night and eating. Last night when I rang the ward at midnight he still had not gone to sleep I briefly spoke to him and tried to relax him but again his so uncomfortable as well as uneasy at night that he finds it hard to sleep. Because of his TIA history and so soon after a major op they do not want to give him sedatives at night so have taken him off the 2 tablets he used to take at night at home.
The other area is eating, because they have put so many rules on his eating and drinking because he was very nervous and had a few coughing fits after drinking. They are insisting he has to be at 90 degrees, no straws, no spoons (drinking), spouted cup only a normal glass or mug. This is so liquid does not go too far back into the throat before he swallows. Personally I do not think he has a problem but I think because of all of this he is nervous. At home he often coughs after eating or drinking certain things but I suppose they have to be doubly careful in hospital that he is safe. On the other hand he can swallow large round flat tablets and capsules so to me I cannot see there is much wrong with the throat/windpipe etc.
I did manage to get half a plate of pureed fish and white sauce down him yesterday plus 3 spoonfuls of pureed chicken casserole and a bowl of stewed apple and custard. I also gave him half a cup of the resource drink meal replacement. Today I am going to take in his favourite dessert Banana delight which is packet desert similar to your pudding mix which you mix with milk and whisk until thick. He loves this on trifle so I will take half a packet worth in today and the rest tomorrow which if he eats it will get about 250 calories into him out of the 800 we need to as they have now reduced the overnight calories to 800 in attempt to get to get hungry and consume the other 800 normally.
I am going to have breakfast now then ring the hospital and then go up the garden and see to the birds before going up the hospital for the day.
Once again thanks for all your thoughts, prayers and support
Love
Eleanor
Praying for your dad in those areas of concern that you have mentioned, snugs.
My dad had a little bit of a problem for a while with his swallowing after his stroke. He did therapy for it, and it was pretty much resolved, except for coughing sometimes after drinking some liquids, and eating certain foods under certain circumstances. I think nervousness did play quite a significant part in the swallowing issue for him as you mentioned for your dad. I know what you mean about the big tablets and capsules! It’s all I can do to swallow them! Ha.
I was thinking when you mentioned the special machine they are using to aid your dad in standing and getting out of bed, how wonderfully blessed we are with so much modern technology and medical information. There would have been a much more difficult time of it years ago when our folks would have been helping their parents with these types of health issues, if they had even survived the intial health problem.
My b-i-l is from Somerset, so I know a little bit about English food. One thing sis always makes with her Thanksgiving and Christmas meals is bread sauce. I had never heard of it until then...the idea of sticking cloves in an onion had never occurred to me! : ) My nephew loves it and pours it over almost everything! Ha.
Prayers up for your dad and for you, snugs.
Here is a photo of dad taken today. Though he looks a little strained as he does at times and gets upset easily he is I am sure a little better each day. Eating is the next barrier I feel we need to get over and a dry mouth is not helping. 
UPDATE ON DAD
Stress levels pretty high today. They have decided to stop the NG feed at night to encourage him to eat and drink more during the day. They have not removed the NG tube though because they may need to re-start the feed if he is not able to eat and drink enough.
I managed to get most of lunch down him - cauliflower cheese and broccoli and half of supper, salmon in cream sauce. I also got a couple of tablespoons of pear and chocolate and banana pudding but obviously this is not enough. Tomorrow I am taking in some cheese spread, small pots of fromage frais and some baby food fruit puddings to see if I can stimulate his taste buds.
Talking things through with my friend Phil tonight we believe that one of the problems maybe creating saliva and therefore he is finding it difficult to get rid of food in the mouth. On top of this a couple of spoonfuls and he says he is full.
Prayers that tomorrow I can get him to eat more and that he will be able to put up with being in his chair for a few hours.
Love Eleanor
UPDATE ON DAD
On the whole a fairly good day. They got dad out in the chair for about an hour and a half which is not bad for a weekend as they are very short staffed especially this close to Christmas at the weekend with people scheduled to work crying off at the last minute but at least he was washed and ready to go in the chair when I arrived today unlike yesterday when they were totally rushed off their feet and some patients were not washed before midday.
Dad ate the mashed banana with cream and sugar I took in plus 2 children size small pots of yogurt. Also 4 strawberries and half a bowl of custard and apple. Dad also drank 2 and half mugs of milk plus almost half a pint of orange juice and several glasses of lemonade. I think he drank so much he was not hungry and felt full. He did manage 2 tablespoon of smoked salmon that I took in.
Tomorrow I am going to tempt him with egg mayonnaise with smoked salmon mixed in plus strawberries and cream.
I am also going to try mashing a banana with one of the resource drinks and sprinkling a lot of sugar on top and see if he will eat that.
Dad also did ask for a cup of coffee when I went and bought one during the afternoon and in fact drank half of mine he also asked me to bring in more strawberries and put some cream over them tomorrow and even suggested he might try a sausage roll. So I think he is beginning to show an interest in food again which is a good sign. Also without prompting he will either help himself or ask others to help him to drink as the day progresses he does tire and so like me to just steady the mug or cup or glass for him.
I noticed today he less worried about drinking though and even tried a little water and did not panic about choking with it which he had before. So I know he will drink if I am not there.
He also apologised today that maybe he does not always say please and thank you so I think that again is a good sign that he is feeling a bit better and not so focused on himself.
Prayers really that we can boost his interest in savoury food and build up his strength to get him more mobile.
Great pic of your dad. His color looks good. That is such wonderful news that his ability to drink and eat is improving. That means more strength. Hope his rest and sleep patterns improve as well.
I do hope he is able to enjoy a sausage roll with his coffee. It’s great that he is interested in trying it. Praying that he is able to begin enjoying his food more each day, and gain the strength he needs to be more mobile and gain strength in his muscles. You are doing a great job of taking in good things for him to eat.
When you think about it, all considered he seems to be making very good progress. Your dad is a pretty tough guy...reminds me of my own dad. There is something special about their generation, I think.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.