She's Back In The Hospital Again.
 

Mom just got out of the hospital on the 6th and now she's back in again. I was taking her to her Dr. on Monday to have blood drawn. She was getting out of breath easily again and that is one of the symptoms when she is low on blood. Just getting her to her Dr. was exhausting for her and she was having chest pains too. I decided to take her straight back to the hospital ER.

I was with her till about 10 last night. They did a chest xray and found fluid in her lungs and when compared to the xray taken last weekend...her congestive heart failure showed it had worsened in a weeks time. Her ankles were swollen too so they did give her some lasix (sp) to make her pee more and used a higher percentage dialysis fluid to help take off some fluid. It did help, her ankles were not swollen today and the Dr. said he couldn't 'hear' fluid in her lungs. Her hemoglobin was good too...10.5 so she wasn't losing blood.

The were going to give her a stress test today, but she was terribly constipated. They had given her laxatives, soap sud enema, some kind of 'cocktail' to make her go and nothing. She was in so much pain she was just crying. Her kidney Dr. just happened to come in and Mom just loves him. He gave her a big hug and then told her he would do everything he could. Finally.......she went. It caused her to be very shaky so they postponed the stress test until tomorrow. They will give her meds to make her heart beat faster and use some kind of dye. So she'll be in for at least another day.

She's not really understanding what this heart failure means....she asked if they could give her some meds to make it better.

It makes me so sad to see her getting more fraile and seeing her cry in pain.


Also....found out my husband's uncle had a heart attack and was in the same hospital, different floor. It was a bad one and if he has another...he won't make it according to the Drs. I spent some time with him before I left the hospital.

I'm really feeling a bit exhausted with all this.

I am so sorry Janet. My thoughts are with you.

Janet, I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom. You have to be exhausted after her being in the hospital twice. Just make sure you take care of yourself too. Hugs.....and I'll be praying!! Give your Mom a hug from me!!!

I'm so sorry, Janet. It sounds like the heart failure is getting worse. Don't worry about her not understanding, I don't think Gary really understands heart failure either and he's had it for 7 years! The stress test should tell them how bad it is and give them a better idea of how to adjust her meds.

I'm so sorry for you and your mom! It's a very frightening, exhausting time. I hope and pray that she doesn't have much more pain like that, poor thing. Try to rest when you can. My prayers are with you.

Janet, you know how much we all care and that our thoughts and prayers to go out to you. Huggs!!!!

Thanks everyone. We're suppose to have a snowstorm tonight into tomorrow and Mom wants to be at home. I'm thinking it's best if she was there...just in case. We'd all find a way to get to her.

I am so sorry she is back in the hospital so soon! This is exhausting, and I will keep you in my heart Janet. Mom too, of course.

Spent the morning in the hospital with Mom. They were going to do the stress test yesterday, but postponed until today. They had to postpone it today too. Found out something about her left ventricle is not open enough and if they were to get her heart beating fast it would swell even more and could easily cause her to have a heart attack. So....first thing in the morning they are going to do a nuclear (?) test so her heart doesn't have to beat fast. They said they will be able to see with some kind of dye and imaging what is exactly going on with her heart.

It's sooo hard to try and remember all the terms they give us. I do ask alot of questions and write everything down, but it can still be overwhelming when trying to tell someone what is going on.

Judy....you're so right....it is exhausting. I can tell Mom is ready to cry some more, but she wouldn't today while I was there. She just wants to feel good again. Mom also said she was going to have to call her friend in Florida and let her know she probably won't be down again this year.

Mom did tell me she is also tired of feeling so 'down'. I wish there was something else I could do to help her.

Ohh Janet, lot's of hugs going your way. I can only imaging what your going through. Hope your mom and husbands uncle feel better soon. XOXO

Janet, I am so sorry about your Mom. I hope the test shows better than you expect results.
I know you are mentally and phyisically exhausted.
My prayers are with you. HUGS.

Janet I hope all the tests turn out well and hopefully with the right medicines they can keep everything under control. I feel so bad for your mom she has gone through so much lately. She is in my prayers and so is your uncle I hope they both come home before Christmas. Please get some rest.. hugs !

Since we got snow overnight and have a two hour delay...I won't be able to go see Mom until after 4 o'clock...if then. Rick has his 4 wheel drive truck and Ricky will have his to go to work. Hopefully roads will be much better by then.

Janet, I hope your mom is doing much better today and they can get the stress test done to see if there is more damage to her heart. Hopefully with the right meds they can get her to feeling better again.

Sorry it has taken me so long to post here, since we talk about things on the phone i sometimes forget to post also.

Take care of yourself to, we don't need anything happening to you.
Love ya!!

Janet I hope your Mom is improving. I know how you feel! It is just awful to see them in this shape. Heart failure is a horrible thing. On the patient and on the family. Daddy used to cry too. It was the saddest thing. I am certainly praying for your Mom to get better soon. You are in my thoughts everyday dear friend.

Just wondering how your mom is tonight....

The nuclear test they did showed abnormalities. They wanted to do a heart cath but Mom said no. Drs said it really wasn't safe considering her being on dialysis. She would rather try to manage it with meds.

I did bring her home yesterday, but she's weak.

I guess you'll be running over there all the time? I hope she regains her strength and starts feeling good soon!

I hope your Mom improves Janet! Is she with you or at her house? I'm so sorry she is so weak! Hopefully she will feel okay through the holiday. My thoughts and prayers are certainly with you and your family.

I brought Mom home and she was happy to be there and sleep in her own bed. She is weak though. Yesterday (Sat.) I spent the afternoon with her at her house. She keeps all her meds in a cabinet by the kitchen sink so I decided it was time to go through it. Good thing.....there were medicines OTC and prescription dating back to 1985. I brought a big bag of all the stuff we through out home to be destroyed. To tell you the truth...I was afraid to leave any of it because Mom just hates throwing anything out and I was afraid she would go through it and keep something.

She had two shelves in this cabinet full of meds. Now she doesn't even have enough to fill one shelf. We have her medicines all organized now. I also cleaned out 3 other cabinets for her and there was something on her kitchen ceiling that had splattered up there so I cleaned it off. Changed the sheets on her bed and stayed while she took a shower.

It was work, but I had a good time...Mom was being good...lol...and I enjoyed being with her.

Today..she wants me to take her to Wal Mart if she's strong enough (she can ride one of the scooters), but she would like to get a few groceries and some gift cards. Mom wasn't able to gift shop and well....neither was I. Hopefully she'll be fine and we can get her there and back without an incident of any kind.

I do need to bake a cake or buy one for Monday....my little boy is going to be 20 years old on Monday the 20th....I can't believe it. Someone's getting old and it sure isn't me....rofl!!!!

Thank you all for your prayers. I appreciate you all so much and really don't know what I'd do without you all.

I"m glad to hear that things are going better. Did you get her to Walmart? Gary is having to ride in the little carts now at Walmart, etc. too. His asthma kicked up with all the construction and moving so he is not able to walk very far without being completely out of breath. I hope your mom was able to do some shopping. Doing normal activities will help her feel better!

I'm glad to hear that your Mom is better and back home. I'm glad to hear that she's well enough to go to Walmart and ride the scooters. Hopefully you'll both find some time to do some shopping.

Ricky's going to be 20!!!! Wow!!! That's so hard to believe!!! They do grow so fast!!!!

We did make it to Wal Mart and she spent more than she has in a long time for groceries. She does really well on those scooters...only knocked over one display this time.....lol. It was a good day for her to get gift cards for everyone too. I felt bad for her because she usually buys gifts, but this year there just wasn't enough time and being in the hospital didn't help. I don't have anything bought for her yet or for Rick. I ordered Ricky a couple things, but that it for him too. Just doesn't seem like Christmas this year and I'm so not in the mood. Be glad when it's over.

Janet I'm so happy to hear she's doing a little better. She sounds so very like my mom, not wanting to throw stuff out :rolleyes:

I hope everything improves for the best.

It sounds like she is behaving herself! I know you enjoy your time together when she is being good, so this is a nice Christmas present for you!

Janet, I just read where your mom is back in the hospital again. I didn't know that! What happened?

I tried posting with my son's Ipod Touch when I was at the hospital, but obviously that didn't work..lol. Hope I didn't post it somewhere else on the forum and end up repeating myself.

My Mom always goes to my younger brother's house Christmas Eve and eats supper. They had pizza. At about 8:30, they brought her to my house because she always spends the night and wakes up with us to open presents. It took my brother and I both to get her into the house...she was just weak and shaky. She told me she had a BM at my brother's house and there was blood.

After an hour...she decided she would go ahead and go to bed. At about 10:30 I heard her calling me and she was having chest pains. She wanted a nitro pill because it frightened her of course, but then took a tums. The pain lessoned and we sat up and talked abit and then both lied down and went to sleep. I woke after about 30, minutes and went to sleep on the couch so I could hear her better than in my bed. She likes the bedroom really warm and I just can't take it.

I got up with her a few times so she could go to the bathroom and each time, it was a BM with blood. We stayed up since it was 5:30 and I fixed some cinnamon rolls. She had a roll, coffee and some juice. Mom was just so weak and couldn't walk or stand by herself so I told her I wasn't going to let her go to my older brother's house for dinner, but I was taking her to the ER instead. She wasn't happy but agreed.

I felt so bad for Mom and she was crying...saying "why me"...."why am I being punished?"

The GI Dr. came in this morning and said that they would be putting Mom on a liquid diet starting tomorrow at 6:30 and plan for a colonoscopy, but she still needed to be bleeding to know where the blood is coming from.

The heart Dr. came in and said that from her last stress test, there was damage and blockages. That we were not to worry about that now because they needed to get her bleeding stopped because it stresses the heart. Her heart enzymes are high, the EKG didn't show another heart attack of any kind, but the bleeding could be causing it to be high. As soon as they get the bleeding stopped, they will be doing an angio something/heart cath? But it was important to get the bleeding stopped first.

That is where we are now. Mom wanted me to spend the night, but I needed to get some laundry done so I told her I would be at the hospital tomorrow around noon and then possibly spend the night then.

I hope they can fix what is wrong....I'm exhausted. Been with Mom everyday for almost a week and a half and almost fell asleep at the wheel coming home from the hospital last night. I won't be driving that tired/sleepy ever again.

I would really appreciate you keeping Mom in your prayers.

Oh Janet, I'm so sorry! I know you are exhausted, I've been there so many times with Gary. You just feel like you can't do anymore, yet you do! I'm so glad school is out this week so you don't have to drive the bus.

When they get the bleeding stopped, and they do the heart cath, I hope they can put in stents or control the heart things with medication. I'm not sure your mom can stand surgery.

Please get your brothers to help you, if they can do something to help. You just can't do it all yourself.

Keep us posted!

Oh Janet, you and your mom are having such a hard time. I hope they can get to the bottom of her problems soon. Don't worry about the heart cath, it's a pretty simple procedure. They will give her a pill to relax, then put a tiny line in the artery in her groin up to her heart and inject dye. It will show exactly how much blockage she has and where it is. If it's something they can open with a stent, they will do it right then. They use the same line they already have in there to place the stent. Mike has 11 stents:eek:

I hope they can easily pinpoint the bleeding. I'm sorry she feels so bad, and I know how hard it is for you to watch. Will pray for you both!

Hoping to hear some good news but I guess not :(

I do hope she feels better soon. Sending lots of positive energy.

Thank you ladies. She knows the procedures are very serious, but she's so tired of being sick, weak, and light headed all the time...she's ready for just about anything. I've been up since 6:30 doing laundry..still have a ways to go, but at least I can get most of it done and get back to the hospital. Not real thrilled about spending the night...but she was disappointed I didn't stay last night.

My older brother and his wife do help alot...but...they both work all day, so it's harder for them. My younger brother works too, but he's an a$$. He wanted to know what set Mom off with the bleeding and I told him most likely the pizza (sausage, tomato sauce..etc.) and he turned it right back on Mom asking me if she knew she shouldn't have it. I told him she knew (but forgets) and she probably didn't want to make them go out of their way to fix something special for her..his wife is an a$$ too. She told me if she were me...she would have had Mom at the ER sooner. I have a feeling if they don't watch what they're saying I'm gonna explode big time and it won't be pretty. I'm tired, worried and I'm not about to put up with their crap. Sorry to rant...but I'd just as soon as them stay as far away as possible.

Janet I'm so sorry that your Mom is so sick. The hospital stays and the worry alone completely exhausts a person. A nasty family member makes it a dozen times worse. I'm continueing to pray for your Mom.~Hugs to you~

Janet... My thoughts and prayers are with you, especially your poor mum. I understand what you are going through, it is so so hard, i felt i had to be strong for everyone else, recently when i went through a difficult time - it still is difficult if i am honest.

I am thinking of you, even though i have not been feeling upto posting lately, i do still check in.

Take care.

Oh Janet, I'm so sorry to hear that your Mom's in the hospital again. I know that it's not only hard on her but on you as well. I hope they find what's causing the bleeding and can get it stopped soon. Go and stay with your Mom and don't worry about what needs done at home.....you have several days before you have to go back to work. Take care of yourself and you and your Mom will be in my prayers. Love to you both!!!

I'm here at the hospital and spending the night with Mom. I was able to get all the laundry done, I was running out of clothes to wear...lol. She has to drink that 'go-lite' stuff to clean her out, the colonoscopy will be done in the morning around 11:30 AM.

Right now she is having dialysis fluid drained so I'm sitting here while they are hooking her up with a mask on. Never done that while on the computer... :) Mom is so happy that I'm here with her and I'm glad she's happy. I doubt we'll get much sleep because when that stuff starts working, I know we'll be running to the bathroom often. Her hip is hurting her bad right now so the nurse is going to get her some tylenol. The hip has arthritis in it and some times is very painful. Didn't hurt much at all yesterday, but tonight...she is really complaining about it.

I will be so glad when tomorrow comes and she can quit drinking that stuff....it's pretty nasty and it breaks my heart she has to drink it and is so miserable doing so.

Thank you all again for everything. You really have know idea how much I love you all and the support you give to me and my Mom.

I know your mom is so happy you are there with her. But you are right. You will get little if any, sleep. I always feel like crap when I stay all night in the hospital with Gary.

Janet, get them to put a potty chair right beside the bed so she doesn't have far to go. She's already so weak and dizzy, she's gonna feel awful when that stuff starts to work. Don't hesitate to call the nurse for help! I'm so glad you are there for your mom, and I'm glad she appreciates it. I have spent many, many nights with my mom just in the same circumstances you are in now. And you know what...I would be a happy, happy woman if I had just one more night to spend with her, even if it was a Go-Lite night, lol!

It sounds like your Mom's being taken well care of.......by you and the nurses. I'm sorry that you probably won't get much sleep but that's the price that we have to pay......sometimes it's with our kids and sometimes it's with our parents. You'll have some free days at home thankfully to catch up. Again......hugs to you and your Mom.

We do have a potty next to the bed...it makes it so much easier. It's 5:30 AM now and I've gotten about an hours sleep. I'm hoping while Mom is having the procedure I can maybe catch up a little.

Yes Janet, do try to sleep while she is gone to the procedure. Otherwise, you are going to feel horrible today.