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Keeping in Touch:  I've been away - but there's a reason...  |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 25 2007 : 06:58:20 AM
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A few weeks ago my father started having a lot of back pain and required a lot of extra help, so I didn't have much time to get on the computer and check MJF or my email or even update my blogs.
I thought a few hours a week was a lot of time, little did I know. Monday my sister called 911 because my dad wouldn't let my stepmom call, but in my sister's judgement, he needed to go.
Turns out she was right. The paramedics said he almost died in the ambulance. He was transferred from our local hospital to Columbus. We've been at the hospital all week. He had blockages in 3 of his arteries, one 99% blocked. His lungs were filled with fluid. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The doctors inserted three stents, and did another test to see if he needed a defibrillator. It turns out he doesn't need it. (whew!) Yesterday they moved him out of intensive care and into the regular hospital, so I'm stealing a few minutes to get my laptop out of the car and hook up to the hospital's wireless internet connection.
My stepmom is 83 and this has been pretty hard on her. She's diabetic, she didn't want to eat at first at all and we had to coax her to take care of herself. She can't walk more than a few feet at a time, so we've had to have at least two additional family members at the hospital at all times to manage her and her wheelchair and still communicate with the nursing and medical staff - stepmom is also hard of hearing so we have to repeat and explain everything to her. I don't know how smaller families handle a situation like this. I know at times I've been stretched to the breaking point, and I've got support from sisters and brother.
It's all been a blur. Tomorrow morning it will be a week but it feels like we've been here much longer than that. I was planning to have Tuesday and Wednesday off anyway due to the holiday, so I only missed 1/2 day of work, although I'll be off Monday and Tuesday at least until he is released and settled in at home. We ate Thanksgiving dinner in the hospital cafeteria. We all figured we have a lot to be thankful for. The hospital has been just great at providing help for the family members as well as excellent care for my dad.
So, if anyone was expecting something from me or looking for me, that's where I've been. I have 390 emails I just downloaded and haven't had a chance to look at yet, please be patient with me, I will get to them eventually.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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Rebekka Mae
True Blue Farmgirl
965 Posts
Rebekka
Moscow
ID
USA
965 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2007 : 07:11:10 AM
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Welcome back! I am so glad your Daddy is getting the attention he needs. He is so lucky to have you there, helping your stepmom to understand the docs and generally caring for them both.
Warmly, Rebekka
www.bebebella.etsy.com
As a woman I have no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world.
Virginia Woolf |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
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Nancy Gartenman
True Blue Farmgirl
9094 Posts
Nancy
West Seneca
New York
USA
9094 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2007 : 08:38:16 AM
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So sorry Brenda, this is always so hard on the family and can wear a person down. Glad to hear your Dad is back home, much better then having to stay at the hospital.
NANCY JO
www.Nancy-Jo.blogspot.com |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2007 : 09:37:41 AM
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Thanks for the kind words of support, girls.
Actually he is not out of the hospital yet, just out of intensive care and in the "regular" hospital now. We're still waiting to hear when he can go home, he is so funny. We are keeping his clothes in the car so he can't sneak out....
The doctor says when his lungs are clear and he can stay off the oxygen for a day then he will probably be released to go home, barring another other problems. So it might be Tuesday or it might be later.
I am so thankful for the family medical leave program we have at work. It makes such a difference knowing that I have to choose between my job and my dad's health.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9438 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9438 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2007 : 4:50:04 PM
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Brenda,
Thinking of you. Hoping your Dad will soon be back in his own home and recuperating. Hope that all goes well with getting things situated for he and your stepmom when he is released. They are fortunate to have caring children.
Denise
www.torismimi.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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Farm Girl 2
True Blue Farmgirl
108 Posts
Becky
Willis
VA
USA
108 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2007 : 6:02:43 PM
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Brenda,
My heart goes out to you and your family. I am a nurse in the ER (I used to work in a cardiac progressive care unit) so I am on the other side and sometimes I feel as if it is starting to make me cold hearted by seeing so much, until I heard your story and it brings me back to the reality of things. Reading your post I can understand so much of your pain and exhaustion. Thanks for opening my eyes again.
I truly wish you all the best in the hard days ahead. You need a realllllly big farmgirl hug!!
Big hugs,
Becky
Loving Living Simply! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2007 : 6:17:06 PM
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Welcome back, Brenda. I know how stressful these times can be for you and the family. I hope you get some rest and your family as well. *hugs*
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Nov 27 2007 : 7:40:34 PM
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Update -
Thanks so much for your good wishes and thoughts and prayers.
We're still here at the hospital. Dad is up and around some, he walked up and down the hallway today and he is almost off the oxygen, but, they are still adjusting Dad's medication and want to have him stabilized on the dosage before releasing him.
I'm not sure if the first few days when he was in intensive care on a ventilator were worse or it's worse now, he is so anxious to go home and we are going from day to day. Don't know whether or not he will be released or not each day for the last two days and the doctor this morning said it might be tomorrow and might be another day or two. It is really hard to plan - when will I be back at work? For some reason I am not able to sign on to the network at work from the hospital's network from my personal laptop, and I am having trouble getting my work laptop to connect to the hotel network, although the personal one is working fine (makes no sense, they are configured similarly, and both work at home.) I don't know what to tell my boss about going back to work. Tomorrow I will try connecting to work from the hospital on the work computer... What a mess.
Times like this make you really take stock. I've noticed a lot of other elderly patients here that don't seem to have any visitors at all, so sad. At home in our local hospital I might go in and visit with some of them but here in the "big city" I'm not so sure it would be welcomed. Really makes you thankful for friends and family.
Also being here on the cardiac unit is really making me think about my own diet. I like to eat organic, local, seasonal and fresh foods, but other than that I am not very careful about my diet and tend to cook whatever sounds good at the time.
I haven't paid that much attention to my parent's diets either, figuring they will eat what they eat regardless of how much "preaching" I do to them about the benefits of organic foods (Dad was a conventional corn/oats/soybeans farmer and has used lots of weedkillers in his day)
Now that Dad is going to be recovering I am paying lots more attention. Stepmom has to follow a renal diabetic diet, and dad needs a cardiac recovery, diabetic, Coumadin(warfarin) sensitive diet. That means stepmom needs to avoid sodium, potassium and phosphorus, and dad has to have supplemental potassium. She needs green leafy vegetables and he needs to avoid them. She has to avoid tomatoes and bananas. I think the only vegetable they have in common is green beans. She can't have tree nuts or peanuts, and he can't have chick peas or lentils. She can't eat brown bread and he can't eat white bread. He needs oatmeal and she can't have it.
She doesn't like to cook fresh veggies, would rather open a can, but that's going to be a problem due to the sodium. They're too frail to have their own garden but since they live so far out of town they don't like to buy fresh produce on their weekly shopping trip because of the potential for spoilage...
It's really going to be a challenge to keep them in food.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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Carol Sue
True Blue Farmgirl
4033 Posts
Carol Sue
Washingtonian
USA
4033 Posts |
Posted - Nov 27 2007 : 10:27:01 PM
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Brenda,
Hugs first 0f all, and as 0ur parents get 0lder there are s0 many things that we see that we didn't bef0re. My dad had 0pen heart surery ab0ut 11 years ag0, and then a c0uple years back had t0 have stents. Makes y0u very thankful that y0u have them. I think h0spital stays are exhausting, y0u are under s0 much stress and y0u d0n't always realize it g0ing thr0ugh it. Make sure y0u take a walk, get s0me fresh air, 0r h0wever y0u take s0me d0wn time. Y0u will be better f0r it. Prayers f0r y0u and y0ur family as y0u g0 thr0ugh all the changes.
Car0l Sue
listening to the quiet moments
www.Quitemoments.blogspot.com |
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Keeping in Touch: I've been away - but there's a reason... |
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I've been away - but there's a reason...
