More Hospital Drama

Once again, my Mother is in the hospital.  This time, it was a scheduled procedure.  A bypass in her left leg to help increase blood flow and thus aid in the healing of the pyoderma gangrenosum wound.  Prior to the procedure, her doctor informed us she would need a one or two day stay in the hospital for recovery.  But, he wanted her up and active and back home as soon as possible.  That's what we were expecting.  What is happening at this moment is completely different. 

We just received a call from the attending physician (an associate of the doctor she sees in office, but one we've never seen before).  Right away, the doctor went into how some patients need to go into a "rehab facility" before going home.  I could hear my Mother in the background and the doctor harshly responding, "I know you don't want to go".  At that point, I began to feel numb and breathless.  I asked the doctor if he wouldn't mind speaking with my husband and rushed the phone upstairs to Dave.  Then, I literally collapsed in the nearest chair from sharp spasms in my back (panic/anxiety attack?).  I could tell Dave was getting the run around from the doctor.  The doctor told him to speak with the nurses about discharge orders as it was out of his control.  But earlier this morning when Dave was visiting my Mom, the nurses told him it was the doctor's call.  The doctor then went into some nonsense about Obama and Obamacare.  Which led Dave to inquire if we should contact the White House about my Mother's discharge!  After Dave hung up the phone, we were both in shock.  Trying to process the information and taken aback by the doctor's behavior and manner.  Apparently the doctor told Dave he didn't care one way or the other if my Mother ever came home!  My husband's stepfather is a physician in private practice.  His mother is a former nurse and currently works in the IT department of a hospital.  In his time growing up around doctors, nurses and others in the medical field, my husband has never encountered a medical professional that spoke of a patient or to a patient's family in this manner.  Dave left for the hospital shortly after his call with the doctor.  My sister called me right after Dave left because she had received a call from my Mom.  Momma told her the doctor left the room in a huff and threw the phone down on the bed.

Sigh...I don't understand why these people seem so intent on pushing my Mother into a nursing home!  Never mind the fact my mother walked into the hospital last week for the procedure under her own strength!  She was also up and walking the day after.  Physical therapy was supposed to visit in her room yesterday and today, but never came.  Still, my Mother has been up and walked around her bed to the bedside commode and to the recliner in her room.  Understandably the nurses don't want her attempting to walk too much on her own due to risk of fall.  When the doctor came in today, she just happened to be in bed.  My Momma told my sister he didn't even check her stitches from the procedure.  Just looked at her in bed and declared she should be sent to a "rehab facility"!

I just don't understand....It's not as if this is some elderly woman that lives alone with no assistance from family.  It's not as if my Mother doesn't already have in-home physical therapy.  Just last week, she was walking around the house, doing laundry and cleaning up in the kitchen.  It's probably the best she's been in awhile.  Now, again they are pushing for a nursing home!

UPDATE (5/20):  Momma is coming home!  I spoke with her hospital case manager this morning, and she's being discharged later today.  The case manager was so much more pleasant than the doctor yesterday.  And, there was no talk of sending her to an inpatient rehab facility.  They are just going to order her to continue with the at-home physical therapy already in place. 

Mary Ellen   

                     

My Momma is Coming Home...Still on the Road to Recovery

Thank you all again for your prayers and your patience!  I know my blogging has been sparse lately.  I promise there are more lighthearted posts in the works :)  My Momma should be coming home from the hospital in the coming days - maybe as early as today.  While we're all excited she's ready to be discharged, there's no big sigh of relief.  There are still some challenges ahead as she transitions back to home life. 

My Momma's biggest challenge right now, and the source of her pain, are the wounds on her legs.  She's been under special treatment for these wounds since last November.  A few months back, the initial wound (a small ulcer on her heel) was pretty much healed.  But, more wounds began to appear (this time on both legs) and it's been a battle ever since.  The hospital lab diagnosed the wounds as "pyoderma gangrenosum".  I must warn you before you Google, the images are not very pleasant.  Prior to being admitted to the hospital, my Momma was able to get about with the assistance of a walker.  Since she's been in the hospital, she's become somewhat bed bound.  She has the strength and ability to move and shift her upper body.  But, has been very reluctant (well, flat out refused) to even put her feet on the floor or any weight on her ankles for the hospital physical therapy staff.  This lead the PT staff to recommend my Momma be sent to a skilled nursing facility (ie nursing home) after discharge for further rehab.

The prospect of going into a nursing home greatly alarmed my Momma and brought up major concerns for us.  Our biggest concern being the level of care she would receive.  And, we felt that if she was at all able (which Momma has started moving around since the words nursing home came up!), she should try going back home first.  It's hard watching my Mother age and her health slowly decline.  I know at some point, a nursing home may be the best option when her medical needs are beyond our abilities.  But right now, it doesn't seem like we're at that point.

So, we're going to transition back to home - with home health nursing and physical therapy attending to her at our home.  In some ways, I don't think my Momma wants to leave the hospital!  The nurses and staff have been exceptional and are so caring.  But, it's not a hotel.  Now that Momma is medically stable, the doctors want her to move on.  I just pray the current steroid treatments for the wounds will jump start their healing and finally reduce the pain.  And, that my Momma will be able to get back into the swing of things - and cooperate with the physical therapist!  We're not out of the woods yet.  But, part of me is still hopeful we can turn the corner to better days :)

Mary Ellen 

Quick Update & Thank You for the Prayers

I spent most of the afternoon at my Momma's bedside.  She was weak, but the only pain she seemed to be experiencing was from the wounds on her legs and not the internal bleeding.  A test of her upper GI, showed 8 ulcers in her stomach and duodenum.  The doctor sounded very optimistic as he explained the ulcers were not actively bleeding, so surgery would not be necessary.  The cause of the ulcers appears to be the NSAID she was taking (in addition to her prescription pain killer) for the pain caused by her wounds.  It's still unclear at this point how long she will remain in the hospital.

Thank you so much for your prayers and your kind words!  It really means a lot that you all reading would take time out of your busy lives to offer a sweet word, positive thought or prayer during our time of need.  :)

Mary Ellen

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

My Momma's recovery is still very much a rollercoaster right now.  She has her good days and her bad days.  On the good days, her spirits seem high, she's able to get around the house and straighten up the kitchen or fold laundry.  {We don't expect her to do these things.  But, she likes to feel helpful.  And, she enjoys being able to do the things she once did with relative ease.}  On her bad days, she stays in bed, sleeps most of the day and seems to lose track of time.  The pain from the ulcers on her legs seem to wear very heavily on her during those days.  Monday was a bad day.

Sometime Monday afternoon, my Momma started to feel ill and out of sorts.  She fell down in her room and was unable to get back on her feet.  She was near a phone but unfortunately, the battery had died.  She was able to pull some blankets and a pillow down around her.  When Dave came home with the kids after school, he found her lying on the floor.  By evening, she had not improved and continued to feel very weak.  Worried about her blood sugar levels, we took her to the emergency room.

It's well after midnight now and she's still in emergency {Dave is with her, I'm home with the kids, keeping my sister informed}.  There are signs of internal bleeding.  The first course of action is a blood transfusion.  Then in the morning, tests to find the source of the bleeding.

sigh....Just when I think we've turned the corner and are headed towards better days.

Mary Ellen