Kathy is back in the hospital again

[Clipper]

Kathy ended up back in the hospital again yesterday. She was having difficulty breathing and her heart rate was out of sight. They found that here hemoglobin was low again and will probably transfuse her again, and her heart rate was all over the place, going up to the 180s at times, while her breathing was labored and she was wheezing something terrible. She had a cardiology appointment thank god and the cardio doc sent her immediately to the ER. After a 7 hour stint in the ER and shot of cardizem along with a cardizem drip IV, they got her heart rate down. They are giving her IV antibiotics again for upper respiratory things and nebulizer treatments and steroids for her breathing issues.

I am heading up there soon. I didn't get home until after 10 and was exhausted. Trying now to catch up on straightening the house up and catch up on laundry before I leave.

Please keep us in your prayers. At 84 with all her issues it is only a matter of time before she goes into the hospital and doesn't come back home. Her heart arrythmias yesterday could have been the end if we hadn't had the appointment with the heart doctor.

[Atticus Pizzaballa]

So sorry Clipper and I WILL be praying.

[BHU]

So sorry to hear that. Offered a prayer that she'll be back home soon.

[clarencebunsen]

Very sorry to read that.

[Clipper]

Please keep the prayers coming. They moved her to a stepdown unit last night, put her on a bipap machine and increased her lasix to try and remove some of the fluid caused by the pulmonary hypertension.

[Clipper]

Wake up call this morning. I was getting ready to go to the hospital and had a headache. I took my BP and it was 195 over 93. Off to the emergency room I went. I have been running on fumes for 3 or 4 days, only getting about 4 hours sleep a night before I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. I have been making 3 trips a day to the hospital. Up in the morning, home at noon to let the dog out, back in the afternoon until 4 or 5,, home to let the dog out again and eat something, and back up in the evening for a couple hours. When I get home at night I have been doing the housework and doing laundry so that Kathy had clean jammies and robes.

Turns out that with all the running around I forgot to take my meds for the entire day and coupled with the fatigue and stress it took them 3 hours to get my BP down and observe me for an hour before letting me out.

All I would need is to end up having a stroke or to end up admitted on one floor while Kathy is on another. Doctor told me to slow down and make sure I get some rest. They gave me a script for trazadone to insure I get some sleep, and I am going to only go up there twice a day for 2 or 3 hours. Not as young and bullet proof as I once was.

[BHU]

Hopefully, Kathy will be home soon & things will be back to normal. Take care of your health & hang in there.

[Atticus Pizzaballa]

Yes hang on to your health for both your sakes. To bad there isn't a way to bring the doggie with you or leave at a neighbor while at hospital.Lord give you healing strength to Clipper and Kathy.
.

[clarencebunsen]

I just did a search for "doggie day care Bristol TN" and it looks like there are several possibilities. Perhaps something like that could help.

[Clipper]

My sister is going to stop by and take her out if necessary. The news and prognosis is not good. They did the heart cath yesterday and found the pressures in her right lung are extremely high and are damaging her right kidney and seriously affecting the ability of the right side of her heart to pump efficiently. They are trying to reduce the amount of fluid around the heart and lung, but there is nothing more that they can do.

The doctor said that she could live up to a year, but it is doubtful. He is more inclined to think that if it doesn't progress rapidly she may live a few more months, but he recommended seeing a palliative care doctor and making a plan. My heart is breaking. She is my whole life. Over the past 25 yrs one of us has seldom been seen without the other until her health issues have restricted her ability to get out and about much.

We have some difficult discussions to have and there are significant decisions to be made over the next few days. Please keep us in your prayers.

[Atticus Pizzaballa]

Clipper I am so sorry. I continue my prayer for Kathy and for you.

[Clipper]

Kathy will be coming home in a couple of days and will be on hospice care. The doctor said this morning that it would only be a matter of weeks on the outside and that we needed to get everything in order.

Very sad for us both but I always promised her that she would not die in a nursing home and will die right here at home with me at her side. Hospice will keep her comfortable and will make sure she doesn't suffer in the closing moments of her life. She has a DNR and with hospice there would be no attempts to intercede anyway so I hope when it comes, she simply stops breathing without struggling too long.

My heart is broken even though I knew this day would come at some point. For 25 yrs we have been inseparable and seldom would you see one of us without the other.

[BHU]

Very sorry to hear this, Clipper. Keep the Faith as best you can.

[Clipper]

The news today was a bit more encouraging than yesterday's prognosis. Yesterday the forecast was a downhill slide from the time she comes home until she is gone. TODAY the doctor said that the iv Lasix has drawn off an enormous amount of fluid from her right lung and around her heart. She is breathing remarkably well and her oxygen saturation is much better. The doctor said with this unexpected development that he is fairly confident that she has several good weeks ahead before the decline becomes a concern. That time will be treasured and we are very thankful that we a bit more time. Each minute at this point is truly a gift and a blessing.

She will probably come home by ambulance tomorrow and the Hospice nurse will come to get us registered and set up a schedule and case plan. On Monday I have to be in Greeneville Tn for an MRI for my increase request for a VA disability rating adjustment based on changing health conditions. We have a friend that is going to sit with her while I go to the appointment.

[Atticus Pizzaballa]

Very very encouraging. My prayers continue for Kathy and you.