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Discussion

Arg!!

I'll preface to say I'm not looking for advice, just venting.

Dad calls tonight, and says "I've just got a question for you."

Uh oh. That never bodes well... (keep in mind I'm 350 miles away)

He tells me he has been miserable with a sinus infection, etc., and goes to his doc who gives him amoxicillin even though Dad tells him he is allergic to penicillin because "that was 30 years ago".

:stone

Dad says, "I've got this rash all over me."

He lives alone in the middle of nowhere, there's no way I'm going to tell him to pop a benadryl and forget about it... So I say "Go to the ER."

He argues. ER is busy. It's probably nothing. Yada yada. And by the way, what could they do anyway?

:stone

I tell him it might not be anything serious, or it could progress. He should go to the ER and have them evaluate the reaction and treat it. He asks what they treat it with. I said probably some benadryl and maybe some steroids. Well that gets him off on another tangent--- "I don't like the idea of having to take steroids. I don't want to catch diabetes."

"Dad, I don't think you're going to develop diabetes with a single dose of steroids to treat an allergic reaction."

"Oooookaaaay. If you say so...."

:stone

Then he says "oh by the way".

Uh oh again...

"I was awakened last week with my heart skipping around and couldn't get back to sleep. So I went to the doc and he gave me...uh, hang on...what's the name... digoxin."

WHAT?!

"He said my heart was going 150 beats a minute and that was too fast."

WHAT?!

"But the medicine fixed it. I guess I'm alright now. This morning my pulse was 50."

WHAT?!

"Dad, did you get a consult to see a cardiologist?"

"Do you think I need to see one?"

:stone

"Anyway, that is why he had to give me the amoxicillin even if I'm allergic because there is nothing else I can take while I'm on digoxin."

"Ooo... I seem to be getting redder. Oooo... there's blotches all over my neck! And a big strawberry looking thing under my arm. Wonder what that means?"

:stone

"Dad, go to the ER. Now."

"*sigh* Ok. But I bet it's nothing."

Now I know what will happen. The ER doc will tell him it's not a big deal, give him a benadryl that he "could have taken at home" and then Dad will call me back angry because I "forced" him to go to the hospital "in the middle of the night."

I can't win lol...

Featured Replies

  • Expert

CseMgr1

If you had become a ditch digger, then you would be getting second guessed on your ditch digging accomplishments. I think all relatives do this with the people in their families that are healthcare workers.

I try to think about other topics of conversation because the calls about constant physical compliants seem to be attempts at talking to someone out of loneliness as much as seeking medical opinions. Too bad older people get so lonely. My mom was very disappointed when her senior center closed down. She just became more isolated, and she was isolated enough to begin with.

  • Expert

Good point, Calli.

Oh,

My favorite topic. Keep in mind I am an L&D nurse who worked in Med/Surg for a few years before going on to a specialty.

I'm on the East Coast, my parents are in Hawaii. Every time he starts a new med or if something happens, he calls me and asks for advice, he's s/p a 4 vessel CABG and TIA.

When he starts hemming and hawing with his "well, umm's" I just ask him if his will is up to date and where it is so I can get it probated quickly.

That's when he puts my mom on the phone!

I used to have the same problem with my ex-MIL. She has severe asthma and would call me huffing and puffing, not able to breath. While on the phone with me, not able to breath, she would say, "hold on", next I would hear a snap and an exhale. What are you doing? Lighting up a cigarette!!! :trout:

Upon the separation and divorce,one of the reasons given was.....when she called me I always thought I knew everything! :angryfire

I used to have the same problem with my ex-MIL. She has severe asthma and would call me huffing and puffing, not able to breath. While on the phone with me, not able to breath, she would say, "hold on", next I would hear a snap and an exhale. What are you doing? Lighting up a cigarette!!! :trout:

Upon the separation and divorce,one of the reasons given was.....when she called me I always thought I knew everything! :angryfire

:rotfl:

Oh, Emmanuel!

I feel your pain.

I would visit my dad, age 92, who lived 150 miles away (and refused to move in with me, by me, etc.) and noticed scabs all over his poor little bald head. His reply, "Oh, well, I've fallen a few times, some times on the tile floor."

Arg!!

When I act alarmed, he would counter with, "Oh, don't worry, usually I just fall on the carpeting".

Oldiebutgoodie

Oh, Emmanuel!

I feel your pain.

I would visit my dad, age 92, who lived 150 miles away (and refused to move in with me, by me, etc.) and noticed scabs all over his poor little bald head. His reply, "Oh, well, I've fallen a few times, some times on the tile floor."

Arg!!

When I act alarmed, he would counter with, "Oh, don't worry, usually I just fall on the carpeting".

Oldiebutgoodie

OMG!!!

how do you people cope????:rotfl:

leslie

OMG!!!

how do you people cope????:rotfl:

leslie

I drank a lot.

:uhoh3:

Oldiebutgoodie

I drank a lot.

:uhoh3:

Oldiebutgoodie

:cheers:

  • Author
I drank a lot.

:uhoh3:

Oldiebutgoodie

icon_rofl.gif

I can see that happening with Dad.

But at least I've kept him off the roof! Woot_Emoticon.gif

OMG...I had a close friend that called me ( and I have zero medical training) and she was standing on a small foot stool putting a heavy mixing bowl (ceramic) on the top shelf in the cabinet, and the stool slipped she fell and the bowl came down on her head and actually broke the bowl.

She lived 3 hours from me.

She was sending me instant messages and trying to tell me what happened and I noticed she couldn't spell..I called her and it sounded like she was drunk and at times she wasn't responding at all...I had her on one line while I picked up my cell phone, called 911, and told them to call 911 in that area...which they did.

She wasn't talking much, but the ambulance showed up, took her to the hospital, and she even had a small blood clot on her brain she hit it so hard.

Scared me to death.

  • Author

Just got another call...

He wants to know if I think it's ok for him to stop taking his dig.

*sigh*

Says he went back to the doc because the rash has progressed (now with severe itching and involving the palms of his hands too). He also told the doc that he is having problems with his vision and proceeds to describe a halo/shadow effect.

!!

He says the doctor gave him a "cortisone" shot, and told him to see an eye doc because he probably needs glasses.

:stone

I tried to stay calm and asked if he drew any blood work.

"No, why?"

"Dad, go to the ER."

And the cycle starts again lol.

I told him I'd call the cardiologist's nurse to see if they could work him in before the 10th. I managed to get him in for next Thursday. When I called Dad back, I told him that the nurse agreed with me, and that he should go to the ER immediately to have a level drawn and be evaluated and let the doc there decide if he needs any other medication besides dig.

"So you both think it's ok for me to stop taking this until I see Dr __ next Thursday?"

:stone

"No Dad. That is not what either of us said. GO. TO. THE. ER."

He seemed to be less argumentative about it, probably because there was someone else suggesting it :lol2:

So he's off again...

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