Goodbye Harry

Published Apr 25, 2002

1 Article; 1,721 Posts

Specializes in Home Health.

I am really sad today, I just saw one of my favorite pt's obit's in the paper. I had been following him after a TKR. During the course of his hospital stay, he developed a septic GB, and had to have emergent choly. The TKR was done under spinal due to his very unstable cardiac staus, but the choly had to be done under general, and he really took a hit, at 86 years old. During the course of my care, he developed some rectal bleeding, which I surely thought was related to the coumadin, but sadly, it turned out the coumadin was probably what triggered the bleeding, due to rectal cancer. He had decided to go for the red rx and chemo b/c he was told w/o rx, the tumor may grow and cause pain, which he did not want anymore of. So, he just had a port placed and was to go for his first treatment, and I see his obit in the paper. I wonder if he arrested with the first treatment. I have been off, so I don't know what he died from, and I don't have the family's numbers with me at home. I called in to get them, but got VM.

Anyway, Harry was a gentle soul, who lived with his wife who had serious dementia, half the time she didn't even know his name. He was always patient with her, and she was the one with all the energy, cooked, cleaned, took out the garbage, etc. I wonder if she even knows he's gone.

Thanks for letting me vent. I will miss this man, but I know there is another guardian angel in Heaven today.