Thursday June 2 2022

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2022

Good morning.

Afo hope today is equally as good for you.

Afo that apparently happened two weeks ago. She's still coughing. I texted to randomly ask her something and she decided to tell me then. She's weird.

Work is going okay. A nurse is working extra as a "stat nurse" just walking around helping put. Never knew there was such a thing.

No Stars In My Eyes · Jun 2, 2022

Good Afternoon y'all~

Gosh Tweety, your sister was lucky to get herself and the dog out alive, but the trauma of it may linger. Ugh.

Joe, As they used to say on Saturday Night Live: "More cowbells!" But I guess it wouldn't go over too well with the Bell Choir; it'd be kind of dissonant, to say the least. Hope you continue to have more of those 'normal', less stressful days of work.

Hubby said his Dr's appt went really well. Hubby had actually made a list of things to remember to talk with him about! The Dr. couldn't apologize enough for "mis-reading" the lung x-ray when the pleura was collecting fluid, early on; he also apologized for the woman at the hospital who hurt hubby so severely when she was taking the fluid out. He said that wasn't right at all, it should not have hurt the way it did. Hubby said the first time they drew off the fluid he couldn't tell anything was going on, he was surprised when that woman said she was through. He said the only thing that happened at that time was he felt wonderful being able to draw a deep breath.

Anyway. hubby is to start taking half a tablet of the Naltrexone today, around 1 PM. Doc said he wanted hubby to slowly taper his alcohol intake; they figured out how many of those little bottles made up a fifth of vodka, and worked out a loose 'schedule'. If he starts to get shakes (DT's) to drink a bit, but NOT too much. He said that the bloating and gas was likely the result of the drinking. He said a colonoscopy and endoscopy will happen a little further down the line of this treatment. Hubby is to have a monthly appt. and will have an x-ray each time, to check on the amt of fluid at his lung, and if it continued to be a problem, then something would have to be done about it. No definitive reason for it to keep 're-filling', but several possibilities.

I can't remember anything else right this moment, but if something comes to me, I'll prolly let y'all know. Hubby said that the doc did spend extra time w/ him as they talked over all the things on hubby's list; he felt that it was a satisfactory appt and that he was heard and every concern he spoke about was responded to, and not glossed over. The doc said his BP was slightly high, but not too worrisome. He exclaimed, when listening to his lungs, "You are REALLY moving air in there!" He said that the lungs won't heal, but hopefully they can slow the progression of the symptoms. OH, and he also said that part of the plan would be counseling and group-work, like AA. But with hubby going to a monthly appt, it's good to feel that he is not going to slip through some of the Health-Care cracks, as he has been doing, with the lack of help from those two times he went to the ER and the docs 'wouldn't do anything'.

Hubby is not supposed to spend much time outside at all, during this horrible heat and humidity; What he has started doing (I think I told you this) is going out to sit in Nannie's Ford sedan, with the AC on, and he is listening to a radio station of a religious slant, and finds that helpful. He likes the old-timey songs and hymns as opposed to the more modern ones I listen to on 106.9 The Light.

The doc, who also sees Nannie, said that her sleeping all the time and not having the energy to walk any further than to the bathroom, etc., is 'normal', in that her body is "winding down". He also said that hubby and I were "Saints" for taking care of her all this time. But, like I've said before, since she's been put on the Seroquel 50 mg AM and PM, it has sapped most of the anger out of her, so she is easier to deal with. And her still being self-care about potty-ing and washing 'those' areas, it is a relief. When we first moved here, we had to, both of us, walk her to the toilet and when she was through, haul her up off the toilet. If it comes back to that, WE won't be doing it! It would be better to have her bed-bound in an electric hospital bed, as she would be easier to care for because we could 'chux' her to the max! ? And I think rolling people on the mattress is way easier than getting someone UP.

Okay, I have 'run-down' for the moment, so I will halt here.

PS: You guys are the greatest! Talk w/ you later!

nursej22, MSN, RN · Jun 2, 2022

Ado, I hope your hubby gets care, or gets better, or both. I used to sort of like nights on med-surg, but I could never get enough sleep.
Gosh, Tweety, that’s awful about your sister. I remember when hospital patients would smoke and would argue about oxygen. Ooh, an extra set of hands! Hopefully it’s someone willing to do anything, not a “I’ll do your meds but I won’t help with toileting.”

Joe, a normal day is wonderful. How good of you to pitch in with belling.

Stars, fingers crossed that your hubby can heal. Pleural effusions can be frustrating. Is he still on lasix?

Hi Dianah. Good news about getting a new cat sitter! That makes travel easier. Is your hub’s tooth pain better?

No Stars In My Eyes · Jun 2, 2022

j22, I believe hubby is still on Lasix, but I'm not sure for how much longer he will be. He has no edema anywhere on his body, I know that. I don't know if it is for the fluid in the pleura, if it would help keep that from building up again. Heck, there's a LOT that I don't know!

Ado Annie, ASN, RN · Jun 2, 2022

Stars, there's a lot I don't know about fluid collection, third spacing, and the like, too. It does sound as if your dh finally has a real plan and support from the medical side. That's encouraging.

I've had similar thoughts about Gma, that I'm fine with the changing the chux and turning the bedbound patient but not so much with the stage we are now and those in between. At least she can still get up and walk.

Tweety, I've not heard of a stat nurse but when we had a free charge nurse at the big hospital that person could help with things that popped up, like lab draws or whatever. Most often the charge nurse had to take patients, though.

Joe, I miss playing handbells.

Hubs is snoring next to me. He has an appointment with the PA tomorrow morning. Last night he felt so chilled that he got out the heavy comforter that's usually way too much. I'm trying to make myself get up and be productive. Twin B is Gma-sitting in the living room.

Wishing you all a good day.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 3, 2022

Hello all!

nursej22, thanks for asking: dh's teeth feel better every day, though he continues to take two naproxen at night, so he can sleep. But the pain is much less and he is able to gently chew on that side of his mouth.

Gosh, No Stars, what a good report from your dh's MD visit!! So proud of him for making a list and checking it twice! AND hoping he is a compliant patient. Sounds like he will get appropriate follow-up, too. Excellent!!

I did errands this morning, and then brought home Vietnamese food for dh: Pho Ha for him, for lunch, and some sauteed vegetable dishes for me/us, for tomorrow. I read some in the afternoon, then we just got back from dinner with our former pet-care-givers. Their 10-mo-old is SO cute! She is a happy baby, and VERY active!! It was cool to see them interact as a family (do tag-team care-giving!!), and we wish them well! We gave them a card, as they will be leaving around July 3 to move back to Canada, where he will obtain his Canadian MD license and join a pediatric practice there. Which, by-the-by, is where BOTH sets of grandparents live, and I'm sure they will be overjoyed to have The Grandbaby nearby!! (and mama will be glad of the help!)

Tomorrow we will do the laundry and pet care in the morning, then in late afternoon drive to Anaheim to meet the luthier by 5pm. I am trying not to get TOO excited, though I am anxious to get my main guitar back and see how it sounds!

Well, not much else going on here. Have a good evening!