Journal entry by Starsky Pip —
So I am home now and yesterday (Saturday) was a busy day, but I will update what i found out yesterday and what I have heard from Steve today.
Head: No new developments, Dad's neurological status remains stable, which is a good sign that the "hematoma" is not growing.
Throat: Despite the "normal" fiberoptic study, the speech pathologist did not change Dad's diet back to regular, which means he has to remain on the mechanically soft diet until they determine they want to change it. I spoke with the doctor about it, in hopes of getting her to change it, but she said they don't like to go against what they suggest. This issue will most likely have to wait until Monday, so someone can discuss with speech path why they wanted to keep him on the mechanically soft diet.
Chest/Lungs: The lungs continue to be one of the biggest areas of concern. The doctor started Dad on Mucinex yesterday in hopes of helping him loosen up the secretions and get them up. Today, she came in and said he has some fluid on the right lower lobe and she started him on some Lasix. This concerns me because I am not sure why he is accumulating fluid, and the connection to his heart and their adjustment of his heart meds. In addition she started him on a different mode of chest therapy and added an additional type of bronchodilator. The doctor wants him to be able to break up the stuff in his lungs and be able to get it out. He was having his first tx. @ 4pm today and Steve said he was tolerating it well. He will be getting these tx. every four hours. The sputum specimen that was growing is not able to show the specific type of bacteria for some reason...so they are trying to get another one. He continues on the IV abx. and as far as I know he still has no fever.
Heart: Now that Dad is in his own room, he has his heart status monitored by "remote telemetry" which means he is on EKG leads and then carries this small monitor in the pocket of his gown. The read outs go to another location where telemetry trained people watch the readings. He continues in the atrial fibrillation as far as I know. Heart status and VS are stable, but I am concerned if the adjustment of the heart meds has caused a decrease in the contractility that may be causing the fluid overload in the lungs. TBD.
Stomach: Appetite remains good. They are working on the going to the BR issue...they have a protocol on this floor for constipation and they are moving him along the protocol.
Kidney: I did not hear any concerns about kidney today. He is off IV fluids other than when he gets his IV abx. (abx. = antibiotics) Yesterday, the doctor said his kidney numbers looks more back to his normal.
Activity: He was up and sitting in the chair most of the day yesterday and today I assume. The PT lady came yesterday and got him out of the chair, he used walker to go t o sink, brush teeth and return back to chair. Later the PT lady came and took him on two short walks, one w/o oxygen and one w/ oxygen. He did better having a bit of oxygen on while he was walking. Today he had walked twice with the walker around the hall on his floor and down to the PT room.
Steven was there a good portion of the day today. Not sure what his plan will be for tomorrow. The doctor said if they can get his lungs better, he would be ready to be medically discharged in "a day or two." Steve seems to think he could go home with home health RN, resp therapy and PT. All this still up in the air. I am a bit worried that things are going in the wrong direction with his lungs...also Lasix can cause his potassium to drop and then he will have to take potassium supplement, which tastes horrible. So I hope the Lasix is just a one time dose. I will be at work all day tomorrow and Tuesday.
Anyway, I am out....love to all. big D
Head: No new developments, Dad's neurological status remains stable, which is a good sign that the "hematoma" is not growing.
Throat: Despite the "normal" fiberoptic study, the speech pathologist did not change Dad's diet back to regular, which means he has to remain on the mechanically soft diet until they determine they want to change it. I spoke with the doctor about it, in hopes of getting her to change it, but she said they don't like to go against what they suggest. This issue will most likely have to wait until Monday, so someone can discuss with speech path why they wanted to keep him on the mechanically soft diet.
Chest/Lungs: The lungs continue to be one of the biggest areas of concern. The doctor started Dad on Mucinex yesterday in hopes of helping him loosen up the secretions and get them up. Today, she came in and said he has some fluid on the right lower lobe and she started him on some Lasix. This concerns me because I am not sure why he is accumulating fluid, and the connection to his heart and their adjustment of his heart meds. In addition she started him on a different mode of chest therapy and added an additional type of bronchodilator. The doctor wants him to be able to break up the stuff in his lungs and be able to get it out. He was having his first tx. @ 4pm today and Steve said he was tolerating it well. He will be getting these tx. every four hours. The sputum specimen that was growing is not able to show the specific type of bacteria for some reason...so they are trying to get another one. He continues on the IV abx. and as far as I know he still has no fever.
Heart: Now that Dad is in his own room, he has his heart status monitored by "remote telemetry" which means he is on EKG leads and then carries this small monitor in the pocket of his gown. The read outs go to another location where telemetry trained people watch the readings. He continues in the atrial fibrillation as far as I know. Heart status and VS are stable, but I am concerned if the adjustment of the heart meds has caused a decrease in the contractility that may be causing the fluid overload in the lungs. TBD.
Stomach: Appetite remains good. They are working on the going to the BR issue...they have a protocol on this floor for constipation and they are moving him along the protocol.
Kidney: I did not hear any concerns about kidney today. He is off IV fluids other than when he gets his IV abx. (abx. = antibiotics) Yesterday, the doctor said his kidney numbers looks more back to his normal.
Activity: He was up and sitting in the chair most of the day yesterday and today I assume. The PT lady came yesterday and got him out of the chair, he used walker to go t o sink, brush teeth and return back to chair. Later the PT lady came and took him on two short walks, one w/o oxygen and one w/ oxygen. He did better having a bit of oxygen on while he was walking. Today he had walked twice with the walker around the hall on his floor and down to the PT room.
Steven was there a good portion of the day today. Not sure what his plan will be for tomorrow. The doctor said if they can get his lungs better, he would be ready to be medically discharged in "a day or two." Steve seems to think he could go home with home health RN, resp therapy and PT. All this still up in the air. I am a bit worried that things are going in the wrong direction with his lungs...also Lasix can cause his potassium to drop and then he will have to take potassium supplement, which tastes horrible. So I hope the Lasix is just a one time dose. I will be at work all day tomorrow and Tuesday.
Anyway, I am out....love to all. big D
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