My mother's in the hospital getting blood
Nov. 11th, 2008 07:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shalannaWhy the long radio silence from me? My mom has been getting weaker and more short of breath every day. Her doctor did blood work last Tuesday, but her appointment wasn't until today, so even though I called his office, no one would tell me a thing. I suspected there was a problem other than her asthma/COPD, as the meds for those (new ones) were bringing her oxygen saturation up to 99%, but she still couldn't walk across the room and get her breath.
She has had an upper GI bleed and has lost blood over the past few months. She has six units of blood . . . less than a large cat. So today when we got to the doctor's office, they put her in a wheelchair and took her over to the hospital and checked her in. Finally! I had suspected this would be necessary. They're giving her the first of three units of blood right now.
She has an ulcer, and it has been bothering her since she took steroids. She had this once before, years ago, and had to have a transfusion like this. However, that transfusion was before her bout with colon cancer. So they're going to do a scope and have her swallow the camera (and go up the other way, as well) tomorrow or the next day. She's getting three units of blood, each taking four hours, and that should be in by tomorrow morning. Her sciatica really acted up while they had her down to take the X-rays and draw blood, too. But now she's settled in with the blood dripping in. Looks pretty scary, but I know it's the right answer.
As always, she asks for your prayers and positive energies. For whatever reason, I'm not really scared at the moment, because she is FINALLY getting some treatment. I've been begging all the different specialists for three weeks to decide on something and just fix it. They changed her various medications, but that wasn't the problem! Aarghh! At last, though, we're getting somewhere.
I've been going along as if I'm going to get to take that free trip to New York City to be in that contest. I still feel as if I will be able to work that out. But not if she's sick and has some larger issue. As it is, I'll have to convince someone from the family to come house-sit, as I will (would) be gone from the afternoon of Dec. 1 to the evening of Dec. 9, and if Hubby goes with me, as I hope he will . . . then someone else has to be here. The dog is also neurotic and someone has to take care of him and feed him, as well. (We're already going to be spending money on the trip and can't swing a kennel--and he doesn't do well away from home.)
Well, we'll see. Maybe I'll still get to go. But that isn't the top priority right now.
I have a good feeling, so I'm goin' with that. The tests tomorrow will be stressful--oy!!--and she'll be exhausted. I'm already exhausted, and my feet hurt. This builds character. My character is way overbuilt already!
Thank you in advance, etc., &c.
She has had an upper GI bleed and has lost blood over the past few months. She has six units of blood . . . less than a large cat. So today when we got to the doctor's office, they put her in a wheelchair and took her over to the hospital and checked her in. Finally! I had suspected this would be necessary. They're giving her the first of three units of blood right now.
She has an ulcer, and it has been bothering her since she took steroids. She had this once before, years ago, and had to have a transfusion like this. However, that transfusion was before her bout with colon cancer. So they're going to do a scope and have her swallow the camera (and go up the other way, as well) tomorrow or the next day. She's getting three units of blood, each taking four hours, and that should be in by tomorrow morning. Her sciatica really acted up while they had her down to take the X-rays and draw blood, too. But now she's settled in with the blood dripping in. Looks pretty scary, but I know it's the right answer.
As always, she asks for your prayers and positive energies. For whatever reason, I'm not really scared at the moment, because she is FINALLY getting some treatment. I've been begging all the different specialists for three weeks to decide on something and just fix it. They changed her various medications, but that wasn't the problem! Aarghh! At last, though, we're getting somewhere.
I've been going along as if I'm going to get to take that free trip to New York City to be in that contest. I still feel as if I will be able to work that out. But not if she's sick and has some larger issue. As it is, I'll have to convince someone from the family to come house-sit, as I will (would) be gone from the afternoon of Dec. 1 to the evening of Dec. 9, and if Hubby goes with me, as I hope he will . . . then someone else has to be here. The dog is also neurotic and someone has to take care of him and feed him, as well. (We're already going to be spending money on the trip and can't swing a kennel--and he doesn't do well away from home.)
Well, we'll see. Maybe I'll still get to go. But that isn't the top priority right now.
I have a good feeling, so I'm goin' with that. The tests tomorrow will be stressful--oy!!--and she'll be exhausted. I'm already exhausted, and my feet hurt. This builds character. My character is way overbuilt already!
Thank you in advance, etc., &c.
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no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 01:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 01:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 02:09 am (UTC)I'm glad you have a good feeling. I think it's sensible to feel glad that they are finally doing something.
P.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 02:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 03:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 04:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 04:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 05:24 am (UTC)I've been watching all the stuff going on with my grandma in the last few years - and sooo often, they ignore and put off and mis-label until there's just no denying that something proactive has to be done. . . and then damage is already done. And since it's damage that could have been prevented, most likely, if in the first place they'd done something so simple as what they're doing now (the blood) for your mother - yeah, I get your frustration, and your relief in finally getting some action.
I hope you get to go to the awards, too: you really deserve it. Even more, you deserve having your mom steadily getting better while you're at the awards, so there aren't any worries at home.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 01:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 03:00 pm (UTC)*Crosses fingers that you'll get to take the trip.*
no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 04:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 04:49 pm (UTC)