Hospital Saga--5
Tomorrow (on Monday) it will be one week since my mother's heart surgery. Yesterday she was moved into a regular patient room, after having been moved out of ICU and into an intermediate care area (It goes by various names in different hospitals.) the day before that. These moves represented actual improvements in Mom's condition, but we're wryly observing that they also represented administrative decisions that were not based solely or perhaps even primarily on Mom's readiness for a move.
Apparently ICU was full when yet another patient needed to be admitted. Since Mom was the best candidate for a move, she was reassigned. The staff assured us that she had met the criteria for the next care level, and I'm sure they're right. But this explains why we were told earlier in the day that she would not be moved on that day.
Then after she was moved out of intermediate care to the regular room, we learned that on weekends, they almost always shut down the intermediate care area. So of course Mom could not stay there any longer.
This afternoon we had a scare when a nurse told Judy that Mom has an infection in her blood that is potentially very serious. In the worst case scenario she might need to have her valve replacement redone. Horrors. In the best case scenario, they caught it early enough that it can be cleared up with antibiotics.
Later, the infection control specialist, Dr. H., told members of my family that an infection is always a concern, but it does not constitute an emergency. Right now a culture is being done that will yield results by tomorrow. Then they will have a more precise identification for the infective agent and can target the antibiotics more effectively. Mom is already taking something--presumably based on their best guess about what is causing the problem. The nurse/PA Brenda was further reassuring by saying that very rarely do these kinds of cases call for surgery, although it might mean several weeks of antibiotic medication.
After a very good day on Thursday when she took several walks down the hallway in ICU, she was uncomfortable and lethargic yesterday and today. Part of the time her blood sugar was very high and she was shaky all over. It was in answer to Judy's question to the nurse about the reason for her severe shakiness today that she told her about the blood infection.
Mom's digestive system was slowly gearing up for normal activity again yesterday, causing discomfort, and I thought today would likely be a good day for her after she progressed beyond that. Not so, courtesy of the developing infection.
The drainage tube in her chest incision was removed yesterday, and they discontinued all the IV fluids and medications. She had eaten better yesterday morning than at any time since she's in the hospital. These were all good things, but it was a little hard to remember that, since Mom didn't seem as well otherwise as we expected.
Last week, before surgery, we decorated Mom's hospital room walls with matted and framed photos, courtesy of Lowell and Hannah, Bible verses, cards, etc. Someone who walked in commented that when you feel a need to decorate a hospital room, you know that you've been there too long. Mom would certainly agree.
We took all the pictures down when Mom went for surgery, and someone else was assigned to the room. Today it was time to put up the pictures again in her current room.
We all feel like she's been there too long, but she is still with us, and still has prospects of getting better soon. As long as that hope remains, staying "too long" will be alright.
Apparently ICU was full when yet another patient needed to be admitted. Since Mom was the best candidate for a move, she was reassigned. The staff assured us that she had met the criteria for the next care level, and I'm sure they're right. But this explains why we were told earlier in the day that she would not be moved on that day.
Then after she was moved out of intermediate care to the regular room, we learned that on weekends, they almost always shut down the intermediate care area. So of course Mom could not stay there any longer.
This afternoon we had a scare when a nurse told Judy that Mom has an infection in her blood that is potentially very serious. In the worst case scenario she might need to have her valve replacement redone. Horrors. In the best case scenario, they caught it early enough that it can be cleared up with antibiotics.
Later, the infection control specialist, Dr. H., told members of my family that an infection is always a concern, but it does not constitute an emergency. Right now a culture is being done that will yield results by tomorrow. Then they will have a more precise identification for the infective agent and can target the antibiotics more effectively. Mom is already taking something--presumably based on their best guess about what is causing the problem. The nurse/PA Brenda was further reassuring by saying that very rarely do these kinds of cases call for surgery, although it might mean several weeks of antibiotic medication.
After a very good day on Thursday when she took several walks down the hallway in ICU, she was uncomfortable and lethargic yesterday and today. Part of the time her blood sugar was very high and she was shaky all over. It was in answer to Judy's question to the nurse about the reason for her severe shakiness today that she told her about the blood infection.
Mom's digestive system was slowly gearing up for normal activity again yesterday, causing discomfort, and I thought today would likely be a good day for her after she progressed beyond that. Not so, courtesy of the developing infection.
The drainage tube in her chest incision was removed yesterday, and they discontinued all the IV fluids and medications. She had eaten better yesterday morning than at any time since she's in the hospital. These were all good things, but it was a little hard to remember that, since Mom didn't seem as well otherwise as we expected.
Last week, before surgery, we decorated Mom's hospital room walls with matted and framed photos, courtesy of Lowell and Hannah, Bible verses, cards, etc. Someone who walked in commented that when you feel a need to decorate a hospital room, you know that you've been there too long. Mom would certainly agree.
We took all the pictures down when Mom went for surgery, and someone else was assigned to the room. Today it was time to put up the pictures again in her current room.
We all feel like she's been there too long, but she is still with us, and still has prospects of getting better soon. As long as that hope remains, staying "too long" will be alright.
posted by Mrs. I at
3:45 PM
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