60+ year old thread.

Still thinking day of the week but you’re closer than some.

 

The five Fridays are a necessity, because the Docs won't see you on the two Saturdays.

 

Good morning everyone!!! Welcome to the weekend for those who still worship at the Temple of the Paycheck!

I only reference days of the week for others who need it...no difference for me other than I try to avoid shopping on weekends when the (m)asses are out and about.

I finished up patching the concrete floor in the greenhouse yesterday. Today, I'll finish up painting the back of the mower garage. Just a few things to do on the interior of the greenhouse and it will be ready for Lynn to move her stuff back in.

Be safe out there!

 

Good Morning Folks.
Have a great weekend and be safe.

 

It's 6:50 AM and I'm done mowing the lawn. I mow it about every three weeks, and would mow it less if I could get the wife to water it less. It was 104 here yesterday and expected to be hotter for the next several days.

"Temple of the Paycheck"... LOL... That's a good one, and how true that is. Man, I'm glad I retired at 52. I'm too busy doing useful things to work for a living.

 

Coming up for air. The past week has been a blur since Pam was taken to the hospital.

Some huge errors in her case management. The surgeon who did the Emergency Surgery Sunday morning is just a few years out of getting medical school. We just haven't seen her, not active in case management. Left orders for the wife to drink contrast fluid and get a CT. Meanwhile, she is sick as a dog and can't hold anything down due to a raging infection. Hospital is trying to page her stat; oh, she seemed to have left Monday morning for a week in Mexico. I hadn't told anyone, and the doc who is following up is waiting for "CT results." Our not-so-good doc had left instructions "have patient prepped for surgery when she gets back." Thankfully the more senior partner of the surgical practice realizes "surgery is a good three months out."

Hospitals and Insurance companies have a love-hate relationship. They want patients discharged as soon as possible. So yesterday, the discharge planner pops in with "good news, you get to go home." Meanwhile, they have my wife on TPN (IV fluid to help with nutrients), IV antibiotics (still fighting that massive infection/sepsis), on IV pain killer "Don't worry, you can transition to oral at home" (gee, while throwing up?). They are still monitoring sodium/chloride/potassium twice a day. Antibiotic is hard on her kidneys, and kidneys start shutting down, so switch out antibiotics to make it less hard on the kidneys. You let that get unbalanced, and it's a rapid kidney failure leading to liver, then heart and lung failure. The goal is for her to be healthy enough to come home. She is not stable enough to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom on her own. Horrible job, but I am sure the hospital gets a bonus for "discharged to home sooner than expected." I went ballistic and pointed out we are a loving couple, but I am not fit for being a caregiver due to my Parkinson's and "not safe for her to return home at this time."

Thankfully, the Ostomy Nurse stopped by and was concerned when she saw "discharge to home today" to point out that it's way too early.

Meanwhile, the discharge person is beating the drum, "you look fine to take care of her" (i.e., the hospital is understaffed to deal with ostomy patients that need more time). Thankfully I saw this one coming and had looked into LTAC (Long Term Acute Care) facilities. They have a rep at the hospital, and it's a good solution between "discharge and home" with a ton of PT on-site (three hours of PT a day from getting dressed to personal hygiene).

When her being sent to an LTAC, they commented, "she's not ready to be discharged to us." i.e., make sure she is stable first, so it looks like Tuesday or Wednesday, she'll head over to LTAC. She's not out of the woods, but hospitals have a huge mortality rate standard to keep up. So if best to kick you out early, try to set it up so you're not readmitted (another federal care check box).

Between the two of us, we have had way too many hospital stays. I know enough of the system to get a very good idea behind the scenes (Sis is a retired Hospice RN; my brother is CFO for a large hospital chain). Between the two of them, I have some great Ammo to understand what is really going on. Meanwhile, my goal is to reduce stress and get a good night's sleep. Ha, not this week.

My wife has her guilty pleasure of watching "General Hospital," which is fine. I need to start writing a blog called "As the fistula turns." So doesn't have a stoma but an ostomy bag taped to her abdomen. The goal was "less than 100ml output in 24 hours". It's still at 500ml every 24 hours.

She, after those 7 surgeries, has less than 1/4 of her colon. Hence food/nutrients pass too fast, and oral medicine doesn't have a chance to be absorbed. We go to breakfast, and I have two eggs and toast. My wife has this huge platter of food, three eggs, hashbrowns, gravy, and biskets. She needs to eat a ton of calories to keep her weight up (110 pounds at 5'6" is too skinny). It would be best if you had protein for wound healing, hence the TPN IV feeding bag.

More background:
https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-crohns-disease/treatment/surgery/fistula-removal

This is her fourth fistula. The ruptured colon in 2005 was due to diverticulitis. Look up "bristol stool chart" talk to your doc. Bristal #3 about 1" diameter, fine. It's a 1" x 1/8" wide ribbon; something is wrong. Her doc "have you have a BM?" My wife would answer "yes." Damn it, and it leads to a ruptured colon! That doesn't happen to 46-year-old women, but it did. Oh, over surgeries, 9 pints of whole blood. Forever great full to donors. I got my 5-gallon pin before cancer hit, so no longer donating.

Tell your family how much you love them and what they mean to you. Tell your doc about your poop!

 

Good Morning Porchies! That sun is gonna come out by noon or so, and I'm gonna sit in it and scrape the pool with a chlorine puck on a stick! Glad I mowed Thursday before this all started, another 1 1/2" brings us to 4.45" for the month, which is NOT the CenTex average! If it actually doesn't rain Monday, I will do the "secondary" pass, because it made the late in the week mow much easier!

 

Sorry @roundrocktom , that's a helluva week!

 

As fortune would have it, I was on the coast of Virginia on Thursday leaving for home in NC just as Elsa was tracking up on my exact path. Left at 6:30am knowing I would run into it somewhere between Greensboro and home (near Charlotte). First part was clear then came rain. was light part of the way but moderately heavy for just a short while. All in all not a bad drive as I think I missed the worst part east of me by leaving early.

 

Tom our prayers go out to you and your wife. Thank God she has you to advocate for her. Now a days when it comes to medicine a person needs to advocate for themselves or have someone else advocate for them. Many people are intimidated by physicians and have little medical knowledge. They just go along with whatever the doctor tells them and that can sometimes be detrimental to their well-being. Again prayers being sent your way.

 

Morning all:

Shaking my head after reading your post Tom, it is what it is, but one day they are going to look back at todays doctors and hospitals like we look back at the medical practices from the 1800's.
Hang in there, and again hoping for the best for your wife.

Just thinking, talked to my hunting buddy yesterday, he said the doctors office forgot to order his prescription for the pain patches he wears, he said he will be curled up on the couch in pain for about a week until they arrive, GEE, THANKS DOC!
He also said they order them on the computer, what happened to writing a scrip and going to the pharmacy to get it filled!

 

Continued prayers for your wife, and for you, Tom!!

 

Oh, my. Prayers for you and your wife, Tom.

 

Prayers for both of you Tom.

 

Continued prayers going out for your wife Tom. Prayers for you to be strong and to be her support. God bless both of you.

 

Tom, My prayers for your wife and strength for you in standing by her side. You both need each other now and you will get throught this together. Blessing for both of you.

Russ

 

Good morning everyone!! We have our 13 year old twin granddaughters visiting for 9 days - they spent the morning helping Lynn prepare a lunch for Lynn's mom and a friend who was visiting and then 3 hours in the pool in the afternoon. I finished up painting the mower garage - finally done painting. Still have a few small things to do in Lynn's greenhouse but she's about ready to move her stuff back in.

We all crewed a hot air balloon flight last evening and then we took the girls to our local dairy for ice cream. It was a good first full day here for them.

I need to cut grass at our house and down around the rest of the farm - a 3 hour tour. Not sure the weather is going to cooperate, though. Looks like another few days of rain and thunderstorms ahead here in northeast PA.

Live it large!!

 

Two photos from last night's flight prep.

Me at the end of the crown line waiting for the hot air inflation to begin so I can control how rapidly the balloon lifts into place.




And, a look from the crown end as we use the fan to begin the inflation process - that's Lynn in the center holding the mouth of the balloon open.

 

Morning.
Watching rain and mowing lawn the last week.
Had Grandson overnight Friday (which can be very difficult)
He did ok though.
Took him bowling and just let him do his thing.


I haven’t picked up a bowling ball in 20 years.
I use to bowl tournaments and leagues (candle pin).
Unfortunately, 2 of the three lanes have closed and only one
Is around. I was thinking of joining again.
Have never picked up a 10 pin (big ball).
What a “out of my comfort zone” deal.
Talk about trying to keep your head above water.
So I muddled through and managed to get a couple of turkey’s (3 strikes in a row).



Boy did I pay for it.
I haven’t been this sore in ages.
And it wasn’t a good sore.
Dam this old shit sucks the big one.

Not sure what’s on the agenda today

 

Niceeeee

Have you even been lifted off the ground ??? Lol
Wasn’t Lynn a little worried seeing those burners were pointed at her lol JK.
That’s some fun stuff right there.