Dear friends and fellow bloggers,
Some of you will remember that I am here in the City of Kamloops. I was to be here for approximately one month to look after my mom who came out of hospital two days after I arrived. I had been looking after her and nursing her for a few weeks when she took a sudden turn for the worse.
On Wednesday (just passed) as I went to town to pick up some fish for my visiting niece, mom called me and asked me to rush home. When I arrived her lips were turning blue and she was shivering a great deal. She could not get warm. I had to turn on the space heater, get her warm drinks and cover her as best I could. All the while I kept insisting I should call the ambulance. She said an emphatic "no". We have been through these shivering episodes before and so I took a chance that she would warm up and return to normal. Previously these episodes have indicated a bladder infection left untreated. In mom's case she suspected a bladder infection but it didn't seem that advanced.
After a stressful hour or so, mom's lips returned to their natural colour and she stopped shivering but she seemed a bit confused and not able to form a lot of her thoughts into sentences. She was exhausted so I let her rest.
In the morning, after her bath, we went to the hospital ER room where we waited for 5.5 hours before seeing the doctor. Mom seemed ok and looked much better than the previous night but after blood testing and a host of other tests, the doctor said mom's white blood cell count was 3x times the norm and he suggested she stay at least overnight perhaps a few nights in the hospital. Mom said she wanted oral antibiotics to go home and recover. The doctor simply said, "if you go home now, you will die at home." Apparently she has sepsis, or whole body inflammation.
That settled things. Mom remained in ER and was moved that night at 9:30 p.m. to the ward. I had left the previous hour so she put up a protest about where they were moving her and into what bed given her previous bad experiences in August at the same hospital. Fortunately they did listen to her. She is on the same hospital floor as she was last month but she is in a different ward and they have different nursing teams. From what I can see in my several visits, they are treating her better and she is in good spirits.
I am now sorting and packing everything at mom's apartment as best I can while at the same time trying to attending to her needs at the hospital. Originally the idea was that I would sort and pack on this trip as it appears to be ever more evident that mom needs to go into a nursing home despite her lack of enthusiasm for it. At this point, I am very ready for her to go into a facility where she can be monitored and cared for should anything go wrong. It is a hard decision but one that has taken years to get to. Now having read about sepsis and mortality rates after one has had sepsis, I fear the time could be short though I pray not. In the meantime, I want her to have a comfortable and worry free existence.
Here is the hospital where she is staying.
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7
As I write this post I am very aware of so many who are dealing with the health needs of their elderly parents. Just yesterday afternoon a blogging friend wrote me to say her father had passed. Also, yesterday morning I had a call from a cousin whose father is in a nursing home and her mother is in a senior's residence with advancing dementia, cared for by the ailing second husband who has had several heart attacks which have left him weakened.
Lord I pray for these dear ones described above and for all those reading this post who have loved ones who are sick. Touch them and keep them and give grace and strength to those who care for them.
14 comments:
Oh my dear friend, I pray to for your mom that she has complete healing from the sepsis. I pray too that she sees the need to go where she can be cared for when needed, as in a nursing home. Bless you for caring for your dear mother. Your reward is not here on this earth. You are saving riches in heaven where rust or moth cannot destroy it. Bless you dear one, (((Hugs))) Jo
Thank you dear Jo for your prayers. It has been very hard on me particularly these past two years as I watch my mom going down in abilities. She has been sick much longer than that and I am always so concerned about her. Only God can help us at this point so again I thank you for your prayers. Hugs xx
Best wishes for your Mom's speedy recovery Penny and to you too in this difficult time - it's hard to believe that, in an advanced country like Canada, your Mom had to wait almost 6 hours before seeing a doctor ...
Thank you Graham for your good wishes for mom's recovery. Canada has a pretty good health care system (and it is mostly free to the user though we have to pay a nominal amount for health insurance and medicine, those who cannot afford it don't pay). Unfortunately,with a small and aging population our waiting times for everything medical have increased substantially. The nurses were saying it was the busiest day at Emergency that they can remember.
Oh - dear - I hope your mom gets better soon...
Thank you, Affectioknit, I just talked to mom. She sounds quite weak. She had a very bad night with excruciating headache and her lungs also don't seem very strong. There are a lot of prayers going up at the moment.
I am so sorry to hear about these problems with your mom. I went through a really sorrowful time with my mom about two years ago, so I relly feel for you. I am familiar with sepsis, and have a friend who overcame it. It's very hard watching our loved ones and parents health fail, really heart wrenching. But nothing happens that God does not allow.
Thank you for your kind words Ginny. I am praying mom can overcome it but am trying to leave everything in God's will and prepare as best I can. It is hard to lose our loved ones even if we know they go to a better place.
I am so very sorry to hear about your mother - I do hope that she gets well soon. A hard decison to be made but don't feel alone as it's one so many of us face or have faced with our own parent's. Keep strong & know that you are doing the very best that you can for her. (P.S. 5.5 hrs ? That sounds like something that would happen in 3rd world Africa !)
Thank you Linda. I appreciate your kind words. Mom's progress in hospital is up and down. I continue to pack and ready things.
I am so sorry to hear about these problems with your mom. I went through a really sorrowful time with my mom about two years ago, so I relly feel for you. I am familiar with sepsis, and have a friend who overcame it. It's very hard watching our loved ones and parents health fail, really heart wrenching. But nothing happens that God does not allow.
Best wishes for your Mom's speedy recovery Penny and to you too in this difficult time - it's hard to believe that, in an advanced country like Canada, your Mom had to wait almost 6 hours before seeing a doctor ...
Oh my dear friend, I pray to for your mom that she has complete healing from the sepsis. I pray too that she sees the need to go where she can be cared for when needed, as in a nursing home. Bless you for caring for your dear mother. Your reward is not here on this earth. You are saving riches in heaven where rust or moth cannot destroy it. Bless you dear one, (((Hugs))) Jo
Thank you for your kind words Ginny. I am praying mom can overcome it but am trying to leave everything in God's will and prepare as best I can. It is hard to lose our loved ones even if we know they go to a better place.
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