Well, I could not tell any of you what has happened to this month so far. It is almost over and I have nothing to show for it except some BOMS I am trying to catch up on. They are in individual posts below this one.
I had to put Audrey in the hospital last Thursday and everything has been a blur since. She had a blood clot in her groin and they finally let her come home yesterday. They also put her on cumiden which distresses me. That stuff is really bad. It thins your blood and you have to be very careful what you do and what you eat. The blood clot will hopefully dissolve soon.
She has some hideous bruises on her stomach and her arm where some idiot lab technician that didn't know what they were doing tried to give her a shot and tried to draw blood. I have filed a complaint about them, which I am sure will do no good. However, hopefully somewhere down the line it will show up in her records and they will be more careful.
She is on a low sodium and restrictive potassium diet which is rather stringent. We have decided the best thing to do is buy her some TV dinners that meet those requirements because she is eating like a bird, and doesn't really eat enough to make it worthwhile cooking for. Both of us eat cereal for breakfast and peanut butter and crackers for lunch, so that is only one meal, which won't be too bad.
I am still having trouble with bronchitis which doesn't help the situation either, lol.
So, here we are, puttering around the house, and trying to come to terms with the new diet and restrictions placed upon her. She is ticked off to say the least, her words are......this is not my body! It doesn't act this way!!
I think she will be fine, she just has some adjusting to do, as do I. Hope all is good in your world, and your week is going well.
15 comments:
Hi Perry....I've been thinking and wondering about you. I'm sorry that Aud has been in the hospital and that you're still struggling with brochitis. I hope & pray that Aud will be as good as new soon and you too, of course.
I am so sorry to hear about Aud, Perry, and that you're still ill.
But lab technicians don't give shots. More likely what happened in her abdomen is the doctors started her off with injectable blood thinners, which must be given in the abdomen, and there is just no way around it--when you poke a hole in someone, they bleed--even if it doesn't come out the little hole, it collects under the tissue. My experience with the abdominal bruises is that they don't usually hurt, because it's not a blow to the abdomen, it's just bleeding. They do look awful, though, and it takes some time for the blood to be reabsorbed.
She'll probably have to go for more labwork to make sure her Coumadin level stays therapeutic, so here is what you can do to minimize bruising at the puncture site in her arms: Hold or have Aud hold pressure for a VERY long time, and hold her arm up over her head. Holding her arm up high will decrease the blood flow to the area, and keeping pressure on the puncture site will keep some of the blood from leaking out into the tissues. The lab technician will hold it for a little bit, but they must get the blood back to be processed and move on to the next person needing labwork, so they likely won't be able to keep pressure on it as long as you can.
And I know you don't want to hear this, but she may have to be on the Coumadin for 6 months or more to prevent further clots from developing. Soon being extra careful will be a habit, and she won't have to make such a conscious effort to stay safe and not take unnecessary chances. And that might be a good thing for her.
Then again, you could just invest in large sheets of bubble wrap til she comes off the Coumadin.
(I hope that made you smile just a little bit)
Saying a prayer for you and Aud, Perry. Hope you're both much better soon.
Perry...so sorry to hear about Aus's health problems. The restrictions can seem daunting but will soon become habit. I hope the hospital gave you lists of foods that cause problems with the blood. Jerry has been on coumadin for years. You said Aud was on a low sodium diet. Please check the label on all the processed foods you buy. When I was cooking for my MIL I was shocked to see that sometimes a can or pkg. of something took up her whole days limit. I'm sure you will do fine with this new normal when you have benn working with it awhile. It can be hard at first to get it all figured out. Jerry is on insulin, coumadin and a host of other meds. Hope you feel better soon.
So glad to hear from/about you. Have been concerned. My sister (and I) loves bananas and yes, they're full of potassium, so that might be something you have to watch also. So sorry about the bronchitis, too. Hoping you both are soon well and adjusted to new ways to do things. We have to be "tweaked" sometimes. When it interferes with our routine, it can be very annoying to say the least. It'll be okay, though.
Oh, I wish I was closer. I'd bring you both dinner every night! Hope her clot dissolves soon. If so, will she be able to stop the cumiden or is it something she has to continue to take? Hope you're feeling better soon too!
Sending you and Aud tons of good thoughts...wish I could do something to help. Your blocks look wonderful!
What kind of food are you eating over there? Peanut butter and crackers for lunch??? OMG!! Now that is not healthy. Good but not healthy. lolol How about a salad?? veggies??? fish??? Want me to come over and cook for you two?? I could be your housekeeper. But you'd have to share your sewing stuff with me.
And tell Aud I say the same thing about my body all the time.
Hugs!!!!
I worry about you two. I am keeping you both in my prayers. Like Judy and Sharon, I wish that I lived closer to bring you some good home cooked meals everyday. Take care! (((hugs)))
My sister-in-law just went through a similar ordeal, she had blood clots in her lungs. She was in ICU for a week. She will be on the blood thinners for a year.
Lots and lots of good thoughts coming your way *S*
I've neglected watching your blog and easily you have many post that I've been catching up on. Wish I were closer to help you out! Just know I'm sending good thoughts your way. I really like the blocks you have been making. They will become a gorgeous quilt soon!
Sending warm thoughts and silent prayers your way.... hope things improve steadily for both of you.
Well, if I lived closer, I'd have to come over and do a tap dance or something because I sure can't cook!! :) Heck, I'd even don a tutu just to get you two to smile!
Hope you get well soon, Sweetie, and Aud, too! (Hugs)
Hi -
I found your blog while looking through a list of OK blogs. I hope all is going better with you.
I live in the OKC area, but I am currently in Michigan. I lost my mom last year, so I am working on cleaning up her house.
What you have been talking about, I can relate to since I was taking care of mom for the last 2 years.
I also had a blood clot and took that drug for a year, so I can relate to the bruises. If your mom was falling and bruising before, expect worse looking stuff in the future. I just did normal stuff and bruised. One day, I counted and stopped at 100 bruises on my body! A couple days of taking aspirin will result in multiple bruising for me!
Concerning the bruises on the stomach, I agree with a previous poster - mom got shots in her stomach and it resulted in bruising. The funny thing is that the doctors would come in and press on her stomach and ask if it hurt. Yes, it did. They continued doing tests and couldn't figure it out. One day, I looked at her stomach area and felt hard spots - probably clots and it hurt her. So the next time a doctor came in and pressed, I asked him to look - boy, did he look sheepish when he realized that they have been pressing on bruises. So, question the docs. I stayed with mom at night and my sister was the day shift. We questioned everything, but we also helped the nurses in a bunch of stuff, so they were cool when we questioned.
Oh, on the cane thing - my mom needed some help to steady herself, so I got a walking stick for her. Her hand was at a level that she stood up as well as looked up, not down like most canes kinda force you to look. She was more inclined to use walking sticks as a "third leg" and it didn't make her feel old.
Mom also didn't eat well, so my game was fixing snacks at odd times of the day, just to keep the calorie count up.
I miss her, but I do not regret the time we spent together. I wish I still had her with me.
Hugs to ya...I wish I could help you - take time for yourself.
liz
Your doing the right things... just keep it up! As my in-laws say, getting older isn't for wimps! Try to focus on the good stuff.
Your blocks are turned out so nice. I can't wait to see what they look like all put together.
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