husband is Home

[Hound dog]

easy child and I went up there very early this morning. Waited all morning on his doctor. His medications were working so the cardioversion wasn't necessary. And we waited, and waited. Well, husband was falling asleep on us and it wasn't looking so hot for him coming home.........so easy child and I left telling him if doctor came in and released him we'd come back up and get him or Nichole had offered to pick him up and bring him home. Since doctor showed up when we were about half way home.......Nichole ended up picking him up. By that time easy child didn't have time to pick up husband and be back home for when sister in law had to go to work. And with as long as discharge took.......no way would she have been home in time.

And that promise to make certain he'd come home with his medications?? phht. Empty words basically. They would fill his stomach medication and lipitor for free, if he waited in line for like oh about 2 hrs, but flat out refused to do the actual heart medications. So we'll fill the two medications you can easily do without but not fill the two that are critically important. Brilliant. So husband came home with nothing filled. Even more brilliant as we might not have enough cash on hand to fill the scripts. He didn't qualify for medicaid.....or we haven't heard from them yet. And he won't get his SS check until next week. Having some trouble finding out the potential costs of the medications. Lipitor is not expensive, I dunno about the others, one is nitroglycerin sub lingual.

So......he's looking through the silver for odds and end pieces to sell for market value. (makes me sick but what can you do?) Wont' be able to do that until tomorrow and I have to find a legitimate place here that will buy it. husband wants to take it to the pawn shop, not to pawn but to sell.......uh, no not thrilled with that one. I know how such places work as bro used to have one for about 20 yrs.

He's still, oh I dunno, acting odd. Not a real bad odd, just odd.......uh off......not sure how to put it. Not grouchy at all, just well off. I know he's really tired, he never really rested up there with all the interruptions and the anxiety ect.

But at least he's not more than an hour away from me. Oh, and the discharge instructions? A joke. I'm looking for how much activity is safe for him to do and how to build him up gradually so as not to push too hard........and there is nothing about that at all. Nothing. Just how to take his medications. wth?

Oh well, at least he's home. We'll figure it out. We always do.

 

[DammitJanet]

Lisa, what medications is he supposed to be taking? Give me a list please and I will find out where you can get them for next to nothing if not free. Please give me that list. I have my ways.

 

[Hound dog]

nitroglycerin (Nitrostat)

isosorbide-hydrALAZINE (BIDIL)

dabigatran etexilate (Pradaxa)

Lipitor

Thanks Janet. I've had a very needy man from the moment he walked in the door. (understandably so, but still)

 

[DammitJanet]

go to www.needymeds.org and check out that website. i think you can use a whole lot of what is on that site.

 

[Mattsmom277]

I'm glad he's at least home and not an hour away. What a mess to send him home knowing his financial position and not sending medications. It seems so ... just ... not right.

My aunt recently had a heart attack, a few months ago. Actually she had 2 stents put in just this Monday. She was told upon discharge to not do strenous activity until it didn't wind her, that it can take 2-3 months to get somewhere resembling back to strength. She was told to listen to her body and if she is fatigued, to lay down and do what her body tells her. She was told not to lift super heavy things until she's feeling full strength again etc. She was told to try to take walks (not in extreme heat) but to stagger several through the day to build stamina but not long ones and to not try to be a "hero" by walking a marathon. She started out I believe with a slow walk around the block several times a day.

I really hope you can find help with the medications. I've heard even here in Canada of that link Janet gave you and I've heard it can be a great help. Is it possible to call somewhere to check on his application for SS?

 

[Hound dog]

Thanks Janet!

Yeah. I'm just going to let him do some walking around the house for a while, then maybe out front of the house on nice days, then progress to the alley, from there maybe around the block. I'll gradually build him up.

Really bad thing, doctor met husband again on his way out and told him it's really important that he return for the follow up visit with him as he's writing an article about husband in some journal (forget now which one) as there is no reason whatsoever that husband should've survived his heart attack. In fact, doctor was truly amazed. Well now that might be a fascinating thing for the doctor, but it just did that much more to hike up husband's anxiety level.

I'm dealing with his anxiety right now and it's through the roof. Having been there done that myself, I do understand it though and totally get it. But he has no medications to help with it at all, and it's really bad. He's scared to death if he goes to sleep he'll never wake up again. Understandable. But the man has got to sleep.......it's making him really dingy not sleeping. ugh

 

[KTMom91]

Glad your husband is home, Lisa. Hopefully he'll be able to settle down so you both can get some much needed rest.

 

[DammitJanet]

Lisa....pm me your address asap...like tomorrow morning. I cant help overnight but I can send something...wait...go to PM right now!

 

[InsaneCdn]

Lisa -
My Mom used this trick when she had knee surgeries - and later when she had a stroke.
They have an old beater of a used manual wheelchair that they picked up at some garage sale for next to nothing. The wheels etc. worked fine but the upholstery was all chewed up or aged (not sure which!).
They would take this wheelchair on her walks. She would push the wheelchair for balance, for as far as she was allowed to go.
Then she sat down in the wheelchair and let Dad take her home. They had some old blanket folded over the upholstery for comfort.
First walks were 15 feet... in which case, Dad took a very scenic route coming home... but she didn't have to worry about how far they went AND didn't have to worry about faling - she went as far as she could go, and Dad did the rest. Made for a less stressful walk.

I'd lend you the one I have (waiting for when I need it), but it would cost too much to ship it that far!

 

[DammitJanet]

How long has he been on social security? Less than 2 years right? Medicare takes 2 years to kick in but even so he is disabled now and the medicaid for the disabled will be approved without a doubt. This wont be a problem. I would put a call into the caseworker at the county and talk to the department you need which is the medicaid for the elderly and disabled. That puts you in a whole new group away from those they see as playing the system and you will get very good and understanding workers there who will bend over backwards for you. I always have...well except for the first time and I dont think that was anyone's fault. The guy got fired and they were trying to distribute his cases all around and some cases just got lost in the flow.

Oh about the wheel chair....check out the salvation army or good will. They normally have them free. Also walkers.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Janet - good point on that wheelchair source... Sally Ann here "sells" the wheelchairs, but there's a notice on the wall... anyone in need (i.e. who can't afford to buy what they need even at thrift-store prices) just has to go talk to the manager. And I've seen them do it... very subtly - here, they have a fund for "needy cases" - the manager takes you and your stuff to a back corner office on pretence of a pricing problem, tallies up what it will cost, and gives you a check made out to the store, for the amount you need to pay for it. So, the others in the store see you paying for what you need. They just don't see you being given the cheque to pay for it with!

 

[gcvmom]

Welcome home!

 

[Liahona]

Sleep can be very hard for autistic people in the first place. Just want to kick that dr.

Good luck. Sending prayers your way.

 

[ctmom05]

I had a heart attack.

Nitro, Isorbide, and lipitor were on my list of medications. Taking the medications, as prescribed, is very, very important. Sometimes docs have samples - don't be afraid to ask. If you don't have good communication with the cardio, ask your family doctor to call on Mr. Lisa's behalf to address some of the barriers to appropriate follow-up care(such as availability of the medications).

Also check Wal Mart's list of medications. Their $4 list is pretty comprehensive. Sometimes local social service departments will pick up the tab for a little while for medications, even tho you don't qualify for Medicaid.

My experience with Isorbide was that it made a huge difference for me, I was able to walk around without developing chest pain - which was encouraging and reassuring. For some time I carried the nitro with me, wherever I went.

Do what you can to get the Mr to go for the follow-up visit, but not to help the doctor complete his study - do it because it will be a good indicator of where things are going medically. Go with a list of questions written down, if need be.

We'll be thinking of you here; get some rest for yourself too - mom's orders .. .. .. and I know what I'm talking about.

 

[DDD]

Sending warm and caring thoughts your way. Sorry it's so rough. Hugs. DDD

 

[AnnieO]

Sweetheart - you know I will do ANYTHING I can to help. Let me know. I know you're stubborn and it's hard, but that is what we are here for.

 

[hearts and roses]

Sending hugs, warm thoughts, prayers for peace at the HD home, and hope that H gets his medications and settles down.

 

[Hound dog]

Walmart is working with us on the medications. Much to my absolute shock. Turns out his most important medication the Bidil is actually 2 medications in one pill and sort of scripted that way......so we asked since that pill alone is 300.00 (OMG) if it was possible for the 2 individual medications to be filled separately and would it be cheaper to do so? Well, golly gee, yes they can (we're waiting on the doctor officer to return the call for the new script) and it's 49.00 for that and the nitro instead of 300.00. I'll hold off on the other two until we see if his medicaid kicks in, they're needed but not critical. I can do the 49.00.

Rough night, mostly due to over fatigue and over the top anxiety, for husband. I'm sure he was feeling pretty cruddy too. Rough day for that matter. He's been without medications all day while we're waiting on doctor to call walmart.

He's being good with the diet ect and has not so much as hinted he wanted a cigarette. He's just extremely needy right now, understandably so, but I only have tons of other things to do too other than caring for him. But the other things I'm doing a little at a time right now as he gives me a free moment.

As for mom visiting. Most of that will take place at the hotel. I won't be a big part of that visit as it's not a good idea to leave husband alone right now and he's not up to company of any type. And if she wants to come see me and husband, she'll just have to ignore the stye that is the house. Ok, not really stye but it's bad and going to get worse as we prepare to move rooms around again. husband can't manage our steep stairs to get up them to sleep. And since his condition is only going to worsen over time, is stupid to keep the master bedroom upstairs. Which means we play ring around the rooms again only with about 3x the amt of furniture (thanks to mother in law) than ever. ugh And that makes the whole house a disaster. So Mom will have to ignore cuz I honestly don't care. The cleaning I am doing is because I need to do it, not because Mom is coming.

 

[InsaneCdn]

And since his condition is only going to worsen over time, is stupid to keep the master bedroom upstairs. Which means we play ring around the rooms again only with about 3x the amt of furniture (thanks to mother in law) than ever. ugh

Lisa -
I'd love to ship you a 6' tall 150lb weight-lifting, furniture-moving teenage male... but he won't fit in the post box!

You're doing the right things. Surprised the doctor didn't split the medications in the first place.

 

[HaoZi]

While you're waiting on the Lipitor get a Niacin supplement for the interim. It's also a statin in high doses, best taken at night to avoid flushes and make it most effective during the critical morning hours. I don't advise mixing Niacin and Lipitor once he gets it unless the doctor says it's okay, and double check for any interactions he might have (yes, I know you know that), but it might be a cheap thing to use while waiting for money for Lipitor.