Hound dog
Nana's are Beautiful
It has been a hectic several days to say the least.
To some extent, I may have stumbled upon the reason behind mother in law's frantic phone calls to us that have been driving us absolutely nuts over the past couple of weeks. And some of the reason she has been acting out of character.
It started Sat morning. husband and I already planned a visit to mother in law's because we had to pick up some things for her at the store. No biggie. I sit down to have my morning coffee and the phone rings. And of course it's mother in law. Now after a week filled with up to 18-20 phone calls per day......Let's just say a few cuss words sailed out before I picked up the phone. She was asking if we were coming. (she knew we were coming) So I explained to her that as soon as I finished my coffee we were heading out. Not 10 mins later she called again. I was tempted not to take the call. But husband had walked into the kitchen, so instead I handed the phone to him. I could tell by how he acted and such that mother in law was pouring it on rather thick and started to get ready to leave. More than a bit miffed at husband that he'd told her we'd be right there.
*Note- husband also has a tendency to exaggerate and be a bit dramatic*
On our way there (not 10 mins later) husband calls mother in law on his cell and hands it to me. Ok, so now I'm really miffed. And he tells me to tell her to pull her nurses cord. mother in law answers. It's evident she confused, her voice is very weak and keeps trailing off. I told her to pull the nurses cord. (which is attached to her recliner) I repeated it several times and not once did she seem to understand what I said. So I gave up and told husband to hurry.
When we arrived she was sitting in the recliner slumped over. She looked terribly pale. I went to her and asked her what was wrong. She didn't seem quite right. But she said her stomach hurt and her legs were numb. So I asked her the general questions while checking for fever ect. Then she said her heart felt fluttery and started telling me to call 911. So I took her pulse and b/p. Strong and steady. B/P normal range. She was adament about 911, so I called them. husband headed to the nurses desk to tell them what was going on.
Paramedics arrived. mother in law had already lost consciousness on me once. She told the medics the same thing she told me. B/P was normal for them too. But mother in law lost consciousness 2 more times while they were assessing her. Since the rooms are so tiny, with medics help they "walked" her onto the stretcher. First thing I noticed was that when they swung her legs up mother in law didn't cry out. She always cries out, it is excruciating for her legs to be moved like that let alone touched. This told me her legs had to be numb. And I informed medics of that.
husband and I hop into the car and head for the hospital. We noticed the medics seemed to be doing nothing. But we decided to just meet them there. Came to find out after they got to the ER, mother in law had lost consciousness 2 more times and each time came back confused and combative. Hence the delay in starting out.
At ER mother in law was confused. She couldn't complete sentences, used the wrong words, did not complain once about anything. Most importantly her legs which are always in severe pain due to the broken hip in march and the severe arthritis. She continued to pass out. Each time I noticed her blood O2 levels dropped into the upper 70's lower 80's. When she came out of it the levels would pop back to normal. Her B/P was 145/45. Bottom number NOT good.
Labs said she had low sodium. ER doctor wanted to blame all symptoms on the low sodium. I didn't buy it. mother in law has been admitted twice over the past year for low sodium (same level by the way) and never displayed these symptoms. Medic also didn't buy it. He thought she might be having TIA's. ER doctor did admit her. Fam doctor finally got notified and he over ruled ER docs treatment of sodium via IV, but did admit her
While waiting for a room. mother in law seem to rally around. She started to seem like herself again. Except the demanding thing was there.....bit paranoid.....and seemed to think she was the only patient in the ER. Still out of character, but not as bad as when she came in. Twice though she tried to get out of the bed and we had a heck of a time.
Sunday she was terribly confused. She thought she could just get out of the bed and walk down the hall. Hard time keeping her in bed to wait for assistance. When husband went back in the afternoon.....evidently the nurses had let her sit in the wheelchair and he caught mother in law trying to go down the hall.......she was leaving. (confused) Monday wasn't much better.
Tuesday she was getting back to herself a bit. With a bit of paranoia thrown in. Pinned the doctor when he came for rounds and wouldn't let him leave the room til she got her medications.
Wednesday she was much better and wanting to go home.
Today when I went up this morning she seemed ok. We chatted. Then she sent me home cuz she wanted to nap. I went up with husband tonight. mother in law was uncomfortable in the bed and asked to sit in the chair. She did well getting up and in the chair. But complained of terrible dizziness. As she sat there she grew more and more confused, became unable to use the correct words, then couldn't even finish a complete sentence, then got so confused she tried to get up and walk off. Nurse and I got her back into bed.
Then I had one of those AHA! moments. Sitting upright mother in law begins to get confused, it grows worse the longer she is in the postiion. Once she lays down it seems to dissapate over time. I mentioned this to the nurse who was going to make note of it for doctor.
Not sure what it means. Can't say I've seen it before, because in all my work with the elderly I've not seen it. I don't know if it's a circulation issue or blood O2 issue. I do know that mother in law had surgery to clear blockage in her right carotid artery. The left carotid artery was also quite blocked at the time but after the intense pain the first time around she refused to have surgery on the left. I wonder now if that blockage is giving her this problem.
If it is I don't know what we'll do. She will refuse surgery. (can't blame her) But I worry that she won't be surpervised enough at the assisted living in case she becomes confused.
Oh, and fam doctor is having her see a psychiatrist. Happens to be my psychiatrist. He believes mother in law to be severely depressed. I don't doubt she's depressed. But I think I understand why she is now. With this going on she's been thinking she is going crazy. Poor woman.
Am going to do my utter best to catch fam doctor and speak with him tomorrow. It has been a mighty long week. sigh And I feel mighty guilty for thinking mother in law was becoming needy and demanding.........when it actually was a symptom of something serious going on.
To some extent, I may have stumbled upon the reason behind mother in law's frantic phone calls to us that have been driving us absolutely nuts over the past couple of weeks. And some of the reason she has been acting out of character.
It started Sat morning. husband and I already planned a visit to mother in law's because we had to pick up some things for her at the store. No biggie. I sit down to have my morning coffee and the phone rings. And of course it's mother in law. Now after a week filled with up to 18-20 phone calls per day......Let's just say a few cuss words sailed out before I picked up the phone. She was asking if we were coming. (she knew we were coming) So I explained to her that as soon as I finished my coffee we were heading out. Not 10 mins later she called again. I was tempted not to take the call. But husband had walked into the kitchen, so instead I handed the phone to him. I could tell by how he acted and such that mother in law was pouring it on rather thick and started to get ready to leave. More than a bit miffed at husband that he'd told her we'd be right there.
*Note- husband also has a tendency to exaggerate and be a bit dramatic*
On our way there (not 10 mins later) husband calls mother in law on his cell and hands it to me. Ok, so now I'm really miffed. And he tells me to tell her to pull her nurses cord. mother in law answers. It's evident she confused, her voice is very weak and keeps trailing off. I told her to pull the nurses cord. (which is attached to her recliner) I repeated it several times and not once did she seem to understand what I said. So I gave up and told husband to hurry.
When we arrived she was sitting in the recliner slumped over. She looked terribly pale. I went to her and asked her what was wrong. She didn't seem quite right. But she said her stomach hurt and her legs were numb. So I asked her the general questions while checking for fever ect. Then she said her heart felt fluttery and started telling me to call 911. So I took her pulse and b/p. Strong and steady. B/P normal range. She was adament about 911, so I called them. husband headed to the nurses desk to tell them what was going on.
Paramedics arrived. mother in law had already lost consciousness on me once. She told the medics the same thing she told me. B/P was normal for them too. But mother in law lost consciousness 2 more times while they were assessing her. Since the rooms are so tiny, with medics help they "walked" her onto the stretcher. First thing I noticed was that when they swung her legs up mother in law didn't cry out. She always cries out, it is excruciating for her legs to be moved like that let alone touched. This told me her legs had to be numb. And I informed medics of that.
husband and I hop into the car and head for the hospital. We noticed the medics seemed to be doing nothing. But we decided to just meet them there. Came to find out after they got to the ER, mother in law had lost consciousness 2 more times and each time came back confused and combative. Hence the delay in starting out.
At ER mother in law was confused. She couldn't complete sentences, used the wrong words, did not complain once about anything. Most importantly her legs which are always in severe pain due to the broken hip in march and the severe arthritis. She continued to pass out. Each time I noticed her blood O2 levels dropped into the upper 70's lower 80's. When she came out of it the levels would pop back to normal. Her B/P was 145/45. Bottom number NOT good.
Labs said she had low sodium. ER doctor wanted to blame all symptoms on the low sodium. I didn't buy it. mother in law has been admitted twice over the past year for low sodium (same level by the way) and never displayed these symptoms. Medic also didn't buy it. He thought she might be having TIA's. ER doctor did admit her. Fam doctor finally got notified and he over ruled ER docs treatment of sodium via IV, but did admit her
While waiting for a room. mother in law seem to rally around. She started to seem like herself again. Except the demanding thing was there.....bit paranoid.....and seemed to think she was the only patient in the ER. Still out of character, but not as bad as when she came in. Twice though she tried to get out of the bed and we had a heck of a time.
Sunday she was terribly confused. She thought she could just get out of the bed and walk down the hall. Hard time keeping her in bed to wait for assistance. When husband went back in the afternoon.....evidently the nurses had let her sit in the wheelchair and he caught mother in law trying to go down the hall.......she was leaving. (confused) Monday wasn't much better.
Tuesday she was getting back to herself a bit. With a bit of paranoia thrown in. Pinned the doctor when he came for rounds and wouldn't let him leave the room til she got her medications.
Wednesday she was much better and wanting to go home.
Today when I went up this morning she seemed ok. We chatted. Then she sent me home cuz she wanted to nap. I went up with husband tonight. mother in law was uncomfortable in the bed and asked to sit in the chair. She did well getting up and in the chair. But complained of terrible dizziness. As she sat there she grew more and more confused, became unable to use the correct words, then couldn't even finish a complete sentence, then got so confused she tried to get up and walk off. Nurse and I got her back into bed.
Then I had one of those AHA! moments. Sitting upright mother in law begins to get confused, it grows worse the longer she is in the postiion. Once she lays down it seems to dissapate over time. I mentioned this to the nurse who was going to make note of it for doctor.
Not sure what it means. Can't say I've seen it before, because in all my work with the elderly I've not seen it. I don't know if it's a circulation issue or blood O2 issue. I do know that mother in law had surgery to clear blockage in her right carotid artery. The left carotid artery was also quite blocked at the time but after the intense pain the first time around she refused to have surgery on the left. I wonder now if that blockage is giving her this problem.
If it is I don't know what we'll do. She will refuse surgery. (can't blame her) But I worry that she won't be surpervised enough at the assisted living in case she becomes confused.
Oh, and fam doctor is having her see a psychiatrist. Happens to be my psychiatrist. He believes mother in law to be severely depressed. I don't doubt she's depressed. But I think I understand why she is now. With this going on she's been thinking she is going crazy. Poor woman.
Am going to do my utter best to catch fam doctor and speak with him tomorrow. It has been a mighty long week. sigh And I feel mighty guilty for thinking mother in law was becoming needy and demanding.........when it actually was a symptom of something serious going on.