I'm copying the quote written yesterday from my thread ' 'Delayed Discharge', Care Home Interim Placement' to save repeating myself. I am so worried about Henry I feel like putting this post on a separate thread.
Well he was not when I saw him some two hours later. Then at some time after I left a nurse had picked up on his increasing confusion and his cough. He was not too confused when I was with him, more agitated because his speech was so bad I could barely understand a word he said and he became irritated.
I was told he is very confused today, his zimmer "walking" not good at all, and last night he had a fall. No details and I had to ask three times if any damage. His elbow graized, bruised.
His cough is "not quite as bad as last night" so it must have worsened after I left. But he could have an infection.
His blood Glucose level is "very high" and they are giving him an insulin injection. The staff-nurse was prattling on about not knowing if this would be permanent insulin injections or emergency and I explained he had the latter over 6 weeks in hospital. But three days before he left a diabetes specialist altered his tablets and stopped the insulin, and glucose level has been fine since in the Community Hospital.
I asked "When is he having the injection?" He replied "Well... as soon as possible I think..."
Staff always remark on Henry's great appetite but today he has had to have help eating "which is not like him". I know that.
The young doctor had seen him this morning "but didn't say anything".
The consultant is in on Wednesday mornings and will see Henry tomorrow.
Meantime, what? He just gets worse? Why did they not phone and tell me?
I suppose if he does worsen over today they will send him to the acute hospital??? I shall now be waiting for a dreaded phone call.
Since seeing him yesterday I have had such an increasing feeling of dread and fear and it peaked this morning. I could almost feel myself there with him and an awareness of him having become more ill
If I sound panicky, I am. Well not panic, more deep dread. The deterioration from Friday until yesterday was marked. So thin, so frail, nothing to fall back on whereas he went into hospital in November physcially in fairly good health and a good weight.
That rapidly declined but then over the weeks in the Community Hospital there was a marked improvement, he gained weight and looked healthier. Although over the last two weeks there have visits when I thought he looked extremely tired and not quite so well. (His hands felt very cold, and his face) But nothing near as bad as yesterday.
Has anyone else experienced a very sudden loss of weight within a short period of time?
It happened after November's surgery but he was ill then, various other health problems arose. Now he looks much more frail than even then. The flesh as if it had peeled off him. I am so afraid.....
I was going to get a taxi down to the hospital this afternoon, but remembering how he was when ill in hospital, dreadfully confused, I know there is nothing I can do to help him, calm him, reassure him, comfort him, as it was the same then. In fact my presence seemed to agitate him more.
Tonight I shall phone again, give the insulin time to act, but over the six weeks in acute hospitals it did not do so quickly and he repeatedly had insulin injections.
I phoned my daughter at work up in Aberdeenshire, she would have phoned the hopital tonight but has something important on at work and wont be home until 10.30pm. She will phone the hospital in the morning. If he is still there.
Sorry to pour it all out, I am just so afraid.... you know how you get those bad gut feelings....
I do so wish I had phoned last night, but it sounds like he became much worse after my visit. I had left him thinking perhaps a temporary blip, a dementia downturn, perhaps I was reading more into it than necessary and so I would wait until this morning before phoning. I should have gone with my increasing gut feeling.
Loo xx
I did phone the Community Hospital this morning and was put on to the staff-nurse in charge of Henry, a new one, a young man. He has only been there over a week so wont know Henry as well as the other staff. (his 15th week in this hospital) I expresssed my concerns about Henry and he said "he is not good today, worse than yesterday". My heart both sank and leapt in fear. Henry must have worsened after I had left. He had been "fine" at lunchtime.
Well he was not when I saw him some two hours later. Then at some time after I left a nurse had picked up on his increasing confusion and his cough. He was not too confused when I was with him, more agitated because his speech was so bad I could barely understand a word he said and he became irritated.
I was told he is very confused today, his zimmer "walking" not good at all, and last night he had a fall. No details and I had to ask three times if any damage. His elbow graized, bruised.
His cough is "not quite as bad as last night" so it must have worsened after I left. But he could have an infection.
His blood Glucose level is "very high" and they are giving him an insulin injection. The staff-nurse was prattling on about not knowing if this would be permanent insulin injections or emergency and I explained he had the latter over 6 weeks in hospital. But three days before he left a diabetes specialist altered his tablets and stopped the insulin, and glucose level has been fine since in the Community Hospital.
I asked "When is he having the injection?" He replied "Well... as soon as possible I think..."
Staff always remark on Henry's great appetite but today he has had to have help eating "which is not like him". I know that.
The young doctor had seen him this morning "but didn't say anything".
The consultant is in on Wednesday mornings and will see Henry tomorrow.
Meantime, what? He just gets worse? Why did they not phone and tell me?
I suppose if he does worsen over today they will send him to the acute hospital??? I shall now be waiting for a dreaded phone call.
Since seeing him yesterday I have had such an increasing feeling of dread and fear and it peaked this morning. I could almost feel myself there with him and an awareness of him having become more ill
If I sound panicky, I am. Well not panic, more deep dread. The deterioration from Friday until yesterday was marked. So thin, so frail, nothing to fall back on whereas he went into hospital in November physcially in fairly good health and a good weight.
That rapidly declined but then over the weeks in the Community Hospital there was a marked improvement, he gained weight and looked healthier. Although over the last two weeks there have visits when I thought he looked extremely tired and not quite so well. (His hands felt very cold, and his face) But nothing near as bad as yesterday.
Has anyone else experienced a very sudden loss of weight within a short period of time?
It happened after November's surgery but he was ill then, various other health problems arose. Now he looks much more frail than even then. The flesh as if it had peeled off him. I am so afraid.....
I was going to get a taxi down to the hospital this afternoon, but remembering how he was when ill in hospital, dreadfully confused, I know there is nothing I can do to help him, calm him, reassure him, comfort him, as it was the same then. In fact my presence seemed to agitate him more.
Tonight I shall phone again, give the insulin time to act, but over the six weeks in acute hospitals it did not do so quickly and he repeatedly had insulin injections.
I phoned my daughter at work up in Aberdeenshire, she would have phoned the hopital tonight but has something important on at work and wont be home until 10.30pm. She will phone the hospital in the morning. If he is still there.
Sorry to pour it all out, I am just so afraid.... you know how you get those bad gut feelings....
I do so wish I had phoned last night, but it sounds like he became much worse after my visit. I had left him thinking perhaps a temporary blip, a dementia downturn, perhaps I was reading more into it than necessary and so I would wait until this morning before phoning. I should have gone with my increasing gut feeling.
Loo xx
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