UTIs, seizures and hospital

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
Im sitting here trying to get my thoughts together. Ive posted a bit about what has been happening to OH on other treads, but I wanted to get it all together to try and get my head straight.

Just over 2 weeks ago OH suddenly lost mobility and kept falling. By the Saturday he could not even weight-bear, so I dialled 111 and he ended up in hospital where he was found to have a nasty UTI (he hadnt had any other symptoms of a UTI) and was put on IV antibiotics. A doctor put the wind up me asking me over the phone if I would consent to a DNR form - I said yes as I know what resuscitation can mean, but I was shocked that I was asked over the phone and thought he must have taken a turn for the worse. I was therefore surprised to find when I next visited that he was sitting up in bead reading!

Over the next few days he improved, but still had mobility problems, so was eventually discharged with a zimmer frame and a package of carers to assist with washing and dressing under the reablement scheme. He had to have an OT assessment of him showering and, unfortunately, Host Mode kicked in and he managed to convince the OT that he did not need any aids or assistance with showering at all :eek::eek:. The carers were then cancelled as he supposedly no longer needed them. I was particularly surprised as he had needed me to assist with showering even before he went into hospital!

I started to get the ball rolling to get carers in privately, but on Friday, out of the blue, he had 5 major tonic/clonic generalised seizures (the last one, fortunately in front of the doctor in A&E) and ended up in hospital again. He was completely unresponsive at this point and was found to have a UTI and sepsis. The doctor said that probably the previous UTI had not completely gone and had returned.

Yesterday I phoned the ward first thing in the morning and was told that he was sitting up in bed, but when I visited later I would have said that an accurate description was more that he was slumped in a reclining position. He was still mostly unconscious, but would open his eyes for a few seconds and he was responding to their tests, although he had not spoken and his face was completely flat and devoid of any emotion. It was definitely a "lights on, but no-ones home" situation. It was, nevertheless, an improvement.

Im going to go and see him again once visiting hours start and Ill keep you posted.
 

marshal

Registered User
Sep 6, 2017
77
0
Thinking of you canary. Hope things improve when the meds kick in. How things change so quickly .
 

Sarasa

Volunteer Host
Apr 13, 2018
7,195
0
Nottinghamshire
@canary, I hope there is some improvement today. Weekends are a rubbish time to get any input from doctors, but I hope you can speak to a senior doctor about this tomorrow. Certainly it sounds like he can't come home without a proper package in place.
Thinking of you, and remember to take care of yourself {{{hugs}}}
 

jugglingmum

Registered User
Jan 5, 2014
7,085
0
Chester
@cannary - I was wondering how things were, I'm glad you've posted an update.

Hopefully the antibiotics will work and OH will bounce back, as he did before, and you'll get an OT that understands host mode this time round, as hopefully you will get reenablement again.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,443
0
Kent
A doctor put the wind up me asking me over the phone if I would consent to a DNR form -

I wonder if these doctors see something we don`t canary. It is a bit thoughtless to ask about DNR in a phone call. Do you know if there was any indication things were really bad before you arrived?

I do hope things are not as bad as they sound. It`s a really difficult waiting game for you.
 

Jenni_B

Registered User
Aug 24, 2019
104
0
France
So sorry to hear this. It all sounds alarming and distressing. Hope there is some improvement today and that you get some answers from the medical staff.
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
2,324
0
I'm so sorry to hear this Canary. As others have said, things change so quickly and you can't predict what will happen. I visited my mother a week ago and she was in fine form, up and dancing in the music session. The following morning a carer rang to say she was very poorly and slumped in a chair with no interest in her surroundings. But 24 hours later she was cheerful and eating breakfast. You don't know what will happen from one day to the next. I hope your husband improves now he is being treated for the infection.
 

RosettaT

Registered User
Sep 9, 2018
866
0
Mid Lincs
I'm sorry to hear about this canary. If it helps at all my OH was in hospital for 12 weeks, he had a nasty infection that turned to sepsis and every time it cleared he got another. I thought, looking at him, it was basically the end of any independance. He came home immobile, couldn't hold a cup or feed himelf. He was 'out of it' most of the time a slept for 20hrs per day.
Now having been home for 7 mths he is a different person, can do all sorts of things for himself and has regained much of his previous interests. He has learnt to walk again with a frame tho' only with OT guidance at the moment. It took ages to get the ABs out of his system but slowly day by day he has made wonderful progress.

Wishing you all the best.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
Thank you all for good wishes.
When I visited OH was sat (properly) in the chair and much more responsive, although very quiet.
He is still on IV antibiotics and anticonvulsives. I didnt stay too long as he was getting very tired and I asked the nurse to help him back into bed as I was leaving.
Do you know if there was any indication things were really bad before you arrived?
I dont actually know. I had assumed that he had taken a turn for the worse, but by the next day he was obviously improving. So, who knows?
 

Splashing About

Registered User
Oct 20, 2019
434
0
Are you able to talk to someone about the DNR conversation being held on the phone. I think that is inexcusable.

So sorry you’ve had such a horrible experience. This sounds very familiar to my experience of being told someone doesn’t need the level of care you (as the person who knows them) believe they need and then having a horrible shock when their apparent health is much worse after all. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions
 

anxious annie

Registered User
Jan 2, 2019
808
0
Sorry to hear your news, Canary, but pleased that there was a little improvement today. Hopefully things will continue to get better and you will have your OH home with the appropriate care package xx
 

Linbrusco

Registered User
Mar 4, 2013
1,694
0
Auckland...... New Zealand
Very sorry to hear this @canary
The seizures being a result of the UTI ( has happened to my DH)
combined with the anti eleptic drugs makes them very lethargic.
Takes a long time to recover from.
Hope he is discharged with the proper care package.
When my Mum was admitted to hospital, the Dr asked me about a DNR order. I was quite shocked, and being Mums EPOA, I didnt have an answer. My siblings were too upset as it was to discuss.
Its still now one of those things that has yet to be discussed.
To ask you over the phone though is heartless :(
 

Jale

Registered User
Jul 9, 2018
1,137
0
I hope things improve for you both canary. When Mum was in hospital (on a dementia ward) there was a lady who was taken out of bed and put in a chair and she constantly cried to go back to bed, she never had visitors and I still can't understand why she wasn't allowed to stay in bed, I know the risk of pressure sores, but sometimes things have to have a balance, so good for you for getting your OH back into bed when he obviously needed to.

I wouldn't be very happy about the DNR situation either. When mum went into the home we spoke to them about arranging to get one put on Mum, only to be told there was one already on - a doctor had done it when she was in hospital and we hadn't been told.
 

charlie10

Registered User
Dec 20, 2018
394
0
So sorry he's back in hospital Canary.....such a rollercoaster! Hope the hospital can properly clear the infection this time and he is soon on the mend. Take care x
 

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