My grandfather’s been hospitalized

[EbonyPatriot]

My grandfather’s been in the hospital with acute renal failure since last Monday, meaning he’s very dehydrated. Since his meningitis attack in 2007 (you may remember when I talked about that), he had been doing well until 2009 when he got shingles. For a while, since he wouldn’t eat, he would crash with acute renal failure, recover, crash, etc., so I’m hoping that he’s recover from this too. In fact he’s already improved: on Monday for hours he wouldn’t wake up and respond, with skin cold; then he’d wake up and look at us and his skin warmed up. It was a few more hours before he could talk: he tried on the way to x-ray, said something about my, and that he was supposed to wear (the stupid nursing home sent him without his glasses), followed by talking more, saying we need more light. I stayed with him Tuesday and saw him yesterday: he did better on Tuesday but still did okay Wednesday.

But for two days in a row he failed a swallow test, meaning he can’t eat. For a few weeks prior, he had such a bad cold he wasn’t himself: he only wanted to sleep (but since we were there late we thought it was just tired), was grumpy with us, and wouldn’t even finish his ice cream (he loves sweets). It was terrible: yesterday he asked me the time and then asked to eat, asked if we had food in the back, thinking the hand sanitizer in the room was a candy machine, even thought the flowers on his calendar were food. It broke my heart, but if I feed him, it might choke him.

Of course though, his mouth is terrible: his tongue was tearing and looks like a red prune, and his eyes have a streak dehydrated people get. And his cough is terrible, with a voice that’s gravelly and hard to hear: not his normal voice at all.
I think it means a lot for him to have us: he smiles and wants to hold our hand and tell us he loves us. Since his hearing is so terrible, we can explain things better to him. I don’t like having him alone and so try be there as much as possible.

I typed this up on Thursday. On Thursday they put a feeding tubing in through his nose. I’m worried about that (last year we had finally gotten them to take out a feeding tube the nursing home had left in for two years without using), but at least he feels full. Friday, Saturday and Sunday he just slept all day. On Thursday he had gotten a red streak down his vein on the right arm, they switched to the left arm which proceeded to get a wide red streak too on Friday. They tried three times to put an iv in the right arm, with my grandfather yelling like I’ve never heard before.

Thankfully his talking’s better, with yesterday it sounding clearer and his hearing better. My grandfather has a stomachache which he hadn’t for few days, with pain in his right shoulder, arms and legs. Worse, his arms are swollen, though whether he’s just retaining water or needs therapy from having his arms tied, we don’t know.

However, he also wanted to sit up yesterday. But then it was also yesterday that they claimed my grandfather had failed the swallow evaluation Sunday (when the record didn’t have it until after) and, assuring us they had right file, needed to talk about hospice. My mother called the nurse who didn't know what the person was talking about.

Today they’re doing a video swallow on him: if he fails, they’re going to put a peg tube.

My grandfather was and is like a second father to me: so gentle and sweet-tempered, ready to rush to our help if we need anything. I love him so much.

I’m glad he responds, unlike last time when he had meningitis, and he pounced back from this before.

But I’m scared too: he can’t swallow; his stomach was hurting terribly again (and so do the potassium ivs he has to get) and might have internal bleeding: his later hemoglobin tests were normal but today he needs blood. They aren’t sure if he’s fighting a disease or if the dehydration is all that’s wrong.
It’ll be a while before I can come on again: not only do I have a lot of homework to catch up, I’m spending most of my time with him.

I pray he gets better; we aren’t ready to lose him yet.

[Blaise Zebrataur]

Wow I am so sorry to hear that and hope your grandpa gets better.

[Karion]

My thoughts are with you. I hope he gets better.

[Ken'ichi]

Oh wow, I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather, and I pray that he recovers soon. It sounds heartbreaking, what you're going through, but you can take solace in knowing that we're with you and you're in our hearts and prayers. *Hugs*

[Truttle]

I'm really sorry to hear about this EP. I send my prayers that he recovers well and that he may be with you longer. Like Keni said, we're here for you and wish for the best. You're in our hearts.

[Night Bear]

I'm sorry to hear that.

[EbonyPatriot]

Thanks guys. It's really helped.

I had this time before and wanted to post it for archival usage.

Tuesday I was able to get to him earlier. When I came in he lifted up his eyebrows and was happy to see me; then he slept. The doctors walked in and said for either colonoscopy or to not resuscitate, he’s so old at 88 and must have dementia because when they talk to him he doesn’t respond.

I interrupted: he didn’t respond because he can’t hear!!! Why just today he asked me to pull up his covers and then asked if I wanted him to tuck me in too. (I could have said that the nurse had said when the chaplain nun {like myself, he’s a Roman Catholic and this nun is well known to our family} came in, he recognized her and greeted her with an Italian greeting). At this the doctors backed off, saying that was different and they see a lot of patients withdrawn in themselves, not that they were saying he was… (All I could think of was how many patients did they dismiss who like my grandfather just couldn’t hear?)

After getting two litters of blood my grandfather did become briefly very confused (though this may have been due to his hemoglobin dropping), he became calmer once my mom came and we could finally feed him since that day he passed a swallow evalve.

Ah the swallow evalve. They had decided he needed a peg tube in before my mom had them do a swallow evalve.

I was later Wednesday and didn’t talk to him much, but I was able to get him to eat. I spend between two and three hours feeding him his Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, two protein drinks, applesauce, and a few bites of bread and cake. On Thursday I

was able to feed him his turkey and mashed potates and pumpkin pie, but it took three hours and he ate a few of his chicken and rice, cottage cheese and peaches, and almost all of his applesauce. The levels are fnaly normal but his sugar’s terriby high and I’m he might now be diabetic. (I’m insulin resistant myself, so I wouldn’t be surpirise; but it would be hard since he loves sweets.

Besides his diffucilt eating, the thing that worries me the most about his going home is that Thursday I got to see him a chair but he kept slumping over so that his head was touching his knees, we tried getting him up but as far he could go was his jaw on his chest. The blood was rushing to his face until we put him to bed. My grandfather three times said he wanted to get out of the hospital and wanted out of bed.

On Friday they decided to send him back. I’m still unhappy about this since his levels are off and he can’t lift his neck, but the hospital insisted. That day he was the best: he ate all but his fish and drank all of his protein shake and when I told him what a good grandpa he was was, he said “I try to be.”

I miss seeing him and worry that he’s going to come back to the hospital since while his cold is gone, his levels went off again. I have to admit it is nice coming home; poor Sprx took not having us home the hardest and today has been real clingy.

I wanted to thank for your kind words and prayers: it really helped and I showed my family it too. Thank you Oreius, Karion, Ken’ichi, Truttle and Night Bear. It means so much.

[Truttle]

I'm glad we can help you pull through this a little. This must be quite a lot for you to deal with buddy. I certainly imagine the difficulty and pain of it. I know how you feel as my grandma is close to that point too. All I wish is for the best of this bro. My wishes go to you.