Craig in hospital again

medtran49

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He started complaining of tummy through to the back, including flank pain Monday night, and thought it was just a GI thing since he ate some pistachio Gelato that had been in the freezer for a really, really long time. It was still there Tuesday a.m. and was getting worse. So, since we had a business errand down in Miami that needed to be taken care of I dropped him off at ER and went to Miami.

Got back after close to 2.5 hours and he was still waiting. About 3 hours later, the doctor comes back with the CT results. Three kidney stones, 1 in the bladder that was 3 mm, which was causing the pain as it was moving down the ureter to the bladder, another 8 mm obstructing stone in the lower third of the ureter, and an 11 mm stone still in the kidney.

He's had stones before, but never this big. Biggest was 7 mm and required a laser procedure and a stent. He was NOT a happy camper when he had that stent in, even with Percocet every 4 to 6 hours.

He was supposed to have a procedure today, but it was cancelled, hopefully rescheduled for tomorrow. They have been pushing fluids big time and he's been having 7 out of 10 pain on and off , plus visibly bloody urine this afternoon so I guess the 1 in the ureter is moving some.

He just can't catch a break. He was supposed to go today for an EMG because he has nerve damage in his arm from the shingles in July. Obviously that got canceled and I rescheduled it for several weeks out since he's more than likely going to need a stent and he won't tolerate both of those at the same time.

Getting old is $@!+!
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
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Oh,man, Karen! NEITHER of you can catch a break!

Positive and healing energies are heading your way!

Lee
 

medtran49

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No procedure yet and no word on when. This is getting ridiculous. No urologist showed up today at all.

They didn't feed him breakfast or lunch, but gave him his long acting diabetes med this morning. About 2, nurse came in and was talking about how his blood sugar was trending down, mid down to low 80s. I told her he was given his med in the morning, but he hadn't eaten all day. She was like they didn't bring him a tray? Told her no, so she went and got 1 for lunch. Rinse and repeat with dinner.

His BP has been going up slowly but today was hovering in the "we need to do something about it range." When he was admitted, they put his ID bracelet on really tight. Today, his wrist and hand were so swollen it was cutting into him. I pointed that out to her (don't know why he won't open his mouth and say something to them, but complains to me) and said with all the fluids, just normal saline, they have been pumping into him that is more than likely why BP is going up. So, they stopped fluids for a while and obviously redid his bracelet. BP started coming down before I left at almost 6 pm.

And, when they gave him first dose of morphine in ER, I told them he will need stool softeners as he always gets constipated when he takes narcotics. Nurse said she would note it. Guess what he has never gotten and now has an issue. So, they now have him on laxatives and a stool softener. When the nurse came on this afternoon to give him another dose I told her they need to stop the laxatives so he doesn't start with diarrhea. Guess I'll be going in early in the morning so I can oversee his meds.

The hospital pharmacist already came and went over his meds with me tuesday because they had him doubled up on meds, those from when he left hospital in 2020 when he had the fractures and subsequent issues, and those he is on now that have him fairly well controlled.

I'm getting really irritated with this place.
 
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medtran49

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And, it's not just Craig. He got a new roommate late yesterday afternoon. A guy from Honduras. He speaks English fairly well but not medical fluent. He came in with known gastritis from heavy alcohol consumption. He had a bad attack yesterday. Today, he ate lunch really fast and then about 10 minutes later started complaining of chest pain. He had classic symptoms of reflux, hiatal hernia and gastritis. I know they have to follow a certain protocol when chest pain complaints are made but geeze louise let's have some common sense and communicate with the patients about what NOT to do when you have a known diagnosis.
 
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Sass Muffin

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I'm sorry he (and you) are going through this.
Sadly, it speaks for the current state of the healthcare system as a whole.

Hopefully today, this goes in the direction you are there for.
😖
 

medtran49

Well-known member
Gold Site Supporter
Yes, it took until Wednesday for them to perform the procedure. They discharged him home later that afternoon. He has a stent in that hopefully will come out this coming Wednesday.

But, I apparently caught something in the hospital since that was pretty much only place i went other than a sort trip to grocery Tuesday evening. Started feeling bad Wednesday evening, then felt like I got hit by a mack truck Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Had a lab appointment Friday so I took a Covid home test before I went, which was negative, but wore a mask anyway. Feeling a little better today so at least it's going to be short lived hopefully.
 
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QSis

Grill Master
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Yes, it took until Wednesday for them to perform the procedure. They discharged him home later that afternoon. He has a stent in that hopefully will come out this coming Wednesday.

But, I apparently caught something in the hospital since that was pretty much only place i went other than a sort trip to grocery Tuesday evening. Started feeling bad Wednesday evening, then felt like I got hit by a mack truck Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Had a lab appointment Friday so I took a Covid home test before I went, which was negative, but wore a mask anyway. Feeling a little better today so at least it's going to be short lived hopefully.

Aw geez, Karen. Did you have to take care of Craig while you were so sick?

Lee
 

medtran49

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Aw geez, Karen. Did you have to take care of Craig while you were so sick?

Lee
Nope, I couldn't even take care of myself. He had to take care of himself. Was so exhausted I went to bed early Wednesday night, slept nearly all day Thursday and Friday, then at least half of yesterday. Driving to the lab and having to walk in, then reverse to come back home exhausted me even more. Even getting off couch and walking to refrigerator to get water was a huge struggle. I felt WAY worse from whatever this was than when I had covid.
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
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Nope, I couldn't even take care of myself. He had to take care of himself. Was so exhausted I went to bed early Wednesday night, slept nearly all day Thursday and Friday, then at least half of yesterday. Driving to the lab and having to walk in, then reverse to come back home exhausted me even more. Even getting off couch and walking to refrigerator to get water was a huge struggle. I felt WAY worse from whatever this was than when I had covid.
Good Lord, girl!
That's awful 😞
 

medtran49

Well-known member
Gold Site Supporter
Now I'm in the hospital. Besides the above, have a UTI and have blood in my urine. Have had pain in my back that has been steadily worsening and today it just exploded around 11 a.m., like 10 out of 10, I was nearly screaming, didn't hurt that bad with labor, toughed it out until about 4 and then told craig he had to take me to ER. Figured I had a fever as well as I had chills, it was 102. Now, I'm sweating and the fever is breaking with all the meds. First time in a week that I've been hot.

My urine turned red today, which means blood. I've had a CT scan, abdomen and back, a chest xray, ekg, arterial blood gas, urine and blood cultures, covid test, and various other blood tests, and a whole bunch of meds. They are keeping me at least overnight.
 
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