Whew! What a month! February 2017 was a wild ride.
At the end of January, the Bearded One took a serious turn for the worse. I will not go into detail but fairly suddenly he was unable to walk, even moving himself in the bed was a serious challenge. Needless to say he was dependent on others for most of daily life, and was dead weight for those caring for him. Thank goodness we had moved to be near support. My daughter was (and is) a godsend.
We limped clumsily through 48 hours before the doctor asked us to take him to emergency to see if he had contracted a virus. (I had asked for a home evaluation but the doctor felt the hospital was a better first step). After hours in emergency, it was determined he did not have a virus but was admitted for 24 to 48 hours for evaluation. Again, no details…but it was a nightmare. Thank goodness both of my daughters were there for support! After the first twelve hours, The Bearded One went into a tailspin. He was being given anti anxiety drugs to make it easier for the staff to care for someone with dementia and cravings for cigarettes/alcohol. He had a bad reaction to the drug but it was repeatedly administered. By the time, we demanded that he be released home with support services (nursing, PT, OT, etc.) and equipment to assist us in caring for him, he was a puddle in the bed. Panicking at any movement, thinking he was falling through space uncontrollably. He was having a “bad trip”, a very “bad trip” thanks to hospitalization.
But, we brought him home. No major changes in medication…just some additional vitamins. Lots of equipment. For the first day when he was home, he could not even be moved using a hoyer lift. He was still in literal free fall. Panicking, almost seizuring when moved. Hallucinating. (Looking back, some of the hallucinations make us chuckle. His intelligence and vocabulary shone through even from that wild place he was residing at that time. For instance, he saw on the floor “a penny and a neoclassical Smithsonian relic remanescent of Isis”. Hello?
After about 36 hours the anti-anxiety drugs began to wear off and he came back to us. A nurse checked in periodically to make sure we were on track, but most importantly a Physical Therapist, and, later, an Occupational Therapist began to work with him.
We have gone from the “new normal” of total incapacitation with the need of constant care to the “newer normal” of partial incapacitation with assistance needed in most life functions to the “newest normal” of him being able to walk about using a walker (and even a cane at times!) and being able to take care of his most vital life functions independently with others needing a bit of assistance or at least a bit of nagging. An aide has been coming twice a week to help him shower. That service ends this week but I am going to choose to save our marriage by hiring someone to do this service once a week in the future.
Whew! What a ride. Do not want to buy that ticket again. I will think twice (or more) before hospitalizing again. I will definitely not use the same hospital. I am writing a letter to be given to the State Board regarding the care given to The Bearded One.
Now, after this week, we are moving on to outpatient PT and OT. He is doing well enough that I may take him to a barber for the first time in months (I have been trimming his hair….for those of you who know how much difficulty I have combing my own hair, you know how challenging that has been!). The newest normal is good…and gives me hope it may be even better.
Who woulda thunk it a month ago?
Whew. Thank goodness. Love you all.