I am going to start adding vital signs. I used to take copies of the spreadsheets I keep to his doctor appointments, but now he has none. I also used to take them to the PD nurse; but the new one doesn't seem at all interested, so I quit. Now when the nurse comes I can show her the last few days sometimes, but she doesn't need to see my spreadsheet. I see a gradual trend that his B.P is getting higher. No one else sees it; and when they come, once a week, and take it - it's never quite as high as in the morning. I wonder why that is. Is my "cuff" faulty? I long since quit taking his temperature, because I cannot read the thermometer. No one seems concerned about that either - even though at the beginning they emphasized keeping track to ward off infection.
At (approximately) 10 AM 09/03/13, B/P 187/93, HR 78.
Physical:
I'm not seeing any particular change. In fact, there have been fewer nights with the loud wheezing. Perhaps he's keeping the oxygen on better. The confusion/disorientation is more of the time, but not extreme. I rarely "go along", and he seems for the most part to accept what I tell him.
I got him up around noon, and he sat in the lift chair a couple of hours or so - about 2 1/2 I think. Then he wanted to lay down. He never got back up. Some days he does that. He was more alert later in the evening, and I turned on his TV. Plus he ate a pretty decent supper.
One problem that's getting to be worse is being *wet*. Sometimes he can't tell. He has very little urinary output, due to the renal failure. But some days it's more than others. The most recent issue is that he thinks he has to pee, and knows he can't get to the commode in time, so reaches for the urinal. Only, he can't seem to manage that - he misses. So the disposable pull-ups do no good in that case. He got himself totally soaked, and I had to dry him off before putting dry pull-ups on him. I put a second (smaller) pad under him rather than try to get the big one off first (so today, Wednesday, I'll have to wash both). Then later, when I was trying to get the lights out, he kept fidgeting. He said he was trying to tell what was wet .. finally sadi the sheet was wet! So I had to partially unmake the bed, put a clean sheet on, remake it for him to sleep.
People:
I never know when the nurse is coming. It turns out she's still sick and not allowed back to work this week. So a different substitute came, a nice (cute) young girl. The social worker also came; and later, the chaplain showed up as well. The nurse checked him (this was not long after he had laid down, but he was snoring - and went right back to sleep after she left the room!). His B/P wasn't quite as high; and again, she didn't think the high B/P was something to be concerned about. He also had a bit of temperature (99.?, and "normal" for him is on the low side). But since he said he didn't feel bad, she wasn't overly concerned. I'll have to watch closely to make sure he's not getting another infection.
I enjoyed visiting with them. They're the only ones who come in and ask how *I* am, what do *I* need. They comfort and reassure me, and at times I really do need that. The social worker is going to check into getting us a patient lift. We should be able to get one, plus if they send it they'll send someone to train me on using it properly. Usually (so far) any request like that has happened very quickly.
Their visit didn't last very long. The nurse had to get on to other patients (and it was getting pretty late in the afternoon); the social worker had to leave to show the nurse the way; and the chaplain had to leave because he had them both blocked in.
In the evening our grandson (14) called. The cordless phone died, as usual (I believe it's time to replace. No idea how old it is, it was my parent's phone) so I couldn't take the phone to DH to talk to him. There's an outlet in the bedroom that doesn't work, and I see no reason to have a working phone in there to disturb him!
Emotions:
What a roller coaster. I always get weepy talking to the chaplain; and after they left, I couldn't seem to stop. No particular reason I could name; but after they walked out the door, I just felt so very alone. I guess that's just something I need to learn to live with.
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