Thursday, January 8, 2015

Update on my Mom

This is a post to primarily document my Mom's issues, so skip until next post if not interested.

She had a Heart Cath done on Monday, after a long weekend of tag teaming with my sister to stay w/her,  Had several family members sit with us during the procedure which went well. Had to put a couple of large stints in & then the long 6 - 8 hours of laying flat began. My sister, BIL & niece went to lunch & I stayed, just in case. Mama had been such a trooper up until then, but her back hurt from laying flat so long & she began to complain. Not much but enough for me to apologize to the nurses. They completely understood. She was able to move her left leg but that was it. I had to make her stop trying to lift her right leg & she didn't want to eat lying flat on her back. Can't blame her at all.

Sister came back from lunch & they told us she could go home on Tuesday. My sister asked if I could get her to her house the next day. We don't want her going back to her old home, it's just not safe enough. My sister went by the trailer place & picked out the colors for walls, carpeting, etc. It will be delivered in 4 - 6 weeks. She's going to stay at my sister's until then. If everyone gets too crowded, they will set up their camper, on their property, for her to stay in once she's stable.

For a 77 year old she hasn't had any real medical issues. She was diagnosed w/Type 2 diabetes about 4 years ago. She kept listening to too many others about their preventions & took matters into her own hands. She did take her insulin but changed her diet considerably. She lost about 30 lbs in 3 months & cut out ALL carbs & sugars for over a year. We think that may have contributed to her diabetes not getting under control. Maybe, maybe not. She didn't consult w/Dr. just made drastic changes.

Anyway, the final prognosis was Pulmonary Embolism & Coronary Artery Disease. She is currently on a boatload of medicine which we are going to verify all Meds in the next few weeks. She is getting used to a new routine & according to my sister tonight, getting the hang of it. Instead of just testing & injecting herself once a day (w/the long acting insulin) she now has to inject & test 4 times a day plus injecting herself with a fast acting insulin. She will do this until it's time to do an A1C test (or something like that) to see what her real blood sugar is.

We're following doctor(s) orders until we can research & ask questions about the amount of pills she is on. We think it's too much of certain things but it's just a hunch at this point until we know more. The hospital is definitely not the place to get specific info as they throw so much at you at check out time that it's very overwhelming. I can't imagine being an older person trying to understand it all on their own.

She never had to take any pills until now & they all look alike so we are worried that she will get them confused. So that's another educational item we are dealing with. So for now, sister will fill her AM & PM containers.

Dr. appts for the next 3 months & then we will hopefully be on an annual basis. The best news is that her strength is good (she could climb up in my SUV by herself when leaving the hospital) & she's testing herself & giving all the insulin shots herself. We just have to get the pills situated then we'll be good to go. I think my sister will give her, her car keys back on Sunday so she can go visiting & to her church by herself.

Thank you all for your prayers & well wishes.

12 comments:

PioneerPreppy said...

Hope she recovers fully. My Mother had stints in a few months back and is still pretty spry but tires easily. I think it get's em more on the stamina side as far as long term goes. I think caring for our elders is going to be a cross we are going to bear now that our parents and grand parents managed to escape from. Best of luck and well wishes.

DFW said...

Thank you PP. Heading to the country tomorrow & will stop by & check on her on Sunday on the way home.

1st Man said...

Stints are a good thing, I've know lots of people who've had them and they felt better very quickly. Hope the best for your Mom and sending good thoughts your direction.

Stay warm too, and be careful in this weather this weekend.

DFW said...

Thank you 1st. You guys stay warm as well.

Izzy said...

Hang in there! I know its a tough road ahead, and worrying about our loved ones can be totally consuming. Best wishes, and God's blessings for a speedy recovery for your Mom, and the energy and patience you'll need in the coming days.

Susan said...

I'm going through the parent thing too, it is such a worry. But it sounds as if you all have a good team going. I'm so glad your mom is on the mend. And also that she will be in better living quarters under your and your sister's watchful eyes.

Sandy Livesay said...

DFW,

My comment disappeared. If you get a partially completed comment please delete it.
Right now I think several of us are going through medical issues with our elderly parents. Having stints put in through a cath is much easier on the human body. Your Mom will recover much faster and feel so much better now that she has complete use of those veins that were clogged. Like your Mom, mine years back had 5 stints put in, she recovered very fast, and felt 100 times better.

One of the disadvantages of having to take all kinds of medications is making sure you don't mix up your meds especially when you have many that look the same in size, dimension, and color.
Give your Mom a big hug, sending prayers your way.
Sandy

DFW said...

Thank you Izzy.

DFW said...

Thanks Susan. I thought I was done with learning new stuff, ha.

DFW said...

Thank you Sandy. It sure is a lot to take in all at once!

Jacked Up Glock Mom said...

Prayers for your mom and for you guys-- like most everyone else has stated it is a rough road. But you have all the support in the world right here....

Debbie Burgess said...

Glad she came through the procedure with flying colors and it sounds like she's on top of things now.

When my FIL had his heart cath, boy did he ever complain about having to lie on his back for so long! I'm sure the nurses hear that complaint from everyone, don't you think?

You mentioned your sister picked out colors and carpet for a trailer...is your mom going to be moving unto a mobile home somewhere?

Anyway....scary times but sounds like everything is working out. I'll say a prayer for y'all.