Pins & Needles!

Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of days. Its been really rough here since dad got home. He is having a lot of pain and we are round the clock trying to keep him comfortable.

Condition: Very weak, and sleeping even more. He is having alot of pain urinating and having major cramping going on. He is now on 2 congestion patches, calming cream, xanax, and norco for pain, along with seizer meds and nebulizer and probably more, I just don't remember right now.

OK, my first advice to anyone who may go through this is to really hold on tight. The first days are really, really difficult. (Last night I didn't think I could do this! I had a breakdown! I am doing better now.)

Dad was really glad to get home and that first evening wasn't too bad. The next day, which was yesterday, I was alone with him. He felt he was going to have a bowel movement and he is bed ridden and cannont sit up, let alone stand to put him on the commode. So being by myself, and not knowing how to do anything yet was not good. The hospital basically wrapped him up in his bedding and brought him home and plopped him in the bed. The sheet that was under him was stretchy so I couldn't use it to help me roll him over along with the fact that I don't even know how to do that. I just watched them in the hospital. Anyway, I was really nervouse, so I did call Hospice immediatley. I tried to help him in mean time but instead my moving him hurt him so I stopped. By the time hospice got there he said he didn't have to go, which is not unusual in his condition.

Friday Oct. 5th.

We finally got Hospice to get him an antibiotic for his most likely UTI. He has blood in his urine and cries in pain everytime he goes. Its been very difficult here for dad and everyone else because of this pain. He also has constant urges to go and can't. The catheter has been changed to a foley and it really makes this situation much worse. We have to keep it in though and hopefully the anitbiotics and pain meds will work. If its not a UTI, most likely the pain is from his kidney stones, which then we will need a better pain med. THey also prescribed an anti spasm meditication for his bowel. THat could be source of his severe cramping. Right now he is sleeping because of the meds, but at least he is peaceful and hopefully not in pain. Its like he sleeps with his eyes open, (hallucinating?) though and still is pretty congested thoough. He takes big intervales like sleep apnea with his breathing.

The private nurse aid I hired - Kelly - has been wonderful. I would highly recommend that to anyone. There is so much to be done that you really need as many qualified people as possible. ALso my dad is not a small man. At 5 '11 and last weigh in of 171, its very difficult to maneuver him on your own.

Larry, my brother, is coming in tonight and staying to help me....THANK GOD!!!!! We really, really need him and my dad has been asking for him. Posting mey be sporatic now.