Sleep is overrated anyway….


 Anyone who reads my blog posts, knows I try to find the positive in every situation. I still can, but some days are harder than others. When I look at all that is going on in the world, especially the California fires and all the other horrible things happening, it puts my problems into perspective. Today however, I am physically and mentally drained and struggling. I am typing this as I am sitting here in the Emergency room waiting room. Mike was discharged from the hospital 2 days ago after a week long stay. In my opinion, they should not have discharged him. It was too soon. When he was discharged, his Oxygen was at 90% but since he has been home, he has not been able to keep it there. For the most part, it has been going back and forth between 80-87 and when he is sleeping, it drops into the 70s. 

He feels defeated after already spending the week in the hospital and although he has been told and urged by his PCP, nurses and myself about the dangers of low oxygen, he has refused to go back to the ER. In the last 2 nights, I think I may have gotten about 4 hours sleep and certainly not consecutively. Last night I finally broke down from pure exhaustion and bawled my eyes out and then proceeded to be on “death watch”, checking his O2 every hour. It dipped to 74% at one point. A visiting nurse called this morning, planning to come see him today around noon, but she told him if his oxygen was under 90, she would be calling EMS. She asked him if he would let me drive him to the ER, he sighed and hesitated and I said “yes, he’s going”…. I do respect Mike’s feelings and choices, but I don’t know if it’s the lack of Oxygen to his brain or what, but clearly he is not making safe decisions. 

I said when he was in the hospital this past week that this time felt different. I have been worried about him dying before, like when he had emergency stents put into his heart after a stress test. His CKD (chronic kidney disease) is always concerning but this time, his numbers were worse than they’ve ever been. Thankfully after the week  hospital stay with IV hydration and prayer, his numbers improved. Our son Seth picked him up from the hospital the other day when he was discharged and said he had never seen him look so “rough”. He’s still not right. His color is off, he’s hacking up a lung, his ankles are retaining fluid. I feel like they are missing something. They just took a new chest X-ray, haven’t got results yet. They put an IV for labs and tried to put in a separate line for blood cultures, but were unsuccessful in getting it in. Now we continue to wait. I do feel for the ER staff, they are so busy. There are clearly some very sick people here and then there are ones that are here and acting like they are at a coffee shop shooting the shit. It’s too bad those who are not critical don’t go to urgent care facilities when the ER is so congested both literally and figuratively. 

Chest results are back as well as some of the blood work. His WBC are high (infection) and X-ray showed pneumonia in the right lung. The doctor is speaking with insurance and trying to get him set up at home with oxygen and an oral antibiotic. If not, he will have to be admitted again. His BP is still high and he has some edema but the good news is, his Creatinine (kidneys) are staying at his normal.

Update, just got a phone call from the guy who handles the oxygen, he said “you have connections”…I said “do I?” …well he is married to a friend/former coworker who has been reading my blogs, she said “Hey, that’s Sheila”….so see, a perfect example of when I’m feeling discouraged, God is still with us and helping us. I needed that reminder today.

After discussing with the doctor, he felt now that they are able to send Mike home on oxygen and oral antibiotics, there is nothing much more they will do for his care at the hospital, that I can’t do at home. He also agreed that Mike’s mental health and his own bed would probably help him rest better. His other concern is Mike’s compromised immune system, he feels he is safer at home than in the hospital, especially after catching C-diff there last week. 

I stopped at Hannaford to get a few things on the way home seeing they gave him a car adapter for the O2 and then picked up his prescriptions at RiteAid. We are finally home. He’s setting up his meds for the week. I made him a can of chicken noodle soup, will make a home made one tomorrow. I’m in my pj pants and hopefully in for the night. Hopefully a restful and uneventful night.

Please keep up the prayers for a full and speedy recovery for him, that he will follow doctor’s orders and pray for patience and sleep for me. 

  • Isaiah 41:10
    "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you". 
  • Psalm 61:2
    "From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I". 

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