Weird Day

[jarandhel]

Yeah, so.... this morning we got a call from my grandmother's doctor. She was lethargic, and he supposedly wanted to talk with us this afternoon about the situation.

So, then we go to the hospital... and about five minutes after we get there, an orderly comes to take my grandmother out for another CAT scan. The doctor had previously told us there was no point to another one if she's not going to have sugery.

Then we come to the high point of the day... given the way things seem right now, my father has relented from his previous position, and when the social worker came in to talk to us we started the ball rolling to get her placed in a nursing home. A different one than the one she was in before. It may only be a temporary measure, and we may end up bringing her home or transfering her if we're not satisfied with the one she goes to this time, but at least it means that for right now we're not stuck caring for her when she's got to be monitored so closely and even spoonfed very soft or liquid foods because she's either still too out of it from the anesthesia to eat on her own like she did at home before or no longer capable of that due to the head trauma. It will give us at least some respite, which I think we very much need.

Later, after she was back in the room, we talked with one of her nurses about her condition, since her doctor was not showing up... she thinks the doctor probably ordered the second CAT scan to make sure the bleeding wasn't growing worse or turning into an "advancing stroke". Then she hit us with the real shocker... apparently the bleeder is an "old bleed", it wasn't caused by this fall, though we're going to have to talk to the neurologist directly to get more info like how old we're talking about. It seemed like today was bringing us a lot of questions and very few answers.

The doctor never did show up, and obviously my grandmother is still at the hospital. Current timetable is supposedly that she will be moved to a nursing home tomorrow if one of the ones we approved can be found with an open bed, but I think they're being a bit premature with that assessment... last time she went into a nursing home we had to meet with the nursing home director and make arrangements with them ourselves before she could be transferred. I would imagine that the same will hold true this time, so as of right now we're pretty much playing things by ear and trying to get as much information as we can about what is going on.

Comments

[arcaneblades.livejournal.com]

If you should want someone completely outside the situation to talk to, I'm willing to listen. Dealing with that kind of a situation is difficult at best, as I know from experience. Here's hoping that things go well, and that the medical people suddenly devolp the desire to be *helpful*.

[arhuaine.livejournal.com]

Hope everything goes well. Glad your father is finally seeing sense (at least in this regard).

[dhermit.livejournal.com]

I ran a neurology lab for almost 5 years, and this situation is more common that people would like to admit. Some small bleeders will show up in elderly patients sometimes without any know cause. It may be some of the smaller vessels in the head wearing out and spinging leaks. As long as the leak is small, there isn't any long term damage. The person's blood pressure should be checked often, drink plenty of fluids, avoid blood thinners like asprin, and things that can change the diameter of the vessels (stimulants contract, depressants expand). I know the doctor probably told you some of that, but hopefully I put it in a way you could understand. Hope that helps.

[jarandhel.livejournal.com]

Yes, it does... thank you. And the doctor only told us about checking the blood pressure regularly, he didn't mention any of the rest of it. Frankly it's seemed like the doctors at that hospital are keeping their cards rather close to their chests this whole time, and we've had to make a lot of decisions with less info than we really should have had. I'm going to write another update on the situation tomorrow, I'm too tired tonight... long day.

[dogemperor.livejournal.com]

*hugs tight, doesn't let go* Some doctors...I've found are rather less than forthcoming. Hence why I've tended to try to educate myself as much as possible (sometimes using the same resources as the doctors, heh). I'll also admit to have gone doc-shopping in some cases BECAUSE I felt the doctor wasn't willing to "work with me".

Also...don't wear yourself out too bad on this (as hard as it is to do, I know). *hugs*