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20 years ago

The hospital sent Dad back to rehab last night.I feel as though we are all on a roller coaster.Dad was very happy at the hospital,but we had an awful afternoon when he learned he was going back to rehab.I had to call his sister and she called his brother.I needed backup and support.I am not sure what my uncle said,but Dad actually apologized to us,and that has never happened.Of course,this afternoon,it is still the same old thing.I just cannot convince him that he still needs 24/7 nursing care and he hasn't even attempted to help with his PT. Not to mention that his stump is badly infected and his blood sugar is out of control.Please keep all of us in your prayers.

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Comments (3)

Ina Plassa_travis
20 years ago
I'm sorry, lass- and pray for you I will.

and a roller coaster it is, and it's a tossup whether the ride, or the ending is more to be dreaded.

by the time all was said and done with my father, we were all exhausted, utterly wore out, couldn't take another day of one step forward, two steps back...

all the advice I can offer is to make it a point to balance out every hour you spend fighting with the staff (and you will - they let your father out with an active infection in his stump? why?) or visiting your father by doing something that soothes you.

I did an awful lot of biking last summer. in fact, the last day, the only way I found the strength to see things through was to make the 18-mile run from my office to the hospital on two wheels, which kind of forced me to think about what I was doing, instead of what was facing me at my arrrival.

seek peace for yourself at every chance. it's the only thing that will help.
LFPB4
20 years ago
Oh, dear!! It sounds as if he's got a tough way to travel. Those nasty infections on stumps never seem to want to clear up. I think the idea is to just keep them as neat and clean as possible and hope for the best. The Rehab will probably be able to get him more active than the hospital could. He needs to move around as much as possible to help his circulation. Let's hope he soon settles in better. Take care of yourself.
PB
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heydeborah
20 years ago
Dear Sandie, i wrote you one of my loooong answers as usual. but having been there with Al (having his toes amputated and his legs 4 times), the surgeon said that since there is alot of stress going on and the infection, the blood sugars will be outof wack, i think i remember once it was 33! The antibotics they have now are just wonderful and i also remember this stuff called colligenace(sp) that ate the dead skin and infection, i remember also that the surgeon wanted to use leeches. if your dad has a below the knee amputation (as Al started with), most of the time they start there and hope that the infection will not spread, and because everyone is different, it did spread and then it was above the knee, the one leg was about 3 months later, the other leg was fine for the longest time then it was below and only 5 days later he was in the hospital. He did go to rehab, but has alot of other things "wrong" with him so when he was at home he did alot of exercises in bed. Clean dressing are a must and i think they changed them 4 times a day, and changed the packing too, i refused to do the dressing changes, and nurses came into the house. Also wrapping the tensor bandage is very important. then i also recall that there was day surgery where they call it "redefining" where they "nip and tuck" here and there - yuck-lol!!!! to this day and infact right now, Al has phantom pains and electrical shocks going through his leg. I am the caregiver 24/7 and me being almost 50 (in 3 weeks) and Al 51, i don't like to leave him more than 30 minutes at a time, Al fell out of his wheelchair in the kitchen and we were within 6 feet of him, and he broke his stump and ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks!, so you just never know i wouldn't let my dad or Al stay by themselves, also i don't know if you give your dad his insulin but I am the one who has to give it 4 times a day, how wouold your dad manage? Also Al has to use a urinal and i'm forever cleaning and bleaching them out, there is a ton of things to think about. Al was supposed to go to a LTC hospital at the end of our block - so about 1/4 mile away, we decided it was better for him to be at home, since he hated the hospital food and i was always bringing him his meals, but then again everyone is different. i will admit that somedays i wish he wasn't at home, and that i could just go out for the day and no worry about anything or anybody, and then sometimes i feel like a single parent with not 2 but 3 children. also as i have said before the relatives will be there offering to help but when the first few days of the novelty wears off they will be nowhere in site and will come up with excuses while they have to bale. there is so much to consider as each family is different but the one thing i can do for you is day a prayer for you and your family! i think i llive in Florida right now -- its 34 out!!!! debbie

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Ina Plassa_travis

LFPB4

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heydeborah

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