OK- if its ok to add to the levity for just a moment, when you typed
it reminded me of the old joke we said in grad school" “xrays of her skull showed nothing”. Old joke.
And yes, a bacterial or viral infection is possible, so a tap, to rule out meningitis or other, is appropriate, though it can be difficult on a confused patient who is frightened and may not be able to lay still without sedation.
I think we all need some levity in these situations. According to my b-i-l, after a very long day this past week, my m-i-l uttered a coherent sentence, “Let 's blow this pop stand!” - resulting in a good laugh from everyone in the room. She has no idea of where she is or why - but that sentence provided much needed comic relief.
I am so glad to hear that doing a spinal tap makes sense in her situation. That makes me feel better.
We closed on my mom’s yesterday! Hubby and I went on a business trip Sunday 7 hours in the opposite direction. As we’re driving he says, btw, the cat bit me and it’s starting to really hurt. By the time we got to our location I took him straight to the ER where he was admitted for iv antibiotics. He was released yesterday afternoon, we missed the meeting, and drove straight home. sigh
We’re leaving here in a few for the move. Today we’ll check out the unit. The bed I bought was delivered, the handyman fixed the closet hanging system, and her chair gets delivered today. We’re going to eyeball the place and figure out placement, pack up some special breakables, and Wednesday the movers come. My sis took some pictures, the place is lovely. Nicer than where she is now.
But, unfortunately she now has bronchitis. Wish me luck, I didn’t think this day would ever come.
Yea! You’re doing great! So glad you got your H to the ER for IV ABX. Glad they treated him aggressively, especially with pain. Sounds like you’re nearly there. Hang in there!
Ugh, bronchitis. eyemamom, it never ends, eh?
I just ran into snag #999 trying to register my dad’s car for my daughter to take back to college. He’s been gone for 9 months!
My m-i-l was finally moved today from the hospital to rehab. She had no idea where she is and says the craziest things. No filter. Given that we have had a rocky relationship over the years, I have no idea what to expect when we see her. And to top things off, I just called 911 to transport my father to the hospital - bad bronchitis verging on pneumonia. He was fighting all the way - forbid me to call - but I am glad I did. Exhausted.
Kudos for dealing with the two situations, rockvillemom.
This just goes from bad to worse. Our local hospital - that he always goes to was full - and they took him to a hospital that is much further away. My Mom does not drive. This is going to be a nightmare to manage.
Oh no, rockvillemom. Maybe soon he could be discharged to a skilled nursing facility closer to your mom?
The hospitals here are also completely booked. My daughter works in the ER and they have been swamped for a few days now.
Yea, our hospitals have been swamped too–lots of bad flu cases going around, as well as other stuff. Sorry, RV–hope thing improve for you soon!
Wow rockvillemom - Would you delay your trip to see your MIL to help with your parents? Since your mil does not know where she is or maybe who other’s are, perhaps you aren’t needed and DH can make the trip on his own?
I’m just getting over the flu. As sick as I have been, I am sure I would be in the hospital if I was elderly or another medical condition. I almost brought DD there as her asthma has flared terribly with the flu despite inhalers, antibiotics, steroids…10 days after the day I got sick, I am finally back to work but dead tired after a 10 hour day.
Congrats eymamom. You have gone far- Hopefully the bronchitis will not hurt the move. You have worked so hard but I’m sure you will be able to look back and know it was worth it. Hope your sister is better.
Hugs and chocolate to everyone who is dealing with elder care triage. Its hard to be supportive, practical, and empathetic, while still coming up with the perfect solution.
My mother is finally moved into her new independent living apartment at the continuing care community. I didn’t post here while we were in the throes of the move (which took place over 3 weekends) because the details were too overwhelming. Mom wanted to have final say in EVERY thing from her old place that was to be either trashed, stored, or moved. I did not need to hear the viability of each throw rug, salad bowl, or light bulb. It was also tough bumping into my dad’s memorabilia. My patience (and those of my siblings) was stretched to the max, but we survived. I figured I made 7 trips to her place over the past 5 weeks (each trip is a 4 hour round trip). Last Friday was a 15 hour day. I am very very tired.
The good news is the she seems very happy with her new place. She even ventured out to the cafe for lunch and sat down with complete strangers (not easy for a shy person). The welcoming committee is very…welcoming. We signed the papers to sell her old place (with the pushy realtor…whatever…). Although I’m grateful that the transition is going well, its a little sad to see my mother strike out on her own. She was with dad since she was 16.
Elder care triage - I love that phrase. Very fitting. Dad survived the ER - ridiculously crowded and did not appear to be very well run. The waiting room was packed to the rafters - yet in the treatment rooms - lots of empty cubes and very few personnel. Chest xray showed no pneumonia - just has bad bronchitis. Breathing treatments - and discharged at 2am. Now back to focusing on m-i-l.
Mansfield - boy does that description sound familiar! Exact same experience with m-i-l sorting through every single item in her condo when we relocated her to independent living back in September. She brought a ridiculous amount of stuff with her - and of course - now we have to pack and store it as we gave notice on the independent living and have to relocate her to memory care. At least she won’t be supervising round 2.
Rockville, GTalum, Mansfield, eyeamom,
Sorry this has been such a tough time. These are challenging times, for sure, and juggling family members over long distances, logistical challenges and one’s own illness all pile on. This has been a mean season for illness (cold, flu, sinus infections, bronchitis, etc) and its hard to take care of others and ourselves simultaneously. Hang in there.
When it rains, it pours, RVM. So sorry you’re dealing with this double whammy. Expect the unexpected when you see your MIL. She could be nicer to you than she usually is, worse, or have no idea who you are. Try to not take what she may say or do personally, which is easier said than done.
And everyone, please try to take moments for yourself, especially with flu so bad this year.
I may have mentioned that when D and friend cleaned my mother’s apt, each time she was distracted (eg, telephone call or bathroom run,) they scampered for the trash chute. By the end, I think they were tag teaming. One would engage her and the other would bag.
Congratulations Mansfield on the successful move, and on having a mom brave enough to relocate and make the best of it. If my mom had gotten to continuing care while she was still able to live independently she could have enjoyed her final “healthy” years so much more than she did.