Re: Is Home From The Hospital

[Guest guest]

lori, god bless you and george. keep your messages coming as we look forward to

hearing from you. karen from canada

Is Home From The Hospital

came home from the hospital about 6PM August 10 by ambulance. He has a

feeding tube and catheter. He is also still having breathing treatments to clear

his lungs.

He is restricted to no liquids by mouth because of the lung infection and they

are afraid he will aspirate, which is getting water or other liquids into the

lungs.

He has several kinds of medication for pain, for nutritonal supplements, for

breathing and other things.

They now have to be crushed and inserted into the feeding tube by a syringe.

So I am getting sighted help to do this part. Our son and I have devised a

schedule four times a day, mostly at the 6 and 12 o'clock hours of the day. He

gets pills and blood sugar testing. He also is repositioned in bed and cleaned

up if necessary. I give him a few small ice chips and sometimes mouth wash on a

little sponge or swab for the mouth. i dip the little sponge into cinnamon mouth

wash.

The food for the feeding tube is a liquid that comes in 8 ounce cans. His

machine is set at 70 CC's (cubic centimeters) and each can has 230 of them. So

one little can goes slightly more than three hours. We brought ten of them home

with him and the company shipped 216 more that arrived from South Bend, Indiana

on Thursday.

We were not able to get the same home health care agency as before because

they said they had too large a case load. We were very disappointed because we

really like and more importantly respect Melody Ford and she looked forward to

coming back.

Well, we were assigned another agency and after only two days we have decided

we do not want to continue with them. We are on a waiting list for when our

other agency has an opening and besides we will do just fine and really we do

have the right to refuse the home health care. It is hard to explain but the

three ladies we met were very nice people. But they did not seem like they would

be that much help and they had difficulty understanding us, our disabilities,

and our abilities for that matter.

Even in his state of ill health said " That's all. Wrap it up. " I think

it is best because we are under enough stress as things are.

My brother Dan is coming today to help with some of 's care because my

son already had special plans for much of this day. There is an engagement party

for one of his friends.

I know it is a lot of work but it is wonderful to have home again. He

will probably be on this feeding for a few weeks and then the doctors will

decide what treatment options there are for the pancreas.

Dr. is coming on the 18th to see us.

I am still taking three prescriptions for diabetes, antibiotic and pain. I do

not think my foot has made as much progress as it should. I will ask the doctor

next Thursday.

It is good to be home and and I wish to thank everyone for their

thoughts and prayers.

Lora