12/3/2014 - Hard to believe it is the 12th of March already. Has been a busy few days for me. I spent the 10th of March pitching a royal bitch as I had been receiving information (the nurses cannot tell you anything and it has to come from the doctors) that didn't make any sense. Suddenly, yesterday I started hearing from the diabetic people, the dieticians, the catering manager, one of Steve's main doctors, a doctor that I had only seen when he first came on the ward and two Sisters from Ward J20 and the diabetic Ward J21 (across the hall). Got more information that pulled things together in 3 hours than I have gotten in a whole week and a half before when I was getting bits and pieces. I was trying to bring him in food that, as diabetics, we had eaten at home and they told me it was responsible for his raised blood sugar. Then they hand me this booklet which has EXACTLY the types of foods I was bringing to him and it said that it was what he should be eating. Then while I am talking to his main doctor. some nurse is feeding him a lemon sponge pudding (full of sugar as Steve refused to eat any of the main course food) ) as the dietician told him to feed him whatever he wanted as long as he ate something. I went ballistic! That is when people came left, right and centre to tell me what was going on, that perhaps they had been mistaken about the fruit and are happy for me to bring the food we ate at home, as diabetics, to encourage him to eat. They have taken him off the day liquid feed (keeping the night feed to sustain him until he eats normally), but he takes two nutritional supplement drinks during the day plus whatever I can get down him. They have finished with his antibiotics and his fever only went up twice today and not by much at all. He is still on oxygen and still has the IV setup in his wrist in case something needs to be given in a hurry, still has the urine setup (although they had to change it when he got a urine infection). He is just come off the glucose drip, for now. They are trying it out to see if he can drink enough not to need it. His kidneys are still peeing for Britain but they say it looks like they may be starting to slow up. His blood showed to be on the "high" normal for sodium (which explains why his forgetfulness and confusion is still hanging around but he is showing signs being more with it than not being with it). I still have to feed him and make sure he drinks plenty. He isn't taken with the nutritional drinks and the nurses can't make him drink them if he refuses, but I can insist he does and he doesn't go against what I tell him to do. He keeps saying "I do what I am told" but that only seems to pertain to me. He got put through his paces by the physio today. It took three strapping people but they got him to "stand" up four times. It took everything out of him and they will be back everyday (except weekends) and doing it again. He also had to go for a liver ultrasound that I hope to find out the results tomorrow. Some blood test was a bit off and they wanted to check everything was okay. He eyes weren't yellow so it hopefully is only a minor thing. His skin is still peeling on his legs and the left one still has open "sores" so it is still wrapped like a mummy. Will probably be spending a night on the hospital sofa by weekend. The batteries on the scooter need charging and I can't get them off the scooter, into the house to recharge overnight and then get them back on the scooter in the early AM to leave for the hospital. Will probably do this on Saturday night, run home to see to the cat and get back to the hospital to get a parking spot. Sundays are not as hectic as the other days. Needs must! That is all there is for the moment. Heading for been, its been a really long day. Thanks, Paula
_______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] John 'Grampa' Sykes Rest In Peace old lad 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 MARCHING ON TOGETHER
