Update on my MIL

Hi Connie,

Really I dont expect her to, I just hoped for it more than anything. I know it is taking a toll on her body, and it still amazes me how much the human body can withstand. She is a fighter for sure. I just hate it for her. When she was in the hospital the last time, her hepatologist did say that this all started from Nash, Mark doesnt remember her ever being told she had it, and neither does she. They didnt know there was anything wrong with it, until it got bad. I hate it for her. It makes me stop and think about how I eat, which I very rarely fry foods, but also about how I drink. I am not a drinker by any means, only one here and there. However, I dont need it, so I dont plan on having a drink again period. I have seen too much of what she has went through and read on here about people experiences with it from drinking. Most definately makes one look at how they live their lives.
Sorry for rambling on, but I know if anyone knows how I feel, they are on here.

Thanks
Natalie

Connie,

I hope you are doing well today. I have been thinking about you.

I have never been a big drinker, I got completely drunk about 3 or 4 times period. My grandfather was an alcoholic, He died when I was a baby, but I heard all the stories from my mom and sister. My sister drinks like a fish and is well on her way to becoming an alcoholic, I really think if not for her being active in the Army, she would be. I am afraid when she gets out she will start a downhill spiral. So seeing her and hearing about my grandpa was enough to stop me from even going there.
I am glad you did stop in time, if not, the alcohol along with the Hep C would have gotten you the first time, I am sure. I really hope and believe you are going to win this battle too!

My mother in law finally came to this morning. She was in the spell about 24 hours this time. I can tell each one is taking a bigger toll on her and her body. She did really well this morning. Asked me to help give her a bath. Ate everything that wasnt nailed down. However a couple of hours ago, she started complaining of her stomach hurting again and is sleeping a lot. Makes me wonder if she isnt trying to go back in. She doesnt look too good right now. I worry about her all the time, as you can tell. I just know the last several times she has gotten sick and had a spell of HE, she has complained of her stomach and thought she was going to vomit. I really hate it for her.

I will update as stuff happens and will be lurking. lol

Have a good night

Natalie

Oh yes, definitely shorter, shes back in, or at least going back into it. Started complaining of her stomach, vomited, and now is going back in. Bless her heart, not sure how much more she can take. Or us either. Just day to day, or more or less, hour by hour right now.

Update as I can, have a feeling it will be another long night

Well, there was no walk, unless you count pacing the floors at the hospital. She is back in another H.E. coma. I went to sleep about 1 am and Mark woke me up somewhere around 5, asked me what I thought. I told him to get an ambulance here. She was admitted in ICU less than 3 hours later.

She started having trouble breathing again, very labored and it sounded as if she was rattling really loudly. Thankfully there was an awesome lung doc there, who not only got her on a respirator, but ran a lot of tests also. There is no fluid floating around in her abdomen anywhere, but there is fluid in the tissues of her stomach and lungs. As of right now that is all we know. At one point her b/p got to 189/31! She was very unstable, but now with the help breathing she is better. Her heart rate was crazy also. It would go from the 80's to 120 and at one point said it was in the 170's. I am just hoping she stays stable through the night.

I do have a question for you. We know no beef in her diet, but her doctor was saying basically no meat protein at all. SHe wont stand for no meat at dinner, so what do you suggest? What kind of diet should she be on and how much protein should she have in a day. She has to have some amount as we all do. It is just very confusing on what to do.

I will update more as I know more. Thanks for all your help Connie, you are great!

Much love
Natalie

Natty, I agree with Sandi.  She may not come home this time.  If she IS discharged from the hospital, I think she should be transferred to a NH, as this is getting to be too much on you and your fiance.

Re: Protein, remember that beans and peanut butter are good sources of protein.  So are fish and shell fish.  Also soy products and protein shakes.  At this point, I don't think it would make a big difference for her to have red meat once a week, although she may feel worse if she does eat it.

Hugs,

Connie

Thanks for the update, Natty. Pneumonia is never good...just complicates things.

Hospice in the home would be even better. They can also be called in to the hospital if things look dire.

Hugs,
Connie

Natty, is she alert or still in the coma?

Hugs,

Connie

Connie,

She is no longer in the coma, but she is not right in her mind at all! I wouldn't even call her alert 75% of the time. She will ask you a question and not even a minute goes by until she asks you the same question with no recollection of already asking. The nurse came in tonight and told her who she was, and a few minutes later she asked who was her nurse and didnt remember meeting her. When she does remember something and tell you a few minutes later she repeats it like a broken record player. SHe goes in and out of sleep at a drop of a dime. SHe will be talking to you and get quiet and you look at her and shes out cold. Doctors said she may never come out of this yesterday, but then the doctor today said the ammonia wouldnt affect her brain once the levels are down. I find it hard to believe though, because she is so out of it.

Her breathing is somewhat labored at times, when on O2 she is at 100% but when you take it off it goes to 92. Which she does have pneumonia, but it still isnt right. When they had her in ICU on a heart monitor it showed her having a lot of PVCs and skipped heartbeats also. She is also bleeding out of her kidneys. She has a cath and her urine is so bloody it is a reddish/brown/black color. They tried to say it was the trauma from the cath, but it disdt start doing it until at least 18-24 hours after she had it inserted in the E.R. It is so very confusing because no one will really give us a straight answer. To us, she is still pretty critical, but as soon as the DNR/DNI was signed, they moved her out of ICU. It's like they know they dont have to save her, so it didnt matter anymore. It just makes me so mad.

It is really getting to me. I have been having bouts of vertigo. I get really dizzy and feel like the room is spinning in circles. We havent had sleep in about 48 hours unless you count catnapping. We ended up staying at the hospital last night because they moved her up to a room in the middle of a tornado warning and she was very shaken up. She is so scared. She doesnt want to be alone and has been hollering out to see if we are still there. She wants us to hold her hand or be right where she can see us. It is so exhausting. I just hate seeing her suffer like this.


Goddess, thanks for your thoughts and prayers we can use them.

Thanks so much
Natalie

Mer,

We are going to talk to her doctor in the morning about it. We have a list of questions wrote out for him. We want straight forward answers. I looked it up and it says that H.E. can cause permanent brain damage and we are afraid that is what has happened. Thanks for your prayers, we can use them.

Now it is bed time for me, I am about to drop!

Natalie

Hi Connie,

I believe you are right, they aren't telling us everything. Although the doctor this morning said if the blood in her urine continues they will start doing tests. He wants to take out the cath and see if that helps, but I am not sure it is from that, it wasn't bloody for 24 hours after they put it in. As to the ammonia level, it is around 70 again. Yesterday it was low, in the 30's I think. SO, the nurse decides since it is low and her bms are so watery she shouldn't have her lactulose! I got very upset! I told her that she HAS to have it because if not the ammonia will build back up. SHe only had 2 bms all day yesterday because of it and they were way too thick. I have noticed with her, any time her bm has consistency to it, she goes into a spell, so for her, it needs to be runny. She finally brought her in a dose late last night. They were going to try and do the same today, so Mark told them to call the doctor, since her ammonia is going back up. We did ask about hospice and he is going to send a consult for them and homecare also, to see which works better for us at this point. Mark has missed so much work that he only has 8 days left of FMLA and he is the only one working right now. My job is taking care of her and the kids. Hopefully it will be in place before she leaves the hospital, if she does.

We already know that the next bad spell will probably be the last, since her airway always tends to close up with them. They have no idea why it happens, but it does. I finally got it through to him that she does not want the vent at all. She told me so many times. He asked her while she was somewhat awake and she said no, so thats why the DNR/DNI was put in place. It is hard on us both, him more so, but we know that she is really suffering. Like I told him, with or without it, if it is her time, she will go, if not she will still be here. I think she knows it will be soon, because she is scared and always wants us there.

As far as shifts go, right now it is all on Mark. My kids are sick, one on the verge of pneumonia herself due to bad asthma, so I cant be there. My kids need me. I will have my mom come sit with them about an hour a day to go sit with her a while, unless she gets bad again, then I will stay longer. Its hard having her so ill and my kids, but I cant be in two places.

Thanks so much for all your support.....
Natalie