Hospital update

As it turned out, I did not go to my brother's house in Smith Falls today. I stayed home this morning to do up some things around the house that needed doing, and I was on the phone half the time. My Sweetie was not feeling well today. He is hardly eating or drinking anything. He was so dehydrated that his blood pressure was only 99 over 63. He still is not voiding, and his bladder is empty. His IV stopped working and they were having trouble finding a vein to insert a new IV catheter. His nurse requested that Nephrology send someone to see him because of all the problems.  By the time I arrived, the nurse  had started the IV for a new course of antibiotics, but she had missed the vein, and the fluid was going in under the skin. His arm was blowing up like a balloon. He had called for assistance, but no one had come yet. So I ran down to the end of the hall to inquire about his nurse and was told she had gone to lunch. They had to find someone to remove the IV catheter and then try to find a vein again. We had to wait for his nurse to come back to start the IV all over again.

In the meantime, a nephrologist finally came to see my husband, and I am afraid I was none too kind. In fact I was stinking mad. The Transplant Team is supposed to be his primary care doctors. And I realize that he was admitted under Internal Medicine, but they knew he was in the hospital Emergency since Thursday morning. You think they might have dropped in to reassure him? His regular appointment is on October 17th, and my husband and I had already decided that we were going to ask them to transfer his file to Ottawa. We have been so disillusioned with the amount of care he has received here in Kingston. They were going to set up the colonoscopy, but didn't. Our family doctor arranged that. They were going to set up a referral for the dermatologist, but didn't. Because of the anti rejection drugs, he is prone to cancers, and he had four skin cancers removed a year ago. They were going to give him iron injections, but didn't. He has reported not being well for a year now, but they have done little in investigating any causes. Well, I warned this doctor I was too upset to ask any questions or voice any concerns, but she wanted to know.  And I proceeded to tell her. Poor woman. I will still bring this up on the 17th of the month, but for a while I was livid. And I am bone tired and just very emotional.

My Sweetie was able to give a tablespoon of urine to be analyzed, by the time I left tonight. We won't have results until tomorrow. But it sounds like the infection is only in the urinary tract...which is great news. He is very weak and did not get out of bed at all. He sleeps a lot, which is a good thing. I am hoping tomorrow brings better news.