Re: Re: Raquel/UTI and Jim

[Guest guest]

Jan, I was crying when I got on here just now, and asked myself where is

Jan? I need her, and there was your letter.

From a big man of two hundred pounds Don has dropped to 154. But, part of

the drop was when he was still at home. He got down to 185, where he had been

for years. 154 for a man his size is getting pretty thin. He still has had a

thirty pound drop since being in the NH. They are weighing him daily. He

didn't eat half his lunch.

I saw a band-aid on his arm and he said that is where they drew blood. He

didn't have a fever. The nurse checked when I was there.

I called in this morning early and asked that Don be given a bath, as I

didn't have running water to clean him up and my wiping could not have cleaned

him properly.

So, he was given a bath and a shave.

After his nap I am going back to him. I am very tired, but like you I am

still taking care of him. I too, wipe everything and make sure Don washes his

hands before eating. I tell him not to touch anything, chairs or table. The NH

is a walking cough machine. It seem most of the help has a cold, and they

told me to stay home if I got sick.

But, Jan, I was wondering how Jim was coping, and how you were taking care

of him, and bless your heart, you have told me, through Raquel and this great

List.

Don didn't want me to go home in the worst way. That Visitor bathroom was

occupied twice when I tried to go, and I told Don I had to go home now! He

felt so bad about it. I'm going back.

He said if he tries to talk everyone says yeah, uh huh, and they won't stay

and talk to him. I told him that they couldn't understand, but I know that he

knows what he is saying. He just can't get the correct words out. I told him

I was sorry. He said he was glad I understood. Once in a while he can get

out a complete sentence. But, not often.

His hemorrhoids are so bad that he can't sit comfortably. So, I had him lay

down after lunch, and I sat on his bed beside him. We had about twenty

minutes of uninterrupted visit. The rest of the time there is no privacy.

When I got there his roommate got out of bed naked as a jay bird, and walked

toward the door and the bath room, I quickly turned the other way, but the

other woman I was talking to popped her eyes wide open. Good grief, hadn't she

ever seen a naked man before? I always act discretely and look away, even

the time that I had to get him out of the hall, and back in his room.

Such as life in a busy nursing home with little help. Talking of nursing, I

cleaned Don up five times one day, and three the next. The third day, I

walked in and he had poop in his briefs (Pampers).

Jan, I guess I just wanted you to hold my hand a minute, and hearing from

you, did just that for me. Thank you dear. See? You never know when you are

helping someone.

I guess it hit me pretty hard today when I saw how bad he looked, and his

going downhill slapped me in the face pretty hard. I know that has never

happened to you, Nah--- wouldn't dare! Poor Jan, who holds your hand? I'll bet

a

hundred hands would go up to fill the roll.

Be true to your web footed friends, you never know when one will rescue you

from deep water.

Love all of you,

Imogene

In a message dated 1/11/2009 1:00:17 PM Central Standard Time,

janetcolello@... writes:

Thank you Raquel, the prayers are working. It is taking Jim longer to

recover from these blows that knock him down. He still continues to amaze me

that

he has the strength to pull through. He was looking better to me last night

and he does not have the extreme confusion that he had in the beginning of the

UTI and is starting to be himself and joke around alot. He has developed a

horrible cough that is going around the nh, so I go in armed to the teeth with

my remedies to kind of help him along. Raquel, I get a little obsessed with

the remedies, but when Jim gets back to his normal healthy state, he is very

happy and social and not combative and I want to help him feel better

quickly. I found that he likes to drink Smoothies that has probiotics added to

it,

so he has been drinking lots of those and eating Craisins. He hates cranberry

juice that the doctor says will help prevent UTIs, but I recently discovered

that he likes to eat Craisins (dried

cranberries) I am also bringing in water w/electrolytes in it, so he doesn't

get dehydrated. I actually think these things are giving him an extra boost

to get well from the UTI. Pseudomonas Aeroginosa bacteria, seemed like an

aggressive UTI. I Googled it and found that it can be found on Oxygen masks in

hospitals and NHs. Jim was put on oxygen at night after he was hospitalized in

Novemeber from internal bleeding from Coumadin. So, now I wipe the cannual

that he uses down with antibacteria soap everynight before bedtime. Sheeeeesh!

Just trying to keep Jim in balance. Since I can't keep him protected from

these things at home, I will do my best to protect him there, as I put him

there. I just can not do the 24/7 on my own at home anymore, especially when he

is combative. Oh yeah, I bring in the sanitary wipes too and wipe down the

rails of his bed and the handicap bar in the bathroom trying to keep the

diseases to a minimal. Jim touches these things

and then puts his hands in his mouth or on his food. I have the hand

sanitizer too. They keep the center clean and sanitized in the morning and they

are

always wiping and scrubbing everything, so I figure it's taken care of in the

day and at night I am there and wipe some more, since it has all been

touched throughtout the day. I think of the CNAs as little bees that pollinate

germs. They flit about from one patient to the next and although they wear

gloves, I think they carry the nasty little germs with them from one patient to

the

next and soon all the patients are in bloom with a nasty cough or whatever

is going around. Also, the CNAs pick up the cough themselves or whatever and

spread it around. Hahahahaha My mental image of how germs get passed around a

nh. For the cough, I have the Waterless Vicks Vaporizer going in the room,

the saline nasal spray and Guaifenesin Syrup are helping get rid of the mucus

Jim is coughing up. I think the Waterless

Vicks Vaporizer is helping the other two roommates too with their coughing

at night. They are all sleeping better and more soundly at night. My work has

never stopped with Jim, I am still his caregiver even though he is in a nh. I

am not one to just go visit and sit by his side, I am active in his care.

Hillary Clinton once said it takes " A Village " to raise a child and I say,

it takes " A Village " to care for Lewy.

**************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making

headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026)

[Guest guest]

Thank you precious Leah,

I feel better after having written that last letter. It was just a shock to

me to see Don down so fast. He was eating, but not today. He was very

depressed, and begged me not to go.

Don has had severe constipation. He was given a suppository, that only made

him run, and yet couldn't pass the mass. That night they gave him Milk of

Magnesia, and then finally had results the next day with three tries. He was

still having results on the third day. So that is why he was being cleaned up

so

much.

He has had a good bath, and his room has been cleaned from stem to stern.

(ship talk)

I need to go to him,

Love you dear,

Imogene

In a message dated 1/11/2009 2:48:45 PM Central Standard Time,

jonaslaj@... writes:

Dearest Imogene,

You seem to be having a very rough week. I am so sorry. I know that

doesn't really do anything to help but please know that I am thinking

of you and praying for you and Don.

I can't say that I understand the bowel movement problem as my Dad

didn't have that issue. It wasn't until shortly before he took to

his bed that he lost control of his bowels one day. Of course, after

he took to bed and they were not able to get him to respond he went

in the disposable briefs but that wasn't until just a few weeks

before he passed.

I wish I was there to give you a big hug and help you in some way.

Lots of love and prayers to you and your dear Don.

Leah

**************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making

headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026)

[Guest guest]

Thank you Raquel, the prayers are working. It is taking Jim longer to recover

from these blows that knock him down. He still continues to amaze me that he has

the strength to pull through. He was looking better to me last night and he does

not have the extreme confusion that he had in the beginning of the UTI and is

starting to be himself and joke around alot. He has developed a horrible cough

that is going around the nh, so I go in armed to the teeth with my remedies to

kind of help him along. Raquel, I get a little obsessed with the remedies, but

when Jim gets back to his normal healthy state, he is very happy and social

and not combative and I want to help him feel better quickly. I found that he

likes to drink Smoothies that has probiotics added to it, so he has been

drinking lots of those and eating Craisins. He hates cranberry juice that the

doctor says will help prevent UTIs, but I recently discovered that he likes to

eat Craisins (dried

cranberries) I am also bringing in water w/electrolytes in it, so he doesn't

get dehydrated. I actually think these things are giving him an extra boost to

get well from the UTI. Pseudomonas Aeroginosa bacteria, seemed like an

aggressive UTI. I Googled it and found that it can be found on Oxygen masks in

hospitals and NHs. Jim was put on oxygen at night after he was hospitalized in

Novemeber from internal bleeding from Coumadin. So, now I wipe the cannual that

he uses down with antibacteria soap everynight before bedtime. Sheeeeesh! Just

trying to keep Jim in balance. Since I can't keep him protected from these

things at home, I will do my best to protect him there, as I put him there. I

just can not do the 24/7 on my own at home anymore, especially when he is

combative. Oh yeah, I bring in the sanitary wipes too and wipe down the rails of

his bed and the handicap bar in the bathroom trying to keep the diseases to a

minimal. Jim touches these things

and then puts his hands in his mouth or on his food. I have the hand sanitizer

too. They keep the center clean and sanitized in the morning and they are

always wiping and scrubbing everything, so I figure it's taken care of in the

day and at night I am there and wipe some more, since it has all been touched

throughtout the day. I think of the CNAs as little bees that pollinate germs.

They flit about from one patient to the next and although they wear gloves, I

think they carry the nasty little germs with them from one patient to the next

and soon all the patients are in bloom with a nasty cough or whatever is going

around. Also, the CNAs pick up the cough themselves or whatever and spread it

around. Hahahahaha My mental image of how germs get passed around a nh. For the

cough, I have the Waterless Vicks Vaporizer going in the room, the saline nasal

spray and Guaifenesin Syrup are helping get rid of the mucus Jim is coughing up.

I think the Waterless

Vicks Vaporizer is helping the other two roommates too with their coughing at

night. They are all sleeping better and more soundly at night. My work has never

stopped with Jim, I am still his caregiver even though he is in a nh. I am not

one to just go visit and sit by his side, I am active in his care.

Hillary Clinton once said it takes " A Village " to raise a child and I say, it

takes " A Village " to care for Lewy.

________________________________

To: LBDcaregivers

Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 3:05:08 PM

Subject: Re: UTI and Jim

Same here, Janet! I'm thinking of you and praying for both of you.

Hugs,

Raquel