Guest guest Posted January 9, 2002 Report Share Posted January 9, 2002 In a message dated 1/9/02 6:15:55 PM Eastern Standard Time, sjones319@... writes: > They have cleared the artery and he > may come home tomorrow. > Hi , Will keep your dad and family in my thoughts and prayers. Eunice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 9, 2002 Report Share Posted January 9, 2002 > one artery 75% blocked My dad was taking my mothers inhalers till she told the doctor and they did a physical and discovered the blockages (3). I think it consticks the blood vessels and makes it hard to fill the lungs properly thus the added breathing problem Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2002 Report Share Posted January 10, 2002 ---Good they were able to clear the artery, . Hopefully he will be home tomorrow. Its a good thing they found the problem and it was able to be fixed promptly. Madge In diabetes@y..., " " <sjones319@n...> wrote: > My dad went to the dr. to check on his prostate cancer. While there, Mom > mentioned that he was short of breath. Now Dad also has Type 2 diabetes and > emphysema. They did and EKG and didn't like the way it looked, so they > admitted him right them. Turns out that he had one artery 75% blocked and > they said the diabetes was masking it. They have cleared the artery and he > may come home tomorrow. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2002 Report Share Posted January 10, 2002 Oh, , it must have really been a shock for your dad to find out he had another problem!! It's great that it was caught in time. My prayers are with him! --- wrote: > My dad went to the dr. to check on his prostate > cancer. While there, Mom > mentioned that he was short of breath. Now Dad also > has Type 2 diabetes and > emphysema. They did and EKG and didn't like the > way it looked, so they > admitted him right them. Turns out that he had one > artery 75% blocked and > they said the diabetes was masking it. They have > cleared the artery and he > may come home tomorrow. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2002 Report Share Posted January 10, 2002 Thanks Eunice. Re: My dad > In a message dated 1/9/02 6:15:55 PM Eastern Standard Time, > sjones319@... writes: > > > > They have cleared the artery and he > > may come home tomorrow. > > > > Hi , > Will keep your dad and family in my thoughts and prayers. > > Eunice > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2002 Report Share Posted January 10, 2002 Thanks Madge, they were really fast. Re: My dad > ---Good they were able to clear the artery, . Hopefully he > will be home tomorrow. Its a good thing they found the problem and > it was able to be fixed promptly. > Madge > > In diabetes@y..., " " <sjones319@n...> wrote: > > My dad went to the dr. to check on his prostate cancer. While > there, Mom > > mentioned that he was short of breath. Now Dad also has Type 2 > diabetes and > > emphysema. They did and EKG and didn't like the way it looked, > so they > > admitted him right them. Turns out that he had one artery 75% > blocked and > > they said the diabetes was masking it. They have cleared the > artery and he > > may come home tomorrow. > > > > > > To leave this list please go to diabetes-unsubscribe > Hope you come back soon! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2002 Report Share Posted January 10, 2002 Thanks , one thing right after another. Re: My dad > Oh, , it must have really been a shock for your > dad to find out he had another problem!! It's great > that it was caught in time. > My prayers are with him! > > --- wrote: > > My dad went to the dr. to check on his prostate > > cancer. While there, Mom > > mentioned that he was short of breath. Now Dad also > > has Type 2 diabetes and > > emphysema. They did and EKG and didn't like the > > way it looked, so they > > admitted him right them. Turns out that he had one > > artery 75% blocked and > > they said the diabetes was masking it. They have > > cleared the artery and he > > may come home tomorrow. > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2002 Report Share Posted January 21, 2002 In a message dated 1/21/02 5:38:44 PM Eastern Standard Time, bull3057@... writes: > I'm sad to say there's no hope > for my dad they are sending him to Duke tomorrow Hi Chuck, I am so sorry this is happening to your dad. If it is okay, I'll keep him in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted. Eunice Feeling your Pain makes my Less Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2002 Report Share Posted January 21, 2002 Chuck, I was watching the medical channel a few weeks ago late at night when my husband was on 12 hr. night shift. They now have something, just like a pacemaker they put in the head and it regulates Parkison's. They showed the man before and after. It was awesome!! Let's hope going to a hospital like Duke, maybe it would be better and not worse. --also praying for your dad > I posted about me & my parents last night. I'm sad > to say there's no hope > for my dad they are sending him to Duke tomorrow. > They should have done that > to start with. The parkison's has almost shut his > body down it is in all of > his organs. Here in NC when they send people to Duke > that usually means bad > news. > > Chuck Bullard > > Bull3057@... > > My heart belongs to Jesus he has never let me down. > > Home Page > > http://home.bellsouth.net/personalpages/PWP-chuck1963 > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2002 Report Share Posted January 21, 2002 Chuck I agree with you about Duke, but remember they (more God) also do work some miracles over there. I will pray for him and you. Phyllis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Dear , My heart goes out to you and both your parents. You are all going through so much and with your dad's LBD tossed into the mix, it must all seem a tremendous burden. We welcome you here because we understand. We don't all live exactly the same stories with our loved ones (LO), but we do have much in common - the LBD journey, the frequent fluctuations of this disease, and the havoc it can create in all our lives. Most of all, we share a commitment to being advocates for our LOs who cannot speak for themselves - exacly what you are doing for your beloved dad. Are you his Power of Attorney for health care, ? That person has the legal right to the list of meds and to tell the hospital what meds you do or don't approve for him. You also have the right to understand exactly what the diagnoses are and the plan for treatment. You are right about Ativan and Reglan, and there are options to help keep your dad comfortable. You've probably already done this, but you can tell hospice you want a consult with one of the docs who understands LBD: he or she can prescribe meds for his comfort that won't worsen the dementia behaviors or the experiences he's having. Once you see the list of meds the hospital or hospice is giving, you may get a clue to what's happening with your dad. It is odd that with good vitals and blood work, he is feverish and all the rest of it. With the best of intentions, someone unfamiliar with LBD may be prescribing meds that are causing problems. Seoquel is one of the two antipsychotics (the other is Clozaril, but Sero is preferred) LBD experts use to help our LOs with restlessness, emotional lability, hallucinations, even sleep issues. By all means insist on no benzodiazepines and avoid other antipsychotics. If your dad tolerated Seroquel before (even if the dose was too high), it would likely work in this case too. Morphine is known to cause problems for some with LBD. You and your folks are in my prayers. I know you are handling a lot, but if we can be of help or if you just need to vent, please keep us posted. We definitely do care! Lin Subject: My Dad To: LBDcaregivers Date: Sunday, July 5, 2009, 2:08 AM I am in a hospital room watching my Dad who was diagnosed with LBD on this very same day 3 years ago, his birthday is tommorow; he will be 73. I am also watching over my mom who is sleeping in a chair beside his bed, she won't leave his side. She is diabetic, has RA and has 3 stints in her heart and has had bypass surgery, but nothing has been able to stop her until this. He was in the hospital 15 days, back to the NH for 2 and now back in the hospital since Wednesday. I want to share his story and his battle - it's long and complicated, I hope that you don't mind. About 5 year ago we noticed some changes in my dad - his regular MD thought he may have had a small stroke and ordered some tests, but found nothing. He was a little confused, nothing major; he had trouble concentrating and he was extremely anxious and depressed. He was prescribed Ativan and an antidepressant. He was also told about this same time that he needed back surgery. He did not want to do it so he opted to have Epidural Steroid Injection in 3 places in his spine. Less than 24 hours after the ESIs he began having really bad neck and shoulder pain. Once at the hospital they focused first on a potential heart issue because he previously had bypass surgery. They found that he had a pulmonary embolism. The Drs. began treatment with heparin. My dad continued to complain of neck and shoulder pain which got so bad that he refused any other treatment until they addressed his complaint. At this point the Dr. had a conference with my mother and aunt and told them that he was " pitching a temper tantrum " and was more than likely just addicted to pain meds because of his back problems. The next morning he was paralyzed on his right side and required emergency surgery to evacuate blood from his spine at the sight of each of the ESIs- probably the original cause of his pain but it was ignored and then made worse by thinning his blood with heparin. He was hospitalized about 5 weeks following this surgery. During this time he became more confused, agitated and had times of hallucination. At first it was blamed on the anesthesia, then ICU psychosis, then just being in the hospital so long that he was confused, then they did another CT scan to see if he had a stroke, and so on and so on. During this time, he was given Haldol. He was finally transferred to a rehabilitation facility where he spent another 4 weeks. After he came home, he was still having all the difficulties that I wrote of above - and he still needed the original prescribed back surgery on the problem discs. So when he recuperated enough he had surgery once again and afterwards for the agitation and hallucinations, he was once again given Haldol. After this surgery things got much worse - he saw people outside their home, he thought flowers had faces, animals were running throught thehouse and he couldn't sleep. The strange thing is that he knew they were hallucination, but they frightened him nevertheless. We were told that the very strong pain meds that he took was the culprit. I accompanied him to an appointment with his Neurologist during this time for a follow up to the two back surgeries and was told that he had PD. Previously it was thought that his gait issues and cognitive problem was because of the bleeding into his spine. I began researching PD and it somehow just didn't add up. He was prescribed Sinement and his hallucinations became worse, but we didn't connect the two at the time. He was having many strange symptoms - the sensation of spiders crawling up his legs (not a hallucination of spiders), he couldn't stand clothing touching his legs or feet, extreme sensitivity to cold, and extreme shooting pains. While researching PD and his symptoms, I came across an article about a condition called Arachnoiditis - believed to be caused by failed back surgeries and ESIs. The symptoms mirrored his condition exactly. The only thing that didn't add up was the hallucinations. During his next appointment, we asked that he be referred to a pain specialist. He was diagnosed with Arachnoiditis during the first appointment. Still it didn't explain the dementia and his overall condition continued to deteriorate. Three years ago he began to forget how to do ordinary things like unlock a door and became incontinent. One Friday morning, he became much worse and the Neurologist refused to see him because it was close to end of the day - we were told to take him to the ER. He was admitted and diagnosed with LBD. He was put on huge doses of Sinemet and at least 3 dementia drugs - I used to know the names of them, but have forgotten. He became vilot and had to be restrained, he kicked nurses, threatened my mother, spit on people - all things that my dad would never have done just a few days earlier. His swallowing was evaluated during this time and we were told he would have to have a feeding tube or he could aspirate and die. He was in the hospital 8 weeks during which they were never able to balance his meds. My dad went into the hospital a sane but confused man that could still walk and function and after 8 weeks of their treatment seemed to have gone completely mad, could not walk at all and had a feeding tube. At this time, a geriatric psychiatrist was called in and she prescribed Seroquel and said he should be moved to a nursing home because nothing more could be done for him. They gave him enough seroquel to keep him totally sedated after that and kept saying " he tolerates it well " . Meanwhile I had been reading everything I could about LBD. I printed out the brochure online posted one on the wall in his room, and I printed out a few of the articles online that had the suggested medications and dosage and gave it to the neurologist ( which wasn't appreciated to say the least) which he ignored. My mom reluctantly agreed to move him to a NH because there was no way of taking care of him at home in his present state. But because of his behavior and the PEG tube, NHs kept turning him down. When one finally agreed to accept him, I went to talk to them. It was horrible - his room would have been with 3 other men in a space where the beds were arranged like 3 sides to a square actually touching each other they were so close. I left it in tears and called the lbda hotline and begged for help in finding a Dr. that knew something about the disease that would work to get him back to where he was before going to the ER. I called everyone on the list and Unfortunately the Dr. that was our best shot was going out of town and could not transfer him to the hospital where he practices unless he was there to receive him ( he is actually in another state and I'll call him Dr. K). He did agree to see him as a patient upon his return. So, we settled on a NH that was really substandard but better than the first one I looked at because our plan was to move him to one as close to this doctor as possible as soon as possible. My mom worked with the NH to reduce some of his meds and he improved a bit. My sister visited every NH in her town and finally found one that was acceptable that would accept him. She lives 2 1/2 hours from the LBD specialist that agreed to see him as a patient. Once she found an acceptable one, she and her husband picked my dad up in their van, making a bed in the back out of a twin mattress and transported him 5 hours to their home - where he stayed for a week while being cared for by my sister, mother and brother-in-law with visits from a home health care nurse before everything was approved at the new NH. Once again, I researched and read and my mom worked with the nursing home to try to balance his meds. Once he was off Sinement, his swallowing approved and the PEG tube was removed. Gradually he improved enough to take him on the 2 1/2 hour trip to see Dr. K. Once he saw Dr. K and he was in charge of his meds, he improved greatly - by Christmas, we had my dad back and he was able to join his whole family for Christmas dinner and spent the night with all of us at my sister's home. Since then he has had good days and bad days. But everyone at the NH has grown to love and adore him, he kids with everyone and has a better sense of humor than he did before LBD. Over the past year his physical condition has worsened, he had pneumonia 5 times last year ( not due to aspiration) but somehow managed to overcome it. At least two of those times he also had renal failure. A month ago, I visited (I live in Fl) and he was doing better than he had in nearly a year. He was watching TV with me, we had take out in his room a few times to give him a break from the NH cafeteria, he had returned to feeding himself and was determined to try to walk again although his back injuries continued to be the source of constant pain, he had hardly any pain meds the whole week. A week later he developed an intestinal blockage that caused him to vomit, he aspirated and developed pneumonia became sepsis( probably spelled wrong) and things have become unraveled since then. I arrived tonight because Hospice told my mother he cannot possible overcome everything that is wrong with him this time. His vital signs are good, blood work all normal, but he has a low grade fever, can't speak, can't focus his eyes,has edema in one leg, one arm and one hand, a low grade fever; still has some pneumonia, will not eat, and his stomach is very swollen, They say he has a lot of " gunk " in his intestines that just won't pass. He has had the hiccups for the past 12 hours and is just miserable. He is being given morphine for his back pain and he is also now on Reglan (which i just questioned since it's not supposed to be given to Parkinson's patients then it seems to me he should get it either) and also ativan because he is highly agitated. I've asked for a list of his medications to see what else they may have added. My mom has been at his side for the last 3 years nearly every day. When he has bad nights,she sleeps in the recliner in his room. She's falling apart and I don't know how to help her. We're all having such a hard time understanding how things could have gone downhill so fast. He has told us that he wants to live as long as possible and we are trying to honor his wishes without doing anything invasive. If you have made it to the end of this, I really thank you from the bottom of my heart. I guess I just needed to tell someone how horrible and helpless this is making me feel and I knew you would all understand. Thanks for reading, ------------------------------------ Welcome to LBDcaregivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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