Dad Update
Jan. 24th, 2006 09:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellyssianMore of the same, for the most part.
Last night, he stopped being able to open his mouth to swallow pills. Oxycodone stopped, morphine started. It's been a couple of days since he's actually had anything to eat, and since last night he hasn't had anything to drink except from a wet swab.
Around 11:00am, we cut short the wait until 12:30 for the next morphine shot, and shortly afterward we started him on a morphine drip of about 1mL/hour (although the actual rate seemed half of that); at 2:00pm we went to 2mL/hour. Prior to starting the drip and increasing it, he exhibited symptoms of pain, holding the swollen right side of his abdomen.
Dad said very few words, and a couple of times he could return a kiss to my mom. From about 3:00pm on he slept, stirring very little, sometimes opening his eyes for a second here or there, especially when the docs or nurses would say his name. Early in the morning, I noticed the deep yellow of jaundice returning, and there are more red blotches all over from hemorrhaging. He is off all antibiotics, blood thinners, blood pressure, and other meds - just the potassium infusion and the morphine drip.
I finally met Dr. Zhu - he always stopped by when I was home, at lunch, etc., although he's been in at least once every weekday. I talked with my dad's regular doctor, who has been down with the flu for the last week or so, and with my mom's regular doctor, who was the attending physician during my dad's stay at the MIT infirmary.
We talked with the floor social worker, she introduced herself, should we need her services, and answered some questions, which mainly had to do with what happens when dad passes. Advice: call the funeral home in advance to alert them; call them once he passes, and they take care of the rest. We'll be scheduling that tomorrow, and expect to be working with the home owned by a friend of the family (best friend of my brother, grade school era.) I will be posting details to here once all that gets into motion. It will be in Watertown, MA, even if we can't get the expected home.
I'll announce something more official, but, in lieu of flowers, we were discussing donations to the American Cancer Society, or the medical cause of your choice, or volunteering your time for the medical cause of your choice.
My dad's mom and brother arrived tonight - we'll be bringing them in with us in case of emergency, otherwise, we'll bring them in with us tomorrow morning. My mom is spending the night again tonight.
Had a nice visit today from my mom's sister, brother-in-law, and one of their sons and his wife. Tomorrow, her other sister, brother-in-law, and one of their sons and his wife will be stopping by, pending the situation.
Thanks again for all the support - I'll be answering comments after all this is done and settled down, but I do appreciate them. They help give me some extra energy and strength; replying now would take thought and energy, which I'm dedicating to my dad (and on somewhat short supply, because Brandon has decided the portacrib is an object of terror, and has either ousted us to the couch or wound up in the bed with me - waking up constantly.)
Last night, he stopped being able to open his mouth to swallow pills. Oxycodone stopped, morphine started. It's been a couple of days since he's actually had anything to eat, and since last night he hasn't had anything to drink except from a wet swab.
Around 11:00am, we cut short the wait until 12:30 for the next morphine shot, and shortly afterward we started him on a morphine drip of about 1mL/hour (although the actual rate seemed half of that); at 2:00pm we went to 2mL/hour. Prior to starting the drip and increasing it, he exhibited symptoms of pain, holding the swollen right side of his abdomen.
Dad said very few words, and a couple of times he could return a kiss to my mom. From about 3:00pm on he slept, stirring very little, sometimes opening his eyes for a second here or there, especially when the docs or nurses would say his name. Early in the morning, I noticed the deep yellow of jaundice returning, and there are more red blotches all over from hemorrhaging. He is off all antibiotics, blood thinners, blood pressure, and other meds - just the potassium infusion and the morphine drip.
I finally met Dr. Zhu - he always stopped by when I was home, at lunch, etc., although he's been in at least once every weekday. I talked with my dad's regular doctor, who has been down with the flu for the last week or so, and with my mom's regular doctor, who was the attending physician during my dad's stay at the MIT infirmary.
We talked with the floor social worker, she introduced herself, should we need her services, and answered some questions, which mainly had to do with what happens when dad passes. Advice: call the funeral home in advance to alert them; call them once he passes, and they take care of the rest. We'll be scheduling that tomorrow, and expect to be working with the home owned by a friend of the family (best friend of my brother, grade school era.) I will be posting details to here once all that gets into motion. It will be in Watertown, MA, even if we can't get the expected home.
I'll announce something more official, but, in lieu of flowers, we were discussing donations to the American Cancer Society, or the medical cause of your choice, or volunteering your time for the medical cause of your choice.
My dad's mom and brother arrived tonight - we'll be bringing them in with us in case of emergency, otherwise, we'll bring them in with us tomorrow morning. My mom is spending the night again tonight.
Had a nice visit today from my mom's sister, brother-in-law, and one of their sons and his wife. Tomorrow, her other sister, brother-in-law, and one of their sons and his wife will be stopping by, pending the situation.
Thanks again for all the support - I'll be answering comments after all this is done and settled down, but I do appreciate them. They help give me some extra energy and strength; replying now would take thought and energy, which I'm dedicating to my dad (and on somewhat short supply, because Brandon has decided the portacrib is an object of terror, and has either ousted us to the couch or wound up in the bed with me - waking up constantly.)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-24 07:44 pm (UTC)Don't worry about replying. I want you to focus on the present. I'm just trying to be supportive...but, I have no words.