stress test report and other stuff

[susanep]

irish bless your heart, and your husband's heart. You are both doing all you can, and it is romantic setting side by side in your recliners.

Not many people do that anymore so you are both blessed.

I do know that God is watching over both of you. I can tell just reading between the lines that the two of you cherish each moment, as in the little things being wonderful big things.

Hope you are both doing some better, because you both deserve it.

susanep

[irish]

Had an intersting visit with family practice doc yesterday and he was not in a good mood and was not much help. He did order the pain med and did a culture on the sputum that we brought in. I was disappointed in the visit.

I am sick now with a cold and sinus infection that has been picking on me for 2 weeks. Called and got an antibiotic to keep me from going down the tube.

I also called the pulmonary on call in the cities and he was very nice. I did acknowledge that we were having a rough time with this whole thing but he discouraged us from coming up to the ER. He said all the hospitals in the cities are full to capacity and even some ICU are full because of the flu and another virus that is going around that is worse than the flu.

The doc said to stay home unless there is something that goes wrong. So, we are warm, have food to eat, son lives next door and have pain meds for about 6 days. Hubby is still having a lot of pain, but has times when it is less and he can rest. We are to call back on MOnday to pulmonary to see how the situation is up there. It would not be good to put hubby or me in those circumstances. I will also call the oncologists if I have to. I have some mixed feelings about this whole situation and would not be surprised if hospice may end up being needed. Life is interesting and we must not weaken. There are many seasons in the life of man. TAke care all. Irish

P.S. Today was to be our family Christmas. We were not able to be around the rest of them so I sent the presents and all the pizzas that I had bought for tonight. A grandson just called and thanked us for the Legos that we gave him and his sister also thanked us. We are glad that they were able to get together. So often we parents are there with the kids and familys and there are times the kids and their families need to be alone with each other to rebond. After all, they need to get along when we are gone!!!!

PS. I JUST CHECKED THIS POST AND IT SOUNDS LIKE I AM TALKING ABOUT ME. i AM TALKING ABOUT MY HUSBANDS VISIT WITH PRIMARY.

[Katybarstool]

Irish, I'm glad you don't have to endure a trip to the cities for your husband. The viruses around now are awful. In the UK there have been over million cases of the Norovirus, and some hospitals are closed here too. You are well advised to stay at home, if you possibly can.

I think of you and your beloved often. You are so philosophical about your situation, and I admire you greatly.

Sneding healing hugs your way

God bless
Kathyx

[eyeamdry]

Irish, stay in and stay warm if you can.  I'm still in my pj's at 6 pm.  No sense in putting on clothes now.   I am chilly and we now have winter weather in Mich.  Finally.  Some snow, but not a lot for us.  The temp is going down tonight too.  Brrr.

I looked on Facebook a little bit ago and found that my BFF fell when out walking her dog and broke her shoulder in 2 or 3 places.  She walked the rest of the way home (by herself) and said she kept having to rest it hurt so bad.  She is a widow and her 2 grandkids live with her.  She called the oldest who was at work and she came home and took her to the ER.  She has to see an ortho surgeon early next week.  She is bandaged in a sling til then.  Makes me remember when I fell on the day before New years Eve in 1986 and broke my leg in 2 places.  Was in a cast for 4 1/2 months.  Different casts.

Thinking of all this makes me want to stay inside and not tread out in the snow.  Be careful Irish and hubby and have a good New Years Eve, day and year.  I have PT tomorrow at 2 pm.  Lucy

[irish]

Thanks for the responses. For those of us who are of the older generation doesn't this flu season remind you of back in the 60's when there was so much flu and the hospitals were so full. Years ago we just learned to live with the flu and stayed home more.

I think that our immune systems are getting weaker from all the antibiotic soaps that we use and all the antibiotics we are on and all the chemicals that we inflict on ourselves. The human race will slowly eradicate itself with stupidity. OPn that cheey note---hunker down and stay warm. Irish

[irish]

Just adding more info about our dilemna.. Hubby is not feeling good and has this terrible cough yet but can't get much coughed out these last 2 days. I called Immunology and told them what is going on. They extended hubby's cipro until Thursday when we can get ahold of his pulmonary.

I heard from our GP who did the culture and sensitivity on Friday and the infection is not going to be cured by oral medications. Sooo, then I called and talked to pulmonary nurse on call and told her what was going on. She said "are you kidding me"? I said no I am not. This is like a soap opera and here we sit out in the country waving a white flag trying to get someones attention so we can get some help.

Do not get sick on a holiday---ever and don't have a GP who will not offer to help call your specialists. I am beyond mad about how this has played out. I probbly have the same bug as hubby and we could both end up on PIC lines. I do wonder if I have a cold/flu things or some other oportunistic disease that I tend to get on occasion.

Anyway, the nurse will call us Wed and check on us and we are to get the C & S faxed up to the pulmoanry.....Now, you know that is just such a simple task, but it can take a week and many phone calls to get the job done. This has been like dying of thirst with a well with in one block while being blind, deaf and unable to walk. No one seems to help speed up the process.

Well, that is my lament. Heaven help us if Obamacare makes the health care process worse. Too many computers and rules and regs!!! Happy New Year everyone!!IRish

[slccom]

I hope that you both start feeling much better soon!
Hugs to you both,
Sharon

[irish]

Just an update on hubby. He will have his third IV antibiotic tomorrow. He goes to a hospital about 1/2hour from us. They have an infusion center that has "pods". They each have 4 recliners and tv's, etc. Very modern and clean, up to date. Lots of staff. There are 15 of these pods and then 3 private rooms for infusions.

This is mainly for cancer treatment, but also antibiotics and other IV treatments. I don't know if we could have our IVIG here, but I don't feel like it is very homey and I would not doubt for a minute that the IVIG product and procedure would be much higher priced. This is not a low cost set up, that is for sure. Nice to have it though.

Hubby is doing this to see if he can gain some improvement in his current health status. He is not in very good shape. The pain from the broken rib is also wearing him down. He did sleep better the last couple of nights, but still not what he needs.

I am awaiting my culture report and am concerned about what I have. If I have the pseudomonas also it could get interesting as I am allergic to penicillin. I did get to the store after his treatment and got a few groceries and picked up meds. My DIL has gotten groceries for us otherwise. It is really nice to have them close to help out. We don't require much help yet, but know where we can go for it.

We have been hunkered down except for doctors and ER visits and now the IV antibiotics. We are comfortable and thankful for a warm house and our recliners. I doubt I would enjoy spending the whole winter like this, but I had better shut my mouth can anything can happen----and usually does. Take care folks. Irish

[slccom]

Irish, I sure hope that things get a lot better quickly! In the meantime, bundle up and cuddle up!

Hugs, Sharon

[stillinshockwithsjogrens]

Have been following your posts for a while now; you are so helpful to us all.  I wish the best for you and your hubby!!

[irish]

Well, I am so lucky. My doc sent a letter that showed that my sputum culture was negative. Yea!!!!!!

Long story short, hubby had his Ertapenam discontinued and was started on a loading dose of Tobramycin IV on Saturday. We did not have to go in for an infusion today and tomorrow the pharmacist at the hospital will contact our pulmonologist and get further orders on the tobramycin.

The truth is, when a person has been a smoker and has COPD the bacterial infection pseudomonas has a high mortality rate. This infection is very hard to cure when a person has crappy lungs. Hubby doesn't know all the bad info, and we just take one day at a time. I have not read any info that will promise me that he will show a huge improvement. I think that is why his pulmonary was treating him with a less invasive antibiotic. Time will tell.

All I know is he has one bad cough. My sister is my "samity saver" and she also told me that if I have something that I should not forget to tell her and she will put it on her calender also so she can remind me. She also insists that I start on a daily vitamin so I don't get so run down. She is a nurse, so you just know that she can be bossy. lol

Facing the death of a husband is a scary thing. We started going out in January of 1961 and have been married 48 years. We think so much alike after all these years that it is almost scary. We will make it through this and we are not afraid---sadness is overwhelming at times but that is normal. Anger comes and goes also, and that is normal. We are not rich or worldly people and yet we have been so blessed in so many ways throughout the years. Oour faith and our family is what life is about. Hug your spouse, your kid and your dog today as life is short. Irish

[Piebird]

Thanks Irish. Off to hug my hubby now. Take care, Pie

[quietdynamics]

When my daughter was little she would say...
"Mom, lets cuggle! "  Cuddle+ Snuggle...lol

She is 19 now and I still take her hand when we cross the street...actually I take everyone's ' hand.
The practice of Momism...

Prayers of strength to you, rest when your husband does as best you can. 

[Styx]

Irish, on top of all of this, how is the mucous? Are you able to sleep?

Styx

[irish]

I am a nightowl and don't get as much sleep as I should as I can't sleep late in the morning. However, I am able (on occasion) to take a good nap in my recliner. These naps run in streaks though.s Sometimes I don't nap either.

Believe it or not, my mucus issues are better than they were since I started the plaquenil at 400 mgm a day. However, I still get infections in my glands and throat. I am on cipro again now as I had infections in my chest, salivary glands and some infections noted in my thoat, I also had swelling in my glands on the right side f my

I am still irrigating several times a day and spitting and hacking more than I did previously. I still have the mucous issues, but they are not nearly as bad as they had been yers ago.

I don't hear much about other people having less mucus hen they use the plaquenil. I noticed the decreasee in the mucus within the first week on the med. Good luck. Irish