Sunday, February 27, 2011

More on Mom

We have a final diagnosis for Mom. She has HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus) and Viral Meningitis. She is very sick but getting better. The HSV is like a big cold sore eating away at the brain. It seems that is and the viral meningitis have went through the tough leathery outer part that protects the brain and is in the brain. Most people die from the brain bleeding and never even know they have this. We are blessed she is here. We brought her home on Friday. She has a picc line is on Acylivere (sp) by that and she is on many other meds by mouth. She is confused and somewhat disoriented most of the time. She has to have the iv infusions three times a day. Even though we have home health helping out I do most of the infusions. We have had family in from North Carolina and South Carolina. I am so tired but grateful we could afford the out of pocket to get her home and not have to send her to a nursing home (as that was the other option). The iv antibiotics were going to be $4200 for 8 days and the picc nurse found them cheaper else where (Walgreen's). Mom's short term memory may never return or if it is should return within 6 months. Someone has to be with her at all times and of course she cannot drive. She is weak but getting stronger. We are so thankful! Please pray for me as I run two households, stay with her most of the day and administer the iv meds and others as well. Please pray for her memory and strength!

Blessings!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Broken

I haven't allowed my self to break down and cry until this morning. The hot tears roll down my face as I type and pray, all at the same time. My heart is beyond heavy and I feel the hurt dripping from it. Mason woke me at 4am with a cough and I couldn't sleep then.

Friday my Dad came home for lunch and my Mom was lying on the couch. She said her head was hurting. My Dad went out back to check on the dogs and came back in several minutes later. She was in the floor and didn't respond to him. He called me and she was rigid and still non responsive. I called 911. We got her to the local hospital and they did a CT scan and labs. Nothing except her sodium was low.

In the meantime my brother had went to get my sil from another hospital an hour away where she had been with her Mom that had just had brain surgery. They came immediately to the hospital.

Daddy I were with Mom while the nurse was changing out something on the iv. They had decided to admit her for observation. Then it happened, she started seizing. My Dad and I both were in shock. She was given Adavan. We would come to find out it was a grand mal seizure but not for sometime. Transport by ambulance was arranged to a larger hospital an hour away.

Mike had sent his wife home to get ready for their son's tournament basketball game and he waited with Mom. I took Daddy home to get a shower and I to get somethings to stay with Mom and a few of her things. I had to arrange for childcare for the boys their supper.

We finally got to the hospital and Mom was there in her room with Mike. Mom was out of it from the meds. Before the Adavan she didn't know much; her name and date of birth. By then it was about 6pm. My brother got a text from out cousin saying that my uncle (Daddy's brother) was not doing well and they needed to come. He was on the floor below in ICU. AS they went out the door CODE BLUE was called over the intercom, not once but three times. They were calling the doctors from Mom's floor there. I waited with Mom who was still asleep for an hour when Daddy reappeared. Uncle Virgil's heart had stopped, he was on a ventilator and there wasn't much time left. The doctors said he would pass before morning. None of us had eaten and by then Mike was back in my Mom's room. I had gotten Daddy and I a pack of peanut butter crackers and a Coke. John arrived then.

Daddy was give out and it was getting later. There was no change in Mom and we wouldn't see the doctor until morning. Mike, John and Daddy got to the waiting area in ICU right as the news was given, Uncle Virgil was gone. He and Aunt Bonnie (who passed away a year before from cancer) could be together again, in heaven. John stayed with me until after midnight and then went home.

Sleep was not found for me or Mom. They gave Mom her regular meds about 10pm and they kept her awake. She had not eaten or drinken all day and brought her a cold plate. I fed her what she would eat. By midnight, when John left she was confused and wanted up. She tried to get up numerous times while talking out of her head and pulling wires and leads off. By 3:30 I was exhausted. They came in then and gave her a breathing treatment and at 4:30 did blood work. She finally ate some breakfast (a few bites) I fed her and Daddy arrived at 8am. I started making phone calls and went down to the cafeteria and got him some breakfast. She was still groggy and confused.

Around 9am the neurologist came in and we could not have been more pleased; it was Daddy's neurologist! He talked with us and gave us some hopeful news. He seemed to think that Moms problems were a myriad of factors. An infection, low sodium, prolonged use of non narcotic pain meds and some other minor things. However, he wanted to do a EEG and an MRI to make sure everything was normal there.

I went home to see the boys and sleep an hour or so and Mike went to stay with Daddy, after feeding all of the cows on 2 farms.. John and I picked up Mike's boys and one of their friends and took them to the hospital about 3 with us so they and Mike could go see Alabama play a game they'd had tickets for. Daddy went home about 4pm.
The tests were done and it was not what we had wanted to hear. The EEG showed she is having continual seizures just not grand mals. The anti-seizure meds were started. The results of the MRI showed an abnormality on the right side. We were told either a tumor or fluid. They also did a lumbar puncture. Mom was asleep with the help of Adavan (used to keep her calm and still during lumbar puncture).

The nurse came in with more antibiotics for the iv. She told us the doctor would be around in the morning (this morning) to explain things but he was treating Mom for possible meningitis. Mike made it back. He stayed with Mom last night and we brought the kids home. After paying the sitter (our niece) we hit the bed. My bed had never felt so good!

Please pray for us and the doctors but especially my Mom. She is very sick. We are trying to make arrangements for someone to stay with her at all times, make arrangements for the boys, get John back to work on Tuesday, work around the visitation and funeral and keep up with farm work as well as household things.
I will keep you posted as time allows.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Life Here

Life here lately has been a more than interesting. Thankfully this morning things are quiet here on the farm. Today, that is NOT a good thing. All the boys (the nephews and our twins) are at their schools.

Mom is at the family doctor for more antibiotics. The immunosuppressant drug (Imuran) that she is taking to fight off the Polymycitois is really taking a toll. She is staying sick more often than not.

Daddy has taken his sister with him tot he hospital to see their brother who is very sick in ICU. This brother (my uncle) Virgle, had a heart attack last week and fell during it breaking his back. He was at home trying to get to the door to let the home health nurse in. He did get to come home for a few days before getting sick with c. diff and colitis. His white cell count was down yesterday to 27,000 from 33,000 the day before.

Mike and Pam (brother and sil) are at the hospital with her Mom. She is currently in surgery having a brain tumor removed (we hope they can get all of it). Lord help us! We are so blessed but there are days when I have to wonder how much more?. The boys also have the between sickies....you know where you're waiting for the snot to turn green and the cough to get worse just so the doctor will call in antibiotics?!

I am home taking things in today. My energy levels had returned before the stomach bug hit us and now we are working on trying to get them back once again. I know i have one more month of the antibiotic treatment for the staph infection, possibly two....according tot eh infectious disease doc.

John and I had planned to get started on a diet regime the first of the year but it was a no go from the id doc. He said not until I am well. I am tired of waiting and it will not interfere with my meds and should only give me energy so We are preceding with it this weekend. I am so ready to loose some of this weight. Maybe just maybe I might have more energy then. I will see the id doc again March 7th. We have a friend doing this diet and she is doing great. She is a fellow blogger. The diet helps to reset your metabolism and that is what we both need!

The bladder surgery is still on hold. GRRRRR! That so needs to be taken care of. However, I have a tooth that needs pulled and the id doc said to get it done asap. I also have some other dental work that needs done so I guess we will proceed with that as well.

Yesterday was my Mom's birthday and of course Valentine's Day. My Mom had a great birthday. We had a couple of her carpets cleaned for her, gave her some flowers and a Willow Tree thingy (what are they called?). The boys made her and my Daddy Valentine's. They were so thrilled that the boys can sign their own names! I also made her (and hubby-for Valentine's day) a strawberry pretzel salad (each). Hubby was quite happy too! My parents gave me money for my day, while John and the boys gave me cards, a Chondra Pierce dvd and a beautiful quartz necklace from Family Christan Bookstore. I am so happy that i have a Valentine to celebrate with.

Today I've got to order a few things for the diet, check on Braves tickets (we are taking the boys to Atlanta for the weekend soon-since the Disney trip is on hold until next year), I also have an order to get made (a case of Hearthside Coffee) and shipped out, I need to paint the piggies and do some regular household chores. I would like to get some reading in also. I am currently reading The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food and Love by Kristin Kimball. It is really good, for me anyhow. Someone that doesn't enjoy talking about cows and such might not enjoy it. I think it's a great read though. Read more about it here.

Have a blessed day!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Week in Review

This last week has definitely NOT gone as planned. I do not have a prefect life by any means, I am human and so is John. I am keeping things "real" here at Blessed Frugalness. We've had some issues in our marriage, neither one of of realized them or if we did chose to let them slip by until it was almost too late. We are having to work hard on our marriage that was almost lost. I encourage you to take time for each other and do that often. God is top priority for us and that is the way it should be. He is over this marriage!

This on top of me being sick with this staph infection. I took my Mom back for her monthly check up to the rhumatologist on Wednesday. He was running very late and we got home late. Add in Mason getting sick in the middle of the night Wednesday night. He was over the toilet every 15 minutes or so. I made us a pallet in the bathroom floor and we camped out. I thought he was having reflux problems. Then Thursday at lunch the school called and John was vomiting as well. Yeah...sure sign it was a tummy bug.

Then Thursday afternoon we got hit with a surprise ice and snow storm. No, the meteorologist were not predicting it. John was stuck with a load of haz mat waste at the top of an incline on the interstate when the dot decided to shut the interstate down for 2 hours (until the temps started climbing). Thankfully he finally made it home at 10pm that night.

Friday I kept both boys home with me and we all rested. John had to report to work, unfortunately.

Today, John had to work again and the boys and I stayed home until late this evening. My Dad kept them while I ran to Wal-Mart and the post office to collect our mail. John brought home take out from the Mexican place close to his work for supper. We just finished watching Gaither Gospel hour and now the boys are playing catch with their Daddy. It's almost their bedtime and I am thinking seriously of following fairly quickly. Tomorrow is a shower and church day, then we are having our own little Super Bowl party! :)
Monday I go back to see the infectious disease doctor.

Have a blessed Sunday!