Most of you know what's been going on but just in case...we got Dad and Shirley home from the hospital, got them both back to the hospital Saturday morning for their injections, got home and called the paramedics for Shirley a few hours later. She couldn't explain what was wrong other than she felt like passing out and just didn't feel well. So her vitals weren't good so they took her back to the hospital.
Missy and I followed and Sister Kathy and Dad stayed here until I could report back. We got their and talked to the doctor, who was great, said that she's in pretty bad shape. Her vitals aren't good and she's been through so much. He said they'd take her for a CT scan. She was having pain in her stomach. We know she's got a leaking aortic aneurysm and they've put her on blood thinners for the clots in her lungs so makes sense she'd start bleeding. But evidently, she's bleeding from her spleen. She's not a candidate for surgery. There are a few other less invasive but still risky things they can do or they can do nothing and just keep her comfy. She told Dr. Rau that she's had enough and ready to go. He agreed.
So the gig from the doc was that she'd be kept comfortable with pain meds and will not suffer. They moved her up to a private room and then I had to talk to the nurse. They seem to understand that she's on "comfort care" but they won't give her pain meds when she's in pain. So I had to get all Brooklyn again. Of course, nursey's response to me was "Are you a nurse or a doctor?" I just stared at her. Then she says that she's floating from the ICU and that she knows all about suffering and pain and the family dynamic. I'm not sure what Kathy said after that, but Nurse-Nimrod said she's here for us...well, she's here for everyone. Whatever. Same story this morning. Then Dr. Rau came up to see Shirley from the ER. He's great. Asks Shirley if she's in pain. She says yes. He says "Well, hun, you need to tell us." Sister Kathy, Missy and I simultaneously say "She has been!!" (so have we). Then he says he's also got an option on her chart that she can have a permanent drip of Morphine in addition to injections. We told him we were not told this. Shirley said she wanted that so he hooked us up.
She should be sleeping most of the time until, as Dr. Rau said "Goes on her next journey". He told her twice to have a safe journey. I love it!
Shirley has been in and out. One of the times she was awake she looked at Kathy and me smiling and said "I don't envy you kids having to clean out the house!"
She's a trooper!!
Here is a pic of Shirley's cactus garden. They grow like weeds in the house!
I'll try to check in tomorrow.
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