I am sitting here, trying to put into words how our lives have changed. I have found throughout my life that writing it down brings some perspective. It doesn't change things physically, but it will bring an understanding of what I am dealing with.
Wonderful Hubby developed an eye issue, in January, of 2024, that turned out to be a one in a million shot of getting this. It's an inflammation of the third cranial nerve, creating double vision and blurred vision. He was diagnosed with Tolosa- Hunt Syndrome by a blood test and confirmation with an MRI. He was seen by a neurologist and prescribed 60 mg of steroids a day. That totally fouls up glucose numbers. So, for three weeks we battled double vision and high glucose numbers.
Then he began to experience other issues, numbness in his left hand. Even after seeing a neurologist and family doctor, no one thought he was having Transient Ischemic Attach. Then on Saturday, February 24th he had a stroke while sitting at the table eating with Emily and me. We immediately called the squad, and he was taken to the hospital. Home and second stroke happened March 12th. Squad called again. It was determined he needed Carotid Artery Surgery. The morning before the time he was to report to the hospital he got some intestinal issue that had him up and down all night running to the bathroom. He became so weak that I called Debbie Krajicek to come and tell me what I needed to do. We again called the squad!
By the time he was admitted, he was feeling better. But they kept him, surgery the next morning. All the kids and I waited to hear that the surgery went well. Instead, we find that he needed three stents in a heart artery, after crashing on the operating table before Carotid Artery Surgery. Three stents were put in and another will need to be done in a month.
Carotid Artery finally happened on March 26th, he 98% blocked. Most go home the following day after surgery. But Richard didn't, he developed a hemorrhage, from a small bleed after surgery. Then the worst happened! He developed a blood infection, which is basically sepsis. He had the most extreme response with the bacteria settling in the back of his neck in spine. I seriously have never seen anyone in such pain that lasted for days.
If you are counting, he has Tolosa -Hunt Syndrome, vision issues from the strokes, Two Strokes, 3 stents, a hematoma, sepsis, and some other virus that caused coughing for weeks. He spent a month in the hospital trying to recover, meanwhile his high heartrate was preventing him from doing physical therapy and so he was losing muscle by the day. Because they wanted him to go home or into therapy, they put him on amiodarone, and it did regulate his heartrate. He went to Acute Physical Therapy at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. He was doing great; every day he was proud of the number of steps he could take using a walker. After thirteen days he got to come home.
It was good having him home. But it wasn't easy, juggling medications, giving antibiotics every eight hours through an inline port, trying to fix foods that didn't spike his glucose numbers. His first week home was good, he was able to get up at night to go to the bathroom with the walker, I felt we could do this. After a week home, he stopped thriving. He didn't want to do any extra activity, he seemed weaker, and color was off. A physical therapist came to evaluate his plan for home therapy, and he questioned his jaundice color. Calling the doctor's office at three in the afternoon on a Friday is impossible, a nurse finally responded, and she said to take him to ER. It was determined that his liver and kidneys were very sick because of the amiodarone and the antibiotics. This was another abnormal response from most people taking these drugs.
Another month in the hospital, seven dialysis treatments, MRI's, blood draws and checking the liver numbers. Again, his heartrate is so high that he has absolutely no physical therapy, more muscle loss was even greater. Finally, they decided to do a pacemaker. His pacemaker was state of the art, a battery powered "bullet" that was inserted via the groin vein, into the heart. A 15-year battery and could be remotely controlled. (Amazing technology) They needed to have his heartrate under control because they want to get him out of the hospital.
We could only get him into Friends Rehab Nursing Home, in Yellow Springs. At first, he liked it there and really liked the staff. As always chatted with all of them and asking questions and being his charming self. Then he complained more about his stomach (which he has been describing as indigestion for a while now, popping Tums and mints.) He had gotten so very weak and couldn't even sit on the side of the bed. He couldn't roll over on his own, and about the only thing he would do is feed himself but allowed you to feed him if you would. He was using a bedpan and urinal with aides help.
After almost a week at Friends. he complained more about his stomach, we were baffled. Then I got a call that he was bleeding and because of all the blood thinners he was on he needed to be rushed to the hospital. He was diagnosed with diverticula, which had ruptured and caused a small leak. His body just isn't recovering, his respirations is struggling, his lungs are accumulating fluid, he was ask if he wanted to be intubated and he said, "Do what you have to do." I couldn't believe he agreed to that. He was moved to ICU and he couldn't talk. He was miserable. His heart was failing.
I'd ask him if he was done with this struggle, he nodded yes. With tears and hearts breaking, the kids and I started palliative care and then hospice. And so, the intubation tube was removed. We spent the day at his bedside. Ryan spent some quite time with him and then went home. The girls and I debated about staying or leaving. We stayed, the nurse found three recliners for his ICU room and after hours of keeping watch, we fell into a light sleep. At about 2:30 AM the nurse came in to say he was at the end. We were at his side when he took his last breath, July 15th, 2024. Our lives have changed forever.
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