All seemed to be going fairly well...until December 3, 2017. That Sunday started great. We were having Stake Conference. I was to play the organ. I did that. Claude and I had a nice lunch. Then we headed home to Sadieville. Claude would get a nap in the afternoon while I did some computer work. That evening Claude had been invited to a Christmas party in the Louisville area. I had no desire to go to this. So we determined I would go visit Papa and Claude would go to Louisville.
I drove to Zaxby's to get Papa and I each a soda and me a piece of their wonderful toast. I often treat Papa to a root beer. As I left Zaxby's to go to the nursing home, I suddenly felt very, very dizzy. I was concerned but continued onto Broadway and took out the toast to eat on my way. That was when I realized that the right half of my tongue was numb like when your gum wakes up after dental work. Now I was a bit more alarmed. When I arrived at the nursing home, I decided to get out of the my car and walk around to the passenger seat to get my purse, my craft bag and the sodas. When I started to walk I was still pretty dizzy and was leaning to the right. Then I realized my right side was not moving exactly right. I wasn't dragging my right foot but I had to concentrate to get up to walk. I quickly got the things I needed for inside and then carefully made my way to the door with great difficulty.
I found Papa in the dining room and I sat down in a chair beside him, laid all my things on the table, gave Papa his root beer treat which he gratefully received. Then I told Papa I truly did not feel well and laid my head on the table.
One of the nurses came by with a resident. I asked her if, when she finished with the resident, she would stop by and let me ask her a question. She cheerfully agreed. When she got back I explained what I was feeling and that I was concerned. She looked at me with the same concern and explained that was exactly how her mother felt when she had her stroke. Ugh!!! She asked if I could call someone to get me to the emergency room immediately. I explained that Claude was headed to Louisville and I wasn't sure who else to call. I pulled out my cell phone and got Claude on his phone. He was on the Interstate outside of Georgetown. I told him to turn around and come to the nursing home to take me to the emergency room. Then the ladies decided I needed to go right then and they got in motion. I quickly called Claude back and told him to come directly the the Georgetown Hospital ER. One nurse got on one side of me, a CNA on the other side with a CNA at my back and they helped me out the front door. The other nurse was there with her car and I got in it and away we went to the ER. Laney came into the ER with me and told them she was afraid I was having a stroke. A wheelchair came from who knows where and I was immediately taken to the ER. I could see Claude coming in the ER from outside the glass. So much for my quiet afternoon visit Papa.
Dr. Finley in the ER was very nice. They did an EKG and blood work. I was given a shot that helps stop the effects of a stroke or something of that nature. Claude was there and helped me give coherent answers. My blood pressure was 215 / 93. Not good folks, not good. By the time I was released from the ER my blood pressure was 180 / 88. Still not great but a lot better. I was given a prescription for a nice dose of Lisinopril to be taken daily. I was told I had a TIA or mini-stroke. Claude drove us to CVS to get that prescription filled. I sat in the car and texted the kids. They were quick with the prescription and we drove to the nursing home. I got in my car and drove myself home with Claude following behind.
We made it home safely and I took to the sofa for the rest of the evening. My plan was to skip my visit with Papa on Monday and just take a day to rest...that was the plan.
I got up Monday morning and took my new pill and sat to eat a bagel and drink water for a bit before taking my blood pressure. After I took my blood pressure I got up to get dressed. It was now about 8:30am and my cell phone rang. It was the nursing home.
The nurse was telling me Papa had an episode. The ambulance was called and the ambulance drivers determined they were taking Papa directly to Central Baptist Hospital instead of Georgetown Hospital. It seems Papa got up in the morning and went to the bathroom. He remembers that and walking down to breakfast. He remembers sitting at the table. Then he doesn't remember anything else. The nurses tell me his head just drops and he is totally unresponsive. He turns gray. They took his blood pressure and it was 44 over something. Then they took it again and it was in the single digits. The ambulance drivers thought it might be a heart attack after their quick check. They then loaded him up and headed to Central Baptist Hospital. Papa came back to himself in the ambulance and remembers being in the ambulance headed to the hospital.
There goes my Monday. Claude and I quickly got dressed. I gathered my purse and my craft bag and we were out the door to Lexington. Claude dropped me off at the ER and he went to find a parking spot. Then he joined us in the ER. I was able to tell the doctors and nurses all of what I knew and Papa's medical history which he can remember none of. They did the EKG on him and the blood work. They took him down the hall for an MRI. The also did and EEG. They decided he should stay in the hospital. One of his very strong medications was taken away (Amiodarone) and another was cut in half (Metoprolol). They wanted to observe him to see how he reacted without these meds.
My craft bag contains my old Kindle with a Solitaire game for Papa to play. This entertained him through the long hours in the ER at Central Baptist.
They checked Papa into the new part of Central Baptist with a room you could waltz in.
That Wednesday morning I finally made it to my doctor before going to see Papa in Lexington. Bless his heart. He has been our family doctor for well over a year or more now (since our previous doctor retired) and I have not seen him yet. I just don't go unless I need care. Did not know I had high blood pressure. So this was the first time he saw me. He is a very nice doctor. He asked me to get an MRI of my brain and ultra sound of my carotid arteries. Sounded like something I had just experienced with Papa. The hospital called me and we scheduled that for Wednesday, December 13th. In the meantime I was to continue taking my blood pressure each morning and taking the Lisinopril.
Friday morning, December 8th, about 8:30am I received another phone call from the nursing home. Papa had another event. This time an ambulance was called and they took him to Georgetown Hospital's ER. Again I quickly dressed and headed to the ER. That morning my blood pressure was 204 / 97. Ugh!!
When I got to the ER, Papa was sitting in that bed just like nothing had happened. Again he only remember getting up, going to the bathroom and the to breakfast and nothing till an ambulance ride. This time they had all the medical stuff done by Central Baptist and the records of the nursing home. They also did an X-ray of his chest. They just sat him up in his bed. Brought in a big machine. Placed a big square frame for the X-ray behind him. He sat still while we all walked out in the hallway and they snapped their X-ray pictures with him sitting there. Amazing. Once they were sure Papa was back to himself the let me load him up in my car and take him back to the nursing home. He made it there in time for lunch. I left when I was sure he was okay and had answered all the nurses questions. I went directly home and curled up. I would miss the Polar Express but I needed to just catch up a bit.
We made it through the weekend. I went to Church with Claude, visited Papa in the nursing home and came home to quietly work at my computer.
Monday morning at about 8:30am, you guessed it, another call from the nursing home. Papa had another episode. This time they just kept him there and he eventually got back to normal Papa mode.
We have had no other episodes from Papa since that Monday, December 11th. Thank heavens!!
My blood pressure is still too high but really, can you even see why? It is staying with a high of 177 / 102 to a low of 138 / 77. But it hasn't been back to the 200's and for that I am grateful.
The MRI and Ultra sound showed no problems. I tried to explain this to Claude with careful wording and did that fine with the text messages. But when we both got home in the evening and were just chatting about it I slipped up. When he was asking about the MRI on the brain, I told him they didn't find anything in my brain. There you have it. Fodder for many a joke in my future!!
So there you have it. I have the 'highs' and Papa has the 'lows'. So we really have all the bases covered. Now, let's calm down and have Christmas!!
No comments:
Post a Comment