It's a good thing I slept late.
I was on my computer and I heard gagging noises coming from Ron's room, it sounded like he was vomiting. I ran back and he was having a full blown grand mal seizure, arms and legs flailing in the air like a cockroach that just got hit with a shot of Raid.
He was in his bed, stayed in his bed, and I stayed with him until it was over. He was unresponsive for a couple minutes, but breathing OK. He came to and asked for water... which I gave him. He was very nauseous.
BTW 911 said don't give water. Or food.
Once he was back I called 911. They said I had to get Ron dressed if at all possible and take him outside. I did - that was not easy getting him in the wheelchair. I put the seatbelt in case he had another seizure.
They checked his temp, which was fine, and began treating him. They had Ron get on the gurney himself which he did OK. I only got him in a pair of elastic waist shorts. I put his cell phone in one pocket.
They wouldn't let me go with him, and said the hospital would not allow me. I did call to verify the latter and they said hell no, no one's coming in. Very nice and practical nurse on the phone.
Ron is coherent and moving all limbs normally. Not sure what the hell that was but he is getting checked out now.
I know some of you are going to be tempted to post cruel, "I told you so" type posts. You can do that but it will be deleted.
That's all I know for now.
52 comments:
No cruel post from me. I was worried that you weren’t going to call 911. I am glad you did and that they took him. Keep us updated. Prayers for Ron and you.
Until I know what this is I am absolutely calling 911. It could just be late onset from the accident. Not much we can do about that, could have been a mini stroke, could have been related to alcohol, or related to his anemia.
I am just glad I could get some shorts on him and throw him in the wheelchair.
Just glad you actually called 911 and no visitors are allowed inside the hospital because of covid. You will need to get on list of people they can talk to about his condition because with hippa they won't say much.
Perfect now you can clean his room, rip up the carpet and get rid of all the trash in there. At least this time you won't be at the hospital 8 - 10 hours a day since they won't let you in there cause of covid.
Scary you considered not calling 911. All seizures by him should have a 911 call
The second I saw him seizing I called 911, I never considered not doing it. I had to stay with him so he didn't flip out on the floor and hit the wheelchair but the second he was back I called.
He has been calling me repeatedly with complaints.
Turn off the phone for a while and ignore him. Do they know he is an alcoholic? They will need to know so he doesn't detox while there and get a heart attack.
Prayers for Ron
Yes a grand mal seizure can be triggered by a stroke.
It sounds like they are sending him home today. Doctor said seizures are very common after a head injury, even years later - it will always leave him open to seizures.
What about anti seizure medication? What if it’s alcohol related? I’ll bet you didn’t tell the doctor. Why no tests?
Damn I thought you might get a few days without him at home. Too bad.
Since he has never had a seizure before they should be keeping him overnight for observation.
They ran a bunch of tests EEG blood, CAT scan...but we are in the middle of a pandemic and "watch and wait" may not work. I would rather have him out of the hospital if at all possible... the doctor WAS NOT worried so I won't, either.
Just quite startling, it really looked like he was fighting a giant, invisible, spider.
Yikes so scary for both of you. He's never had one before? Do you think maybe it could have been caused by being back on pain pills? So sorry you have another thing to deal with.
I don't believe you. All these tests. Nonsense.
Well at least tests were done, that is good news
Yeah, this is a good hospital, not county, not deluxe, somewhere in the middle. If I understood properly they did 2 cat scans on Ron, one on his torso and one on his head. Blood tests, etc.
He was taking the pain pills the whole time just not as often. But I will look up side effects on drugs.com.
Why are you lying about the pain pills? You said he went off them for a while and only recently called the doctor asking for a prescription. I don't think you can even keep your stories straight anymore.
Please tell me you are not going out tomorrow.
Heather is telling the truth I know because I am out there working in this mess so just stop being such a jerk. Heather I wish you the very best and so sorry it came to this . YOU DID EVERYTHING CORRECTLY no matter what anyone else says. . I know this happened as you told it because you are not the only one going through what should be a 1 week stay Turing into get them the hell out . If he get Covid right now in his condition he would die and I know you were fine with him in the hospital and you at home you probaly worried but could handle it fine you had the kitties all over the place. Much love and strength they will make follow up appoints however they can they may even be remote if you have the capacity on your computer or your phone for a video chat with the provider
PS she doesn’t have to tell them he is a very sick alcoholic WE CAN TELL TRUST ME !!! The point he is at right now he is not hiding anything from anyone.
I only plan to get him and bring him back home that is all. Whenever they let me get him.
I am not lying about the pain pills, I thought he was "off" but he said he still had a few left and was using them sparingly, until he called and got his refill.
Have him get brought home by ambulance. That's what happened with my mil when no one could pick her up from the hospital
Worst case I will take a cab or Uber.
So, he was taking Kraton and pain pills at the same time, very bad combo. I hope you've told the doctors everything, including his complaints about his prostate. It doesn't matter in the long run if what you tell us is true, but you have to be absolutely honest with the doctors so that they have all the information with what they're dealing with.
Why would you lie to us someone is trying to trigger you buy saying that it is mean .
Ron was very vocal about his prostate. They said he needs to take that up with his primary.
The same prostrate you refused to take him to the doctor for
He doesn’t even see a primary. He only goes to a pain doctor for drugZzz
@6:59 if you are referring to my post at 6:33 don't be a potboiler. Heather may not tell us everything and sometimes her side is a little different than reality. I only suggested she and Ron tell the doctors everything.
He said he would like to see primary, changed his mind, plague hit, he really didn't want to go. I will ask next week if he wants to go but how many pills is he going to end up taking?
He does have a primary he has only seen the man 1x but he was nice, compassionate, and competent.
These days he may not even have to GO in. They may do a video visit or telephone visit unless it necessitates in person. You really need to call. Who cares how many pills. It’s ok for you to choke them down to keep yourself properly medicated lets take care of him too. Geez.
What does how many pills is he going to take have to do with anything?
How many pills do you take to stay well, Heather?
To clarify: he is terrible about taking pills and likes to take a bare minimum, ideally zero. He understands he had an event but not how bad it was. I am skeptical - and hope I am wrong - about his dedication to anti seizure medication.
I am fine taking double handfuls of antipsychotics and such but I worry he will not, or, worse, take them erratically and cause more problems. He has been very resistant about taking medication for anything in the past, exception maybe antibiotics.
That’s where you come in - the caregiver - you have to give the disabled man his pills every day. He gets his own pill sorter and everything. He’s fine taking the narcos of course. Because those feeeeel goood
I don't think the pain medicine gets him high, he doesn't act like it, he really does only do it for pain relief. I heard somewhere if you have a true chronic pain condition then they don't get you high, they just work or not.
Today he was having some leg pain so I applied the magnets. The paramedics were interested in the magnets because he still had some tape marks on his legs. I checked and made sure he had taken them all off so he wouldn't wreck the MRI machine if they did one (but it sounds like they only did CAT scans).
A caregiver cannot force anyone to take medication and she cannot force him to go to the doctor. More than likely he will not go to the doctor next week. Things will progress with this hernia, his prostrate and he will get more seizures and want to get help but then it will be too late.
Exactly. We have discussed it and Ron does not want the hernia surgery unless his life is in danger, it will be a big procedure when they do it (it is in his diaphraghm). So I am OK with waiting on that, he has probably had this a while.
I WILL institute a new policy of no lifting for him; that can be done easily.
I am more worried about the seizures to be honest.
He clearly cannot continue the vending program
Why not? There is a vendor who can't really talk, in a wheelchair, does no stocking or accounting, still in the program. She is a friend of Ron's.
If he left and tried to come back they would not allow it but he is allowed to stay as long as the machines are filled and reports filed.
Really? So now you will do everything and he will get the lions share of the money and spend it on vodka. Seems like you could be making more money working for someone else or getting laid off and getting unemployment right now. Ron is your cash cow and you are gonna milk him till he produces no more milk. The way he is going I will be surprised if he lasts a year.
Because he’s almost 70 years old
@70, there is a real dearth of young people wanting to get into the program. It is not well advertised but it is a program for blind vendors with reliable sighted helpers who don't mind working double overtime and not making much money for it. If they get through the first tier locations and get a good one they hang onto it but they are always dependent on sighted helpers to do it. Most get family to help.
Not a lot of people fit the bill. To be honest, most sighted helpers do not want to work that hard (and it is very hard work) for the little pay they will receive. It is so bad one vendor told me he had to have the customers help him with the meter readings.
Wait he is almost 70 and you are in your thirties. Says a lot about him.
I'm in my 40's. It isn't really fair, I only got my head together as I hit middle age.
Still you were 17 when you got with him that means he was in his thirties when you meant him. Take what you want from that but it says a lot about the type of man he is
Ron has a history of seeking out damaged women, one woman he dated came from a hoarder house, another cheated on her husband with Ron, then later cheated on Ron with her two brothers in law.. he has never sought out emotionally strong women so he could abuse/exploit them.
In my case I had to toughen up on my own, and bad as he has been it was better than what I had before.
But 20 years younger...and he was warned I was disabled as well but chose to see that as them "oppressing" me...
It would have been a more loving act to walk away but he has said he felt like he had to rescue me... and manic girls, need I say more?
You've come a long way in some things, but mostly you still act like a rebellious teenager.
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