Back in the hospital

Well dad came home from the hospital last Wednesday (9/3) was feeling really good, looked really good, even doesn't mind the "no salt" stuff Marcia found him to eat! And doing well with the 2000mg of sodium a day diet. Over the weekend they cooked a turkey to have as packaged lunch meat is on the NO list because too much sodium in prepared foods! Dustin came and took care of some electrical problems for them. Tim took care of the computer problems, Steve hung the O2 lines across the ceiling so Max wouldn't get them. Marcia ran errands, I vacuumed, Mom pulled weeds and swept outside, Dad...well he "over saw" all that was going on! :-) That was all Saturday. Sunday plumbing problems! Steve worked on fixing what he could. One thing after another ringing a bell?

Monday (9/8) dad and mom went to their doctor, she did blood work and talked with them for some time. He felt good so they went to the grocery on the way home. (Tuesday 9/9) their doctor called very sorry that he was going to have to go back to the hospital. His blood work showed his kidneys were not functioning. She was very apologetic but he needed to be back in the hospital to take care of what was going on now.

So now very, very discouraged, dad and mom got his things together and back to Audubon they went. They spent 3 hours in admitting waiting for a room, then once up to the room it took another 2 hours before anyone even came in to assess him. He is on 4 east this time...and it's sure not 5 east where he was last time...we said can we go to 5 east!!! No, this area was for "why" he was there this time...even though the congestive heart failure is still a major factor in the kidney problems. We got to the room at 6:30 and dinner is at 5 so I knew he would not even get offered anything until after they came in to see him. So I "broke the rules" and went downstairs and got him, mom and myself dinner. I got the "best heart healthy" I could. Now, if he would have been coming in through the ER and not knowing if he needing a "procedure" right then I would not have gotten him food. But that was not the case and no dinner was only adding to the already very discouraging situation. Tim and I left after 9pm to take Mom home and Dad did not have a very good night.

He is now on a very strict fluid restriction...only what equals to 28 ounces a DAY! That's an 8oz cup of coffee for each meal and a 4 oz cup of water through the night! I took him a turkey sandwich and he ate it with nothing to drink...I said how can you do that! No problem he said! :-) At dinner a couple of times he bumped his tray and his coffee moved a bit...I was so nervous he was going to spill it and they wouldn't believe he didn't drink it and not give him more! Very stressful! HEHE!

They are doing blood work every 6 hours and the GOOD NEWS is...the tests show his kidneys are doing better! Why the change from the tests Monday at the doctors office to 24-48 hours later...well answered prayers of course!!! So for now...no dialysis. The echo of his heart showed what it did before...only working at 25%. He will be in the hospital a few more days so they can see how to get his meds where they need to be and see his kidney function tests where they are.

Thank you for your prayers, for your continued prayers for dad and mom. Mom is very tired and dad said to me he is worried about her. They are worried about each other for sure and that is added stress! Please pray for them to have a complete peace in all of this!

The words to the song on this blog say it best..."Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord - He is our hope our strong deliverer - The everlasting God"... Let this song be your song of prayer and praise today! (turn on your volume if you don't hear it)

Blessings to you and yours,
Julie