Grandpa’s doctor is located very near the Hospital so we assumed we would beat them to the ER. We decided if an ambulance was called, they might still be at the trailer. Therefore, we were off in the flying mustang again! Traveling down the back roads and out to the trailer. I kept warning Aunt Donna about how visible her car was, but she paid no mind and continued to impale the gas pedal to the floor. It turned out that Margaret drove Grandpa to the hospital so we missed them at the trailer. So ‘Claira’ chews the dust out of the trailer park and repeats the travel through town, this time whizzing right through a (or is it the) stop sign on the back road back to the hospital.
Grandpa was attempting to use the restroom when we arrived. He was quite grumpy about being there and not being allowed to finish his lunch. He was thirsty and wanted something to drink, but was told he could not have anything until the sugar was brought back down. Another reading in the ER showed his blood levels to be 616.
Grandpa did not care about the diabetes. He was mad due to constipation and in a great deal of pain because of it. X-rays showed he had matter in the lower intestine as well as matter in the upper intestine. The doctor examined the rectum digitally and identified there was some hard stool just above the rectum. If that would just pass, Grandpa would feel a lot better. They gave him suppositories and an enema, but Grandpa remained in agonizing pain for hours.
Trying to keep Grandpa calm was hard work. Aunt T had arrived after picking up her son from the Billings airport. (An aunt on her husband’s side had passed away on Wednesday and Rick came for the funeral.) Aunt T placed a cool, wet cloth on Grandpa’s forehead and tried to cool him off. He was in so much pain, he was moaning in a rhythmic pattern. I went to the opposite side of the bed and moved the cloth from Grandpa’s forehead to his neck, which he apparently liked. I kept moving the cloth around and ‘fanning’ him with it to keep him cool and Aunt T would rewet it. We had quite a routine going, working well in tandem, but dang! It was hot in that room!
I needed to take a break from the heat of the room, went to a drinking fountain, and then just sat in the waiting room until I was no longer drenching in sweat. When I returned to Grandpa’s room, a nurse came rushing into the hall and shouted for help. A man was apparently in cardiac arrest in the room next to Grandpa's room.
Due to the way the ER was designed, Grandpa’s room was right next door to the man in cardiac arrest. There was a connecting room between the two examination rooms that I assume stored supplies. The door from Grandpa’s room to the connecting room was open, as was the door to the man next door. Without saying anything very loudly, I tried to get across to Aunt T and Aunt Donna that the man next door was receiving CPR as I had seen into the room on my way back to Grandpa’s room. Not too long after that, it was quiet except for Grandpa’s moaning. Soon we could he medical personnel call out clear, then a number and then clear again. Whenever we heard this, we had a tendency to talk louder so we could not pay close attention to what was happening. One nurse would occasionally rush into Grandpa’s room and grab supplies from cupboards, then rush back to the room next door. Aunt T was astute enough to believe she heard the name ‘Smokey,’ who was an acquaintance of Grandpa. They were unsuccessful in saving his life. Grandpa found out about Smoky on Monday. I am not sure who told him but he was not as angry about his experience in the ER after learning the reason he did not receive any help was the ER staff were working on Smoky.
The doctor decided to admit Grandpa into the hospital for the weekend with the intention of placing him in the long-term care center on Monday. The plan was that our family would discuss it with Grandpa throughout the weekend, so by Monday he would understand and accept what was going to occur.
Throughout the weekend, Grandpa’s sugar levels continued to move up and down. He would bottom out in the 40s in the early morning and then climb upward until midafternoon when they reached 300s. By dinnertime, he was in the high 300s and sometimes 400s, but the sugar extremes were expected to improve one he completed the course of prednisone.
Before leaving for the evening, I asked Grandpa if he wanted his wife to know he was in the hospital again. He said yes, and instructed me to go tell her right now. Aunt Donna and I went to Mary’s home. As she held her black lab back, she opened the door a crack. I asked if we could come in and she said, “Sure I’m just trying to get the dog back.” I am sure that is what she felt, but it really appeared that she intended for us to speak while standing on the porch.
We stepped inside the door and waited for her to place the dog into the yard through the back door. As we stood, I explained that Grandpa was back in the hospital. His wife expressed surprise and concern. I explained that we were there to let her know because Grandpa asked us to do so. She wanted to know if she could visit and I immediately said yes, since that is what Grandpa had sent us to tell her. I explained that Grandpa wants her to visit, she can visit any time, but if grandpa were to become agitated, she would have to leave. She stated she would do that.
I told Grandpa’s wife that my understanding is that Grandpa had requested she ask for the divorce. She denied they had any conversation regarding divorce. Later, when Mary came to the hospital, she sat on the bed next to Grandpa. Grandpa immediately asked her to initiate a divorce, to which she responded, “why? I have no need for anyone else in my life?” Then there was silence between them and it was very awkward. Grandpa asked me to get him some fresh ice and water, which meant I would be leaving them in the room alone.
I hurried, but as I entered the hall leading to Grandpa’s room, I could hear Grandpa’s voice raised and his wife responded with “she always says that!” When I walked into the room, they became silent again. While Grandpa received a breathing treatment, I asked Mary if I had walked in on a conversation. She said, “No. You know, he goes up and down.” I asked her specifically about the comment “she always says that” what that was about. Her response was the she couldn’t remember.
Grandpa remained silent and after his treatment, he laid on the bed. A little while later, he sat up, but sat up with his back to Mary and me. Mary moved to his side, sitting on his walker, but the silence remained. Then Grandpa decided he wanted to take a shower. This, That and The Other happened but eventually, I was removing a piece of tape holding a cotton ball on his wrist and it made him more angry. I tried to explain that there was nothing under the tape and if he was going to shower, it would come off anyway. He didn’t care and pulled his hand from me, yelling at me to stop arguing with him #*%^#!!! At that point, I turned to Mary and told her she had to leave, now. I also told Grandpa that Donna and I were going to leave and the nurse would help him take a shower.
When aunt Donna and I returned to the motel, we called to let Aunt T know what had occurred. All of us agreed that if Grandpa swore at Karen, then he was really, really agitated!
Grandpa was attempting to use the restroom when we arrived. He was quite grumpy about being there and not being allowed to finish his lunch. He was thirsty and wanted something to drink, but was told he could not have anything until the sugar was brought back down. Another reading in the ER showed his blood levels to be 616.
Grandpa did not care about the diabetes. He was mad due to constipation and in a great deal of pain because of it. X-rays showed he had matter in the lower intestine as well as matter in the upper intestine. The doctor examined the rectum digitally and identified there was some hard stool just above the rectum. If that would just pass, Grandpa would feel a lot better. They gave him suppositories and an enema, but Grandpa remained in agonizing pain for hours.
Trying to keep Grandpa calm was hard work. Aunt T had arrived after picking up her son from the Billings airport. (An aunt on her husband’s side had passed away on Wednesday and Rick came for the funeral.) Aunt T placed a cool, wet cloth on Grandpa’s forehead and tried to cool him off. He was in so much pain, he was moaning in a rhythmic pattern. I went to the opposite side of the bed and moved the cloth from Grandpa’s forehead to his neck, which he apparently liked. I kept moving the cloth around and ‘fanning’ him with it to keep him cool and Aunt T would rewet it. We had quite a routine going, working well in tandem, but dang! It was hot in that room!
I needed to take a break from the heat of the room, went to a drinking fountain, and then just sat in the waiting room until I was no longer drenching in sweat. When I returned to Grandpa’s room, a nurse came rushing into the hall and shouted for help. A man was apparently in cardiac arrest in the room next to Grandpa's room.
Due to the way the ER was designed, Grandpa’s room was right next door to the man in cardiac arrest. There was a connecting room between the two examination rooms that I assume stored supplies. The door from Grandpa’s room to the connecting room was open, as was the door to the man next door. Without saying anything very loudly, I tried to get across to Aunt T and Aunt Donna that the man next door was receiving CPR as I had seen into the room on my way back to Grandpa’s room. Not too long after that, it was quiet except for Grandpa’s moaning. Soon we could he medical personnel call out clear, then a number and then clear again. Whenever we heard this, we had a tendency to talk louder so we could not pay close attention to what was happening. One nurse would occasionally rush into Grandpa’s room and grab supplies from cupboards, then rush back to the room next door. Aunt T was astute enough to believe she heard the name ‘Smokey,’ who was an acquaintance of Grandpa. They were unsuccessful in saving his life. Grandpa found out about Smoky on Monday. I am not sure who told him but he was not as angry about his experience in the ER after learning the reason he did not receive any help was the ER staff were working on Smoky.
The doctor decided to admit Grandpa into the hospital for the weekend with the intention of placing him in the long-term care center on Monday. The plan was that our family would discuss it with Grandpa throughout the weekend, so by Monday he would understand and accept what was going to occur.
Throughout the weekend, Grandpa’s sugar levels continued to move up and down. He would bottom out in the 40s in the early morning and then climb upward until midafternoon when they reached 300s. By dinnertime, he was in the high 300s and sometimes 400s, but the sugar extremes were expected to improve one he completed the course of prednisone.
Before leaving for the evening, I asked Grandpa if he wanted his wife to know he was in the hospital again. He said yes, and instructed me to go tell her right now. Aunt Donna and I went to Mary’s home. As she held her black lab back, she opened the door a crack. I asked if we could come in and she said, “Sure I’m just trying to get the dog back.” I am sure that is what she felt, but it really appeared that she intended for us to speak while standing on the porch.
We stepped inside the door and waited for her to place the dog into the yard through the back door. As we stood, I explained that Grandpa was back in the hospital. His wife expressed surprise and concern. I explained that we were there to let her know because Grandpa asked us to do so. She wanted to know if she could visit and I immediately said yes, since that is what Grandpa had sent us to tell her. I explained that Grandpa wants her to visit, she can visit any time, but if grandpa were to become agitated, she would have to leave. She stated she would do that.
I told Grandpa’s wife that my understanding is that Grandpa had requested she ask for the divorce. She denied they had any conversation regarding divorce. Later, when Mary came to the hospital, she sat on the bed next to Grandpa. Grandpa immediately asked her to initiate a divorce, to which she responded, “why? I have no need for anyone else in my life?” Then there was silence between them and it was very awkward. Grandpa asked me to get him some fresh ice and water, which meant I would be leaving them in the room alone.
I hurried, but as I entered the hall leading to Grandpa’s room, I could hear Grandpa’s voice raised and his wife responded with “she always says that!” When I walked into the room, they became silent again. While Grandpa received a breathing treatment, I asked Mary if I had walked in on a conversation. She said, “No. You know, he goes up and down.” I asked her specifically about the comment “she always says that” what that was about. Her response was the she couldn’t remember.
Grandpa remained silent and after his treatment, he laid on the bed. A little while later, he sat up, but sat up with his back to Mary and me. Mary moved to his side, sitting on his walker, but the silence remained. Then Grandpa decided he wanted to take a shower. This, That and The Other happened but eventually, I was removing a piece of tape holding a cotton ball on his wrist and it made him more angry. I tried to explain that there was nothing under the tape and if he was going to shower, it would come off anyway. He didn’t care and pulled his hand from me, yelling at me to stop arguing with him #*%^#!!! At that point, I turned to Mary and told her she had to leave, now. I also told Grandpa that Donna and I were going to leave and the nurse would help him take a shower.
When aunt Donna and I returned to the motel, we called to let Aunt T know what had occurred. All of us agreed that if Grandpa swore at Karen, then he was really, really agitated!
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