Sad days lately

[forrealone]

Thanks for the update, Sister. Don't carry all of it alone.

I know.  Father is actually carrying ME!  (:^)  Otherwise, I wouldn't be doing as well as I am.  Being home helps.....

Thanks, Brother! 

[jaybreak]

Yeah, we will continue to pray for God to have His hand on the situation.

[forrealone]

Since I came back home from the hospital where my brother in law is, he "appears" to be improving.  He is talking, laughing and eating pureed food.  However, once or twice a day, there is an event - his O2 drops down into the 50%'s and his vitals react accordingly.  His estranged wife is with him everyday and I am concerned that she thinks he is going to get better because she is there with him.  He may get better, but the liver damage is permanent.  And he is still considered critical.

I pray that the Lord will show mercy in this situation and provide whatever is needed for everyone to get though this.  It's all in His hands anyway.  May He either hasten his recovery or his passing - I hesitate to say that, but mercy is needed here for both their sakes.

[jaybreak]

Tough situation. Have you been talking to his wife at all?

[forrealone]

Yes, she calls me many times for hours at a time.  Which is difficult for me because of many reasons.  She talks about Bryan a LOT and stuff Bryce and Bryan did and it brings up to my mind many memories I wish not to remember.  She does NOT want to get back with him, but is acting as though she never left him when she is around him at the hospital with flirtatious behavior and......  

Gosh, this whole thing is turning into a emotional burden for me.  I have a lot to do - helping people here, yardwork...

I feel like I am being selfish.  I haven't seen any of these folks for years and now ..

Sorry, hard for me to deal with right now.

[jaybreak]

Sounds like they are taxing interactions. I know how those go. I'll pray God gives you the wisdom and opportunity to deal with everything involved with that.

[forrealone]

This might be a little long.  Basically an update on my brother-in-law.

Today, I talked to Bryce's new nurse. He has been "stepped down" to IMC which stands for intermediate care.

His nurse told me that Bryce's main concern right now is he wants a cigarette. (Sigh) I hope they have him on a nicotine patch!!! 
He is still on the high flow oxygen(Optiflow).  His albumin is still low so he will be getting more of that today.  (Albumin is a protein that transports things through the blood, like hormones and some drugs and is made in the liver.) This is common with cirrhosis.

His hemoglobin is low - 6.6. (Anemic) Healthy for men is 13.2 to 17.5.  Lots of reasons for low Hgb.  I won't go into all that, but it is common with cirrhotic patients.  Hemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen through the blood to the body. Being anemic for an extended period of time, the body responds by making sure that the heart and brain and other important organs get the oxygen they need by diverting some of the oxygen from the skin for example, hence anemic patient’s paleness.

His potassium is low so he is receiving that via IV.  Potassium helps carry electrical signals to cells in your body. It is critical to the proper functioning of nerve and muscles cells, particularly heart muscle cells.

He is still getting agitated, his body functions are poor, he can't get out of bed yet. He is in what I would call serious condition (my word, not hospital) in that he is no longer critical. There does not seem to be any thought or plan for discharge yet.

Hope this didn't read like a textbook!?

[Ed Hurst]

To be honest, it sounds like he’s in terminal care, whether they want to say it or not. I read your latest and immediately came to mind the old Native American greeting: “It’s a good day to die.” He’s not going to miss much if he does, given the way things are going.

[forrealone]

To be honest, there would be no life or joy for him.  He would die a slow death, or quick depending, if he were to be discharged.  It is in the Lord's hands, and I have no feelings of endearment for him other than pity.  I feel sad that I feel that way, but I never really liked the person that he was/is.  Lots of open wounds there for me.