My OH is in hospital in intensive care

Pidge_jen

Hi Victory,
Glad to hear how far your other half has come, you are a tremendous support to him and are doing really well.
Few things that stood out to me
Have you got a perching stool that he could use while washing himself at the sink? Might help with the fatigue.
When I had nutritional supplements (the joys of dodgy gastro systems!) I found the nestle build up ones most palatable. I also found them a lot nicer if they had been in the fridge beforehand. Ensure were ok too, but not the fruit ones,they just didn't taste like fruit in the slightest!
Definitely ask the Dr to review his pain control - and if it's beyond their expertise they can speak to a pain consultant in the hospital setting for advice, and refer you there, though unfortunately there's usually a bit of a wait for an appointment.
I think he should be having some physio involvement and Occupational therapy if they are not already involved.
Make sure you mention to the Dr how breathless he is - they may want to run some blood tests to check for anaemia and other causes.
Hope this is helpful

busiscoming2

Hi Victory, I can't believe they discharged Mr Victory when they did; at a silly time of day and just before Christmas. It is scandalous the lack of communication.

I have no experience in this field other than my DH was ill and in pain from a condition for approximately a year. We had to endlessly call out the emergency GP's who all prescribed different medicines. It was a chance meeting with a Nurse from the Pain Clinic whilst on a hospital visit that he actually got the correct medication. I don't know whether your local hospital's pain clinic would be worth asking?

I sincerely hope he improves steadily, gets his pain under control and that you get some well needed sleep. x

gettingtheresometime

I've always said that the NHS comes into its own in an emergency - but I have to admit I was shocked that Victory's hubby was sent home.

Victory - hope you're both getting all the support you need ...and don't be afraid to make waves to get it - it seems that it's those who shouts the loudest (or have someone in their corner shouting for them) that will get the help

BritAbroad

Hope things are getting a bit better victory. The various aids do get easier as you get used to them.

I had to go and buy all the things my OH needed - wheelchair, walker, crutches, grab rails, shower bench etc. I didn't have a clue, but the occupational therapist in the hospital told me exactly what to get and where to buy it, which was helpful. I'm assuming that Occ health will supply everything your husband needs? If so, get advice from them on how to use everything properly, as sometimes it's not obvious, and it's important for your safety too to know how to move your husband and his equipment.

I had chairs and benches in all sorts of places around the house, so that OH could stop and sit whenever he needed. So there was a dining chair in the bathroom, for example, so that he could sit and wash. We got a shower chair, but I know there are some that can go over a bath too. If he has wounds that need protected in the shower, bin bags and LOTS of surgical tape are your friend (and a cheap pair of medical scissors to get them off again)!

I moved a bed into another room so he could rest easily during the day. The kettle, cups and spoons got moved and a chair parked in the kitchen so that he could do little things for himself once he felt able. I developed habits and routines around moving OH and his equipment, e.g. park OH on chair next to door, move wheelchair downstairs, get him down into wheelchair, etc. By doing things the same way every time, we both knew the drill, what to expect and it got easier.

victory

Thank you for the thoughts and advice etc, much appreciated.

Very quick update...OH has intestinal blockage, had a abdominal CT scan, full of blood they will put him back in a local ward for a few days, explains now the pain, the vomiting (although also was the meds) the lack of toilet, the bloatedness, so now it has been realised, waiting for a call to get him back in.

In laws want to come back down, OH just wants it to be over, meds have been halted and changed again.

Thanks re all his mobility aids, yes he has various bed rail, walker etc using just a few of the array he has at his disposal.

Showering and intimate washing was doing that myself, sponging etc no one else did it.

Thank you for the soup book, will get round to that later.

We were told high cal/sugar ice cream because he could not swallow/chew jellie babies so well before and the ice cream was a way to keep him 'fed'.

Now I read it all the time the 80 year old lady that was discharged with a line in her elbow and it took 3 days for the docs to get it taken out, or the elderly man that was dropped off at his home in the early hours of the morning without realising there was no one to greet him and his neighbours took him in, the A&E crisis now where the lady was on a bed in the hall for 12 hours, it is not for me to be an NHS beater, CCU were fantastic, the docs lack of discharge papers, communicating and not agreeing with each other caused a few problems along the way but now with the intestinal blockage going to be seen to, easing the pain, changing the meds, all the medical staff talking and understanding each other my OH should really be going in the right direction.

torbrex

Thanks for the update victory :T

The blockage does help explain quite a lot, once that is resolved he should be able to digest better and the weight should start to go back on which in turn will give him the energy he needs to heal himself

Can you ask the in-laws to postpone their visit until he is home again so that you can get a bit of a break?

mum2one

At least it's the local hospital, hopefully there get everything sorted, def agree with asking the inlaws to postpone the visit, u take care and try and get some rest xx

harrys_nan

Thanks for the update, He is going through the mill isn't he?
Lets hope now, once they get him back in, they will sort everything out and he will be well on the road to recovery.
Your nerves must be shattered as well, you must feel helpless to see him so much pain, but you are coping very well, come the summer, I hope you will both look back on this time and just see how far you have both come.
While he is back in hospital, you take time to recharge yourself as well xx

gwynlas

Hi Victory
I'm sorry to have been proved right in my previous post but I believe your husband should not have been discharged directly from intensive care to home in a blue light ambulance and that this would not have happened at any other time of the year.
I know that there are plenty of NHS knockers out there but you should raise a complaint in the interests of lessons being learnt and so the same thing does not happen to others.
Obviously now he should get all the help he needs including physio and an OT assessment but please be firm and say that he cannot be discharged without a proper care package being in place and that you want his discharge to be arranged for a Monday or Tuesday.
Please take the opportunity of his being readmitted as a period when you can recharge your batteries as you have been through so much.
I hope both your sons are providing you with plenty of support and that you can decide whether the in laws return would be a help or an hindrance. They should be reassured that he is in the best place.

victory

gwynlas wrote: »

Hi Victory
I'm sorry to have been proved right in my previous post but I believe your husband should not have been discharged directly from intensive care to home in a blue light ambulance and that this would not have happened at any other time of the year.
I know that there are plenty of NHS knockers out there but you should raise a complaint in the interests of lessons being learnt and so the same thing does not happen to others.
Obviously now he should get all the help he needs including physio and an OT assessment but please be firm and say that he cannot be discharged without a proper care package being in place and that you want his discharge to be arranged for a Monday or Tuesday.
Please take the opportunity of his being readmitted as a period when you can recharge your batteries as you have been through so much.
I hope both your sons are providing you with plenty of support and that you can decide whether the in laws return would be a help or an hindrance. They should be reassured that he is in the best place.

To be fair to the all the medical staff there was no way of knowing without the CT scan that OH had that he has an intestine blockage, the doc said that pain is worked on a process of elimination, in view of his RTA and his description and the symptons they went down a route of investigation... sure they did do a barrage of xrays, ultrasounds, scans etc at CCU but since his discharge with his medications he has not had any scans so now he has we have answers, reasons why the pain, an open maybe, now we know.