Hello friends! Today is our country’s 4th of July celebration and I hope you all are kicking off summer with a bang and enjoying it with family and friends. It’s been long week for my family with dad being sick and everyone off schedule. I’m feeling really off schedule myself in posting this week and so you’ll just have to bear with me as we get through this holiday week and I try to stay caught up on the blog.
It’s going to be a slow week and I’m skipping Fashion over 50 this week, but hope to get back to normal next week. Needless to say, fashion hasn’t been at the forefront of my world right now! We are just trying to support dad and get him back to normal the best we can.
(via BHG.com)
This is such a fun time of the year, so even though we aren’t much in a party mood right now, I can’t help but share some pretty pics for the season. Enjoy your day!
(via BHG.com)
Now, for an update on Dad. For those of you who may have missed this, our situation started Father’s Day weekend, so this has been a couple of weeks in the making. Dad was prescribed antibiotics (Amox-Clav in case you are wondering) from his primary care doctor for cough/cold symptoms before Father’s Day. He took them the prescribed time period and finished them all. About 6 days later, he began a vicious bout with diarrhea, which continued for a few days. Two days after Father’s Day, he was in the kitchen, got dizzy probably from dyhdration and being weak from the diarrhea, and basically fainted in the kitchen and hit his head.
He was taken to the ER where they did scans and tests to find out what was going on. He had some brain bleeding going on and the head injury wasn’t serious (it did cause 2 black eyes, which is better now), but he was sore and not feeling well. He stayed overnight one night and was released the next day (Wednesday) to come home and rest. He was given an IV in the hospital to rehydrate him and get those much needed liquids in him. He was walking by himself after getting out of the hospital, very slow, but still able to walk. During that week, he got progressively worse day by day, to the point that he couldn’t get out of bed by that weekend and the diarrhea had not stopped completely. We knew he had to go back to the hospital, so Monday morning we had him transported back to the ER, where he was seen again and readmitted to the hospital once again. This time he stayed in there 4 nights. During that first day back in the ER, testing was finally done and they found out he has the bacteria c diff. We don’t know how long he had it or if he got it from being in the hospital that first night, but whatever the case, he has it and it’s a nasty bug to get rid of.
We know it all started with the antibiotics he was on, because mom read the side effects after he finished taking them and the diarrhea warning was on there. The antibiotics kill the good bacteria in the gut, leaving room for the c diff “superbug” to take over, creating havoc with one’s whole body. We found out too late he should have been taking probiotics with those antibiotics and by the time we found this out, it was too late. Many people chimed in on my Facebook page and here on my blog talking about their experience with c diff too, so I know it’s happening all over the country and with the number of people who read my blog that have been touched by c diff, that tells me that it’s rampant in hospitals. So bottom line that we learned…..it’s imperative to take probiotics when you are taking an antibiotic to keep this from happening and to keep c diff at bay, in case you’ve ever been exposed to it and then it rears its ugly head when your body is weak. It’s highly contagious from what we’ve heard too. So far, so good with the rest of us.
After all the diarrhea and getting c diff, he was completely wiped out physically. Spending 4 days in the hospital with iv’s and fluids going, as well as antibiotics and probiotics given daily, he was slowly perking up slightly and getting a bit better, but still couldn’t get up and walk. So, we made arrangements to get him admitted to a rehab center, where he’ll get more specialized care on getting him mobile again. He’s been in there since last Friday night, so we are hopeful the progress will be made there and he will be up and going again soon. It’s going to be a slow process to get him well, he’s not bouncing back fast. He’s still so weak and tired, with hardly enough energy to sit in a wheel chair and go down to eat his meals. We all took turns staying with him at night when he was in the hospital, but we can’t stay overnight at the rehab center, so we are stopping by and staying with him during the day to keep him company and try to get him better. We are trying to get him to eat more as that is so important to him getting well and strong again. He has NO appetite.
Lauren came home over the long weekend and spent lots of time with him. Needless to say, he was happy to see his girl!
I can’t imagine how he is feeling after going through all this mess! He’s said a couple of times that this is absolutely the worst he’s ever felt in his life and I can imagine it is. We’ve never seen him this weak and fragile before and it breaks our hearts! We just want him to get better and back home and no one wishes that more than he does. He loves his home and garden and he cannot wait to get back there again. We hope it’s sooner rather than later, but it’s a day by day situation.
I just wanted to let you all know what’s going on this week. I’ll do updates every week to give you progress on his state of being. I’m so hoping he’ll be home for his 90th birthday on July 14th, but if not, I’ll take them to the rehab center and read all your cards to him. Y’all have been so sweet and supportive to send him cards! I know they will cheer him up in a big way, so thank you all so much. I truly have the best readers out there!
Rhoda, so sorry to hear your dad is not doing well. I feel for y’all having to sit and stay with him at the rehab center each day. Running back and forth and worrying about them wears you out! That is what we were doing for over two months with my mom after she broke her pelvis. Thank goodness she is home now and I hope your dad gets to go home soon, too.
Wishing you and your family well. You are in my thoughts.
Blessings to your parents, family and you, as these are hard times, indeed! Helping him – and your mom – emotionally as well as encouraging good nutrition to help him gain back his strength are the best ways you can and are helping him. The Rehab Center will do wonders with getting his stamina and strength back. Sitting and watching a loved one struggle is so difficult. Since your dad’s’ garden means so much to him, have you thought about contacting his church to see if folks will lend a hand this summer… Seeing his garden thrive will be such an encouragement when he returns home. (Know that is kinda not your priority right now; but his garden needs constant tending while he can’t do it.) Maybe an iPhone pic or two of his garden’s progress will help lift his spirits while he’s in rehab. Take good care of yourself, too!
HI, my brother-in-law has been looking after the garden some. We’ve had so much rain that the tomatoes aren’t doing as well this year, but we will get the garden picked one way or another. Thanks for the well wishes.
Prayers for your Dad and your family, Rhoda.
I will continue to pray. I want to see him back home in his garden, too, doing all the things he enjoys.
Prayers to you all. Feel like your parents are extended family. Tks for keeping us posted.
So worried and concerned for your Dad and all of your family. I’ve never commented before but I’ve enjoyed your blog for several years now and especially any posts about your parents, they are precious! I’ve been praying for him and will continue to send out positive thoughts for his continued recovery. I live in Massachusetts and almost moved to Atlanta as a child so I love reading about all of your wonderful Southern traditions. Thanks so much for the update Rhoda and all the best to you and your family!
I’m sending prayers for your dad’s complete recovery and to the rest of you too helping him get through this. It’s very hard to watch your normally so strong dad be this sick. I’ll be watching formyour updates
Address for card ? Would love to send you all wishes from Ohio. I feel like we are friends I have been reading your blog forever! prayers and strength to you too.
Hi, Peggy, just email me and I’ll send you my address. [email protected]
Sending prayers your dad’s way. I hope he’s feeling better and back in his beloved garden very, very soon.
Sending you all ((((hugs))) and prayers. Tell your Mom and Dad that there are many prayer warriors praying for his recovery. Hang in there Rhoda and take care of yourself too – its a difficult time for all of you. Love all of you.
Rhoda, having been a geriatric nurse for 30+ years I know how difficult it is for the patients and their families at a time like this. My prayers are goi9ng out for your Dad, you and your family.
Oh my, I do wish him well and prayers for all.
Sending healing prayers for Dad. Praying for your mom and family to keep up your strength and energy. How go to all of you.
Prayers continuing for your dad’s complete and rapid recovery. All of you, especially your sweet mama, need to remember to take care of yourselves too. And Rhoda, your readers love you and we understand you can’t be posting like normal. We will all be here when you can.
One other thing about antibiotics…if you develop diarrhea while on them, NEVER take Imodium, etc. It can cause something called Megacolon if you are coming down with C. diff. Thank goodness my pharmacist warned me about that.
Thank you so much for sharing about your dad. I have so much affection for him and I am so sad that he is hurting.
He will feel so much better when he is able to be in his own home again. Sometimes in facilities, older folks get agitated in the evenings. It’s called sundowner syndrome. It resolves when they return to familiar surroundings.
God bless. Stay strong.
Rhoda, so sorry that your dad is still battling this c diff thing…you have educated all of us…I’m sure it’s a lesson you wish your dad didn’t have to learn. Your family is so good about caring for him. He is a sweetie!
Prayers.
Address for birthday cards, please.
HI, Melodye, please email me at [email protected] and I’ll give it to you. Thanks!
Prayers and love to you and your family.
Prayers and hugs to your family Rhoda. Please tell your Mother and Daddy that Paul and I love them and pray that your Daddy will feel better soon. I know him and know that he is NOT happy in the Rehab center. Thankfully BIL is taking care of the garden. That is something that he will not have to worry about. If hubby and I lived close we ill help you guys out. Much love to you today.