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!
Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, all best wishes for your dad’s speedy and FULL recovery!
Oh my, your poor Dad and what he’s gone/going through. I hope he’s home soon! Hang in there!
Celia
Everyone one should take a probiotics everyday! We wash our hand with anti-bacterial soap and we are killing our own good bacteria. This is such a huge problem for young and old. I love hearing the stories about your dad and mom so please give him hugs and kisses from all of us. Happy Fourth and Get Well soon dad!
Oh Rhoda I feel your heart break and I know exactly what you guys are going through. It’s so hard to watch a loved one , especially at their age, change with failing health and watch as they slowly recover. Antibiotics and infections wreak havoc on elderly and it’s so scary. There have been many times I thought my grandfather wasn’t going to bounce back and he did so I am hoping your dad bounces back too. Fingers crossed the rehab helps him and that is awesome you guys are all taking turns being there. It’s such a lonely place and big change for someone who is use to being home and active. My grandfather is now in the nursing home full time (going on 4th week) and we all try to space out when we visit during the day to keep his spirits up but it’s not easy that’s for sure. Hang in there Rhoda! Hugs
So sorry your dad and your family are going through this. The loss of appetite with someone who has been in the hospital for a long stay is not uncommon. We experienced it with my sister when she was in an really bad care accident years ago, and more recently with my mom when she was hospitalized for broken hip. Prayers for you, and your family. I hope your dad is better soon. Don’t lose hope. Miracles, big and little, happen every day.
Still praying for your Dad. I hope he continues to improve quickly. I know with my Mom it seems like everything is in slow motion as they age. I dress her, fix her hair with curling iron, help her get in & out of the wheelchair to my car and she seems so fragile . She only eats what she loves. I know it is heartbreaking watching your Dad go thru this. When I leave my Mom , I leave the biggest pile of junkfood……..milkshakes, Shipley do-nuts, choc. candy, choc. milk, etc. I hope your Dad’s appetite picks up. Hugs to you & your Dad. Will be looking for your updates & praying!
This just breaks my heart. But I have every ounce of faith needed to know he will overcome this. I will pray for that to happen daily. Everyone else needs to take care of themselves, too. I’m praying for every sweet member of you family.
Reading today about your dad brings sweet and bittersweet memories, Rhoda! Thirteen years ago was the last 4th of July I got to spend with my dad. He passed away a little over a month later from a stroke/heart problems. I so enjoy reading about your dad because he reminds me of mine so much. Caring, loving, gentle men who love their families and were brought up in a time that was so different than we were…many children of the depression, gone to war in the their young years, coming home to marry and raise families….I pray for your dad and your mom that he is back home with her soon. Unexpected bumps in the life road we journey make us so grateful for our parents and our families. Happy 4th, Rhoda to you and yours!
Ohhh I’m so sorry your dad is sick. My dad had the same problem with not being hungry and 6″3″ 120lbs. So I can highly recommend getting a high speed blender, if he can only get 3 sips down pack them full of nuts, kale, high fat plain yogurt chia seeds matcha tea, blueberries, but it must taste good and you will need to make small portions several times per day, research it. The health care people have good intentions but very little time, so the family has to do it.
I’m praying for him.
June
You are doing exactly what you should be doing….giving him lots of love and support. I do know what you are going through. My thoughts and prayers are with your dad and family.
I wish people would realize how important “gut health” is to staying healthy overall. I take probiotics everyday for that very reason. I pray that your dad will make a full recovery. God has this!
Yes, this is such a hard thing to go thru. For everyone. Prayers for you all. Hopefully SOON, you will be able to celebrate the 4th…a little late, but sometimes, that is how life goes! Best wishes to your daddy!
So sorry this happened to your Dad. Will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers.
Prayers for your Dad and your family!
So sorry to hear about your dad. Keeping him in prayer.
Praying your dad gets well soon. My husband had a bout woth c diff adter taking a broad spectrrtum antibiotic. He s a very healthy man but this really took it out of him. He began taking probiotics afterwards and was still struggling. He was speaking with a dr about the small relapses he was having and how he felt he wasn t getting quite over it. The doctor told him to take FLORESTOR. This did the trick. It works differently than other probiotics and was very successful in helping my husband get better very quickly.
He still takes it daily as a precaution but has never had a problem with c diff since. Hope this helps!
THanks, Melissa, I know when he was in the hospital, they were giving him Florestor. I’ll have to see if it’s still being administered in the rehab.
Oh, sweet Rhoda, my heart goes out to you and your family. My own dad had c diff and it is just as you described. My very best wishes for your father to make a speedy recovery.
Prayers for your dad and family. He reminds me so much of my own dad and my heart goes out to you.
Rhoda,
It is very difficult to see your family member be sick and challenged by several conditions. As an ED RN , we see this daily and we experienced this in May with the MIL in TN. Hang in there and go day by day and celebrate the small successes. To add to the c-diff discussion, most hospitals and facilities have resorted to decontaminating rooms and public bathrooms with UV light devices daily and after a discharge. Soap and water are required to clean your hands after being in the room and scrupulous use of the personal attire barrier devices are mandated. My thoughts are with you and your family during this time.
May I ask what antibiotic they had him on to begin with? I so hope that he can regain his strength and get better soon! I hate that he is so fragile right now! Saying prayers for him and for your family!
HI, Lori, he was prescribed Amoxi/Clav for cough/cold symptoms. That’s what started this, Not to say it’s bad, but it killed all the good bacteria in his gut and created an environment for this mess to grow.
Brand name = Augmentin. And, in my humble opinion (clinician/scientist), it is not a go-to drug for anyone, especially the very young or elderly…or, really anyone. It causes “diarrhea or severe diarrhea” in a large percentage of patients. Augmentin is high dose amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (supposedly aids in delivery of amoxicillin) An old drug, no better than amoxicillin, which, sadly many bacteria have developed resistance to. Probiotics recommended for us all. Best wishes for continued improvement for your dad