My mouth hurts….

April 29, 2016

I had sent Marg home for the weekend, so I was home with Em last night after work. Den called me at 5AM. He could not sleep and seemed very agitated. He called me again at 6AM, more agitated. He said he feels that staff are getting mad at him for wetting the bed. I assured him that was not the case and that the staff knew that he was getting large doses of the diuretic. I reminded him to eat breakfast and try to stay positive. I felt bad that I could not be there to help him through this bump in the road. But we were both stuck where we were for today. He also told me that he had several bouts of confusion and agitation overnight, but none of it lasted very long. He also told me that his mouth hurt and he felt like he had burned his tongue.

Den had two eggs for breakfast….better than nothing.

Den’s sister, Roberta, was going up to the hospital to visit today. I was very thankful that someone would be there with him in my absence.

Around 12:30PM, I called to check in with Den. Roberta had been there for a while and was planning to stay until just before rush hour.  Den told me that the doctors had looked at his mouth and determined that he had a fungal or viral infection, commonly known as thrush. It is not uncommon for this to happen when you are on antibiotics that are as strong as the ones Den has been on for the pneumonia. They had started Den on a topical mouth wash and another antibotic. I told him to order some yogurt. I told him…you don’t have to eat it….just coat your mouth with it.

Den had his usual Physical Therapy. He said he walked to the sink and back twice and was sitting up in his chair. They told him he needed to do hamstring stretches to help get his legs straighter when he stands. He was also told that he would most likely be going to rehab next week.

Den only had a banana for lunch…see what happens when I am not there to order his meals! I always talk him into more than one item…always get a little more than you think you will eat!

The doctors also want to take out the triple lumen soon. They plan to replace it with a standard peripheral IV site in one of Den’s hands.

I called Den’s nurse directly at 1:45PM. She said he was doing well and seemed in good spirits today. I told her about his anxiety about the staff being mad at him. We both had a little chuckle about that….no one was in any way mad at Den for missing his urinal. It was all a part of his issues and no one was blaming him. She also let me know that there was no estimated discharge date yet. (I was trying to get my work schedule and his schedules synchronized.)

I picked Em up after work. We made dinner and watched a movie. I talked to Den on and off during the afternoon and evening. When I talked to him at 9PM, we both agreed that  life just was not the same when we were apart. Em and I had planned for her to come and we could have a family night in Den’s room. So I let him in on the plan for tomorrow. Em and I would be up to see him early. We hoped to eat all three meals with him tomorrow.