I'm tired of cooking/preparing 3 meals a day. It's just the two of us but boy oh boy can that woman eat!! She stays slimish, I get fattish. It's bad enough I do everything here much less start making her one thing and me the other. At times I feel guilty when I buy her fast food cuz of the nutritional value....not to mention I eat it too.
Tired. Not much sleep, taking BP frequently, low potassium, low heart rate, BP dropping, etc. heart monitor on. EKG, just loads of tests. No eating or drinking, on IV drip.
They don’t know what exactly is going on. Yesterday when I was fixing my lunch, I got dizzy.
DH was working at home. He said that I was leaning on counter, too weak to stand up so he helped me lie on the kitchen floor. Started sweating badly. Couldn’t move for a while.
DH called my doctor and she told him that I needed to get to the ER for evaluation.
Thinking so much about my brother that I lost not long ago from heart disease. He was 72. I am 68.
I want to go home.
So sorry to hear that .
You are very good about taking care of yourself , you go to the doctors regularly .
This could be just a temporary hiccup.
Sometimes your body decides it needs different blood pressure meds , or a different dose .
And change of season , hot out , dehydration , increase in activity can change things.
My Dad had that happen , BP low , sweating low potassium in the summers, and I realized he had to back off a bit on his diuretic in the summer times . That’s the pill that makes you pee and can make your potassium low .
Try not to jump to conclusions.
Keep us posted .
((((Hugs)))
You are in the Hospital?
No clues yet as to what is going on? I wonder if they saw some arrhythmia and are monitoring you.
If you take any kind of diuretic the potassium can get low. And the low BP may be what's causing the dizziness. Worries me you got sweaty too, but that's likely just going a little shocky. We can dehydrate easily, too and almost all seniors show up in the ER with blood that shows they are dehydrated.
Thinking of you and will check in today for updates about you.
May you get well soon.
Love you lady. Hang in there.
I just got back to my room from cardiology. I passed the stress test. I did my ultrasound and EKG. They may order other tests.
The vampires have taken tons of blood. They had me take meds to raise my potassium. Still on IV fluids. They are watching my BP regularly.
They have an alarm on my bed in case I try to escape. I had no idea until, I tried to get up to use the bathroom, and it went off.
Maybe, they told me and I forgot. Anyway, the nurse came in and said that they have to be with me when I get out of bed to go to the bathroom.
I haven’t been allowed to eat or drink anything since I got here.
Hopefully, I can eat and drink soon. I want my coffee! The nurse said that I can drink coffee when the doctor says that I can eat and drink.
They are saying that I have to drink more water because I was dehydrated when I arrived.
The cardiologist adjusted my meds. He was glad that I passed the stress test. He said that if my heart rate doesn’t improve, he will talk to me about a pacemaker.
Not sure when I am leaving the hospital, but when I do, my cardiologist ordered a heart monitor to use at home for a month.
Thank you again for your thoughtful words and prayers. It means a lot to me. I have never felt so weak that I couldn’t even stand up.
Y’all know how I like to cook. I was just getting ready to fix lunch for my husband and I. It’s a good thing that DH happened to be in the kitchen with me, rather than in his office.
Otherwise, I would have fallen on the floor. He was able to help me lie down on the floor. He brought me a pillow to place my head on.
He said that I was barely conscious and sweating a lot. He put a cool wash cloth on my forehead.
He said that it took a while before I responded to his questions. I think I laid on the floor for about ten minutes or so.
He wanted to call 911. I asked him to wait a bit. So, he said, “I will call your doctor to see what we should do.” He drove me to the hospital. I hope I can leave here soon.
Difference is that you go directly into a cubicle instead of waiting, tho they should have triages you right in with your symptoms anyway.
Looks like I pegged the dehydration, but missed the possible low heart rate. Could be due to the potassium. Glad you aren't having to get it IV need, because it burns like a son of a gun.
Are you on any meds that can lower the heart rate? Neil is and has long had a pacer. Two decades or more. They are very sophisticated these days and they last a long long time without battery changes. And they are every so much more small. Not a tough procedure either.
Sounds you are getting great care. So glad no collapse because it is the falls that can hurt you so bad. (No I still have not heard from the good doctor in the Museum who hit the floor by my side).
I am so relieved to know you are ok.
You mentioned dizziness and "would have fallen" and have low rate and low BP so you have not hit the "fall prone" list which means out of bed with help only. When I used to see low heart rate I would say "Do you take atenolol" and I swear half of the folks say yes. I take it myself so I measure BP and HR daily.
Thinking of you and have been in and out all day watching for your update. I am so glad you are in good hands!
If you wind up needing a PM, it's not life altering at all. The guy next door had one installed at 80 and my aunt at 92.
Chin up, dear lady, and let's get you food and drink soon. My question is, do they serve crawfish pie or etouffe in the Louisiana hospitals? 🤣😃😂
Anxietynacy, I think a lot of folks in NOLA are dehydrated due to all the cocktails you can get even while shopping in the grocery store! 🤣Ay yi yi! Not our NHWM of course.
Let us know how the food is when you finally eat .
I hope you’re home soon, enjoying a delicious dinner.
Sending prayers your way.
Just saw this thread. So sorry for your scare. Believe me dehydration is enough to land one in the hospital for quiet awhile. Hoping you are all better soon.
Hugs
Glad you will wear that monitor while home and be sure to write any symptoms down during the day so they can compare that diary to their EKG read.
Will be checking in here to get your update to us, Need.
@Nacy, I never heard a THING from the Doctor's daughter. Here's my thinking.
Either the fallen doctor is in the hospital with something broken, OR what took him down was actually some kind of stroke or heart thing (he IS 85) and NOT my shoulder bumping his. And the daughter's don't want to upset me till they know more. Or are not thinking of me in a larger crisis.
OR
I was wrong about them being so caring (and I don't think that's the case). They were so kind and solicitous and ASKED if I wanted to give them my number so they could reassure me. I don't think they would just forget about it.
OR
They wrote my number down wrong? I gave it wrong? I know she wrote it wrong first time. We were all upset.
Sooooooooooooo. Basically nothing to do. I was mistaken in not taking THEIR number as well. I didn't. I have no way to contact them. I just have to let this go. There's nothing to be done that I can figure. I can only hope he is just fine. I have my phone at my side. Other than that I will let this go.
It was a great help to me to just type out what happened and look at it from almost a bystander perspective. There's so much we just can't do much about.
Important now to see to it that our NEED gets great followup now on this "thing".
I also had yesterday to know my SIL dodged bad medical advice. He had a huge jump in a PSA they were already watching; they were suggesting now perhaps a prostate biopsy (which isn't a whole lot of fun). He asked his Kaiser doc if the blood thinner they put him on for a lung clot a few months back (maybe Covid related) could make PSA change radically? Kaiser Doc said NO. Kaiser Doc was WRONG and 15 seconds on google would have shown him that there IS indeed a rise in PSA with Pradaxa.
I didn't even think there would be either, but his wife, my DD found it in seconds. There it is right online. Talk about life turning on a dime. Having hollow core needles stuck in your prostate for no good reason is a scary thought.
Every day we each try to take care out there. And every day we are like so many ants under a shoe coming down. Everyone take a second to thank your lucky stars, and let's continue to be careful (as we can be) .
I have my discharge paperwork. I have follow up appointments with my primary care doctor and my cardiologist.
They let me have breakfast this morning. I had my coffee, an egg, toast and a fruit cup.
I will try to read the added posts a little later and respond.
They will be bringing the wheelchair to my room in a minute. DH just left my room to drive the car around.
I am feeling better. I hope all of you are doing well. Thanks for being so kind.
I’m glad to be going home. The staff took good care of me but the hospital isn’t a place to get any rest.
Sending love and hugs back to all of you.
Good on you.
Let us know when you are home and rested what their plan for followup is, what they think happened.
I am banking on low potassium causing the rhythm issue and dehydration and low heart beat causing the low blood pressure.
Keep fluids on board in the heats of the summer, Need.
I was having "low blood pressure moments" when drinking just water (along with my coffee and tea) so I found some electrolyte powder in Amazon - Key Nutrients Electrolytes Packets with no sugar - and put one in a jug of water for my drinking water. You can use 1 pkt in a glass but I dilute it much more than that and it is working. No more "low blood pressure moments".
Take care of you!
-
10 x 0.56 oz also comes in sugar free.
And you have a reminder of that guy of yours and what a miracle is the love and support "of our other". N. and I bicker our BRAINS out--we love it--but in times of crisis there is nothing like his comfort.
Wishing you a warm squishy snuggle into the covers on the bed, a night of dreams of wonder, and the best rest anyone can get with a DANGED Holter monitor on their chest. They once were anathema. I hope they are better.
And know you are in the hearts of so many here who LOVE YOU for the wonder of your kindness. I have said forever that when I grow up I will be "Need". (Barb. Hey, just about ANYBODY but ME).
I mean that. I will be more kind. You have taught me a lot even if my responses here do not reflect that fact; YOU are a hecka loved here. I think you know that. I will continue to ASPIRE to you.....
Sleep well.
🌼🌼🍀🍀🌼🌼