Earl's mother, Opal - Update

Earl's Mother is doing better. Stitches removed on Friday. Dentist saw her on Thursday. They will do impression, when her mouth is healed, in preparation for extraction of remaining upper teeth and getting full upper plate.

She started walking by herself on her walker today. I had talked to her this morning about getting more exercise. When I came in, she informed me she had walked by herself four times today. Earl didn't even know she had done it. The monitor had not picked up anything he could hear.

We, of course, are very concerned about her falling again. We also realize she must be active to prevent blood clots and regain her strength, so we have to allow her to do what she is able.

What next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As if we didn't have enough on us. Earl went for new chemo yesterday. Ended up spending over three hours there without getting treatment. Nurse called CIGNA to get authorization. CIGNA denied payment, so now we and doctor are scrambling around trying to find some way to get the chemo paid for. Don't know what outcome will be. So, pray that some source will open to allow him to get the latest, and we hope, a better treatment.

This came after Earl's mother, Opal, fell Sat. about 10:30 a.m. We spent most of day at St. Mary's ER. She hit floor face first. Teeth marks in the vinyl. Knocked out two teeth that held her bridge. Counting the teeth in the bridge, she knocked out 4 or 5 teeth. Broke a bone in her sinus. Stitches in her upper lip. Inside upper lip was cut too, but they did not stitch it. She looks like she lost a boxing match! She said she remembers being dizzy. Must have passed out. She was using her walker, but it did no good.

Her nose bleed. Pool of blood about the size of a dinner plate under her head. I had to hold her head up so she wouldn't breathe it in. We were afraid to move her much. Bad scene!! Liana called Rural Metro dispatch direct (911 Center), since she works with them thru the Rescue Squad and had direct line number. They came and transported her to St. Mary's for X-ray and CT scan. We got home after 5:30 p.m.

Opal update

Opal has had a rough week. Still having some fever at times. Very weak. She goes from the bed to lift chair and back to the bed.

Levaquin, the antibiotic, caused her to talk and ramble for hours at night. She said she dreamed or imagined she was falling, sliding out of her chair, falling out of bed, etc. She had several of the side effects associated with the drug.

• The most common side effects caused by LEVAQUIN, which are usually mild, include nausea, diarrhea, itching, abdominal pain, dizziness, flatulence, rash and vaginitis in women.

• Quinolones, including LEVAQUIN, may also cause central nervous system stimulation which may lead to tremors, restlessness, anxiety, lightheadedness, confusion, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, nightmares, insomnia, and rarely, suicidal thoughts or acts.

Earl called doctor's office today. They took her off the Levaquin and called in another antibiotic. He also found out the infection had spread to her blood stream. It is a form of E. Coli. She will be re-checked on Monday.

She has been eating a little more the last two days, but still not very much.

Update on Earl's Mother

Thanksgiving 2007

I finally decided we had let Opal put off long enough going to the doctor. Good thing we took her. She has a very bad bladder or urinary infection. I had noticed her urine was very dark first few days she was sick. I had asked her if she had any burning or stinging, but she said no. I still started getting her to drink more water. Kept a mug of ice water by her all the time. Her urine had lightened up a LOT the last couple of days, but she continued to have the low grade fever and seemed to be getting weaker.

I came home at lunch today to try to get her to eat something. Decided to help her with her shower. She took a very short one and then needed help drying off. I could see right then, she was even weaker than I knew. So, I had Earl call her doctor. He wasn't available, but an intern was available, I told Earl we would go see anyone.

The intern, Doug, drew blood and ordered a chest x-ray. X-ray was clear. Her heart rate was 120. (She has been breathing very hard for last few days.) White count should have been 10,000. It was 30,000! Infection somewhere!! Urine test showed signs of blood and lot of infection. He said elderly can have these bladder infections and never have anything other than fever and feeling bad.

Antibiotic prescribed. We were sent down to outpatient lab for them to draw LOTS of blood from both arms to do a blood culture. Doug said bad infections like this in the elderly can get into the blood stream. They will grow a culture to make sure she doesn't have this infection spread all over.

She was told to drink a lot of fluids. Anything goes, except caffeine. Doug also mentioned dehydration. Opal never drinks much water. Mainly just tea with her meals and coffee in the morning. Nothing else was ever mentioned about her heart rate being high. If that doesn't get better as the antibiotic kicks in, I will check on that again. We have to take her back for check up on Monday.

Liana says dehydration can cause fever, dizziness, weakness. All of which Opal had. She fell three times between Fri afternoon and Sun. night. So, her symptoms could have been caused by either/both dehydration and bladder infection.

Doug said Opal would have continued to get worse, so hope we got her to doctor in time.

Earl's mother, Opal

Opal, Earl's 91 yr old mother, fell twice Friday afternoon within about two hours. First time in her living room. Second time she fell in the bathroom & hit her head on the bathtub and got a knot on back/top of her head where I would call the crown. She had just fallen right before I walked in from work. She was laying with her head/neck cocked up on the bathtub. Wonder she hadn't broken her neck.

She couldn't hold her head up straight for last two days. We have been so torn about taking her to the hospital. She keeps saying she is ok, that her neck is just stiff/sore. I know she doesn't want to go, but we'll feel terrible if she has injuries that need attention. She was already feeble, so it's hard to know what is "new" feeble.

She's had a fever last 3-4 days, not feeling well. Barely eating. She got a flu shot on Tues. this week & thinks this is a reaction to the shot. I doubt that, since she has had flu shots for years with no problems before. But, she sure seems to have flu like something. Says she aches all over, which could be from the falls. Earl had a fever Wed, so I guess they could have picked up something at the Dr. office.

Then, she fell again last night about 8 p.m. She was in bed but wanted a TV remote. I'm not sure where it was. Probably on her dresser. Anyway, she fell and her head was wedged between her bed and the night stand. I had a time trying to get her out and into a sitting position. She was on her side and didn't bend the way I needed her to in order to sit her up. Every time she fell, we called my Dad to help pick her up. I shouldn't try and Earl isn't strong enough. Lucky Dad was here.

She had a dime size raw place on her forehead and scrape place across her forehead. Scrape, more like redness or bruising on the side of her neck from below her ear almost to collar bone. No idea how that happened. Or even which fall it came from. She has a big bruise on the back of her left elbow. No telling where all she is black and blue. I'm amazed she doesn't seem to have broken anything!

Last time she was up about 5:30, she said she wasn't dizzy anymore. She didn't feel like she still had fever. When she wakes again we can try to assess the situation and decide what we're going to do. Call doctor or take her on to the hospital. Maybe both? Maybe nothing! She can be one stubborn lady!