Down in Florida

[ellen_datlow]

I will be posting only intermittently because of a very slow dial-up connection from my parent's place for 6 days.
So my flight was an hour late yesterday because of bad weather in NYC. On the way home my parents tell me that my dad went for his regular checkup at the VA hospital Monday by himself and that he had an irregular heartbeat. They wanted him to stay overnight to be monitored and he said no way --his wife was home alone, his daughter was coming the next day, and forget it. So...he checked himself out.....

My mother and I dragooned him back to the hospital today (we warned them we were coming back and he said he should go straight to the ER to be checked in, no problem. We brought some stuff for him to have while in overnight. The ER room was pretty empty and they took him in right away. After about half an hour my mom and I were able to go in and sit with him while doctors came and examined him and questioned him (it was good that my mom and I could fill in some gaps about his recent health) and got him ready to be registered for an overnight stay. He was hooked up to the monitors and getting meds to slow down his heartbeat and thin his blood (for now). He most likely will not remain on the blood thinners once he gets out because he has bad balance and if he falls on blood thinners it would be very bad.

We didn't know when he'd actually get a bed so we bought him some lunch at the canteen which he ate like he was starving (my dad gets extremely grumpy when he's hungry). He was charming with the docs and nurses--a resident saw him and then an intern and he'll be seeing a cardiologist either tonight or tomorrow. We left around 3:30 and soon after we got home he called and gave us his phone # in the room he was taken to. They're hoping to find out why his heartbesat is irregular but warned us that often they never find out what the problem is.
Hopefully everything will be ok and he'll be checked out tomorrow. We shall see.

I'm not worried (yet) but I'm really glad this happened while I'm down here because I know it totally freaks out my mom.

Meanwhile, the weather is balmy and the moon is a gorgeous hug disc in the sky.

Sunday update: We picked my dad up today and he's home, napping. He slept terribly all three nights in the hospital. He's off some meds and on some others (he doesn't need many, considering his age). No more caffeine for him.
Thanks for everyone's kind concern over the past few days.

Comments

[fastfwd.livejournal.com]

Give your Mom and Dad my love. And take some for yourself, while you're at it.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Will do and have :-) What are you doing up at 4am?

[fastfwd.livejournal.com]

It was only 3 am--we're not on British Summer Time yet.:)

[realthog.livejournal.com]

When does BST start?

[fastfwd.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure but I think it's at the end of this month.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

That's even later than I stay up :-)

[fastfwd.livejournal.com]

Can't sleep. Clowns will eat me.

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

You're having a rotten run of health-luck. I hope this is an end of that run and things start picking up for both you and your family!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

thanks....the leg continues to heal (btw:-) )

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

That's good to hear :).

[charlesatan.livejournal.com]

Hope everyone's health (yours and your dad's) is doing well.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Yours too--I saw on your blog you said you weren't feeling well.

Nice interview with you--informative. Congratulations on it.

[charlesatan.livejournal.com]

Thanks Ellen!

Nothing serious, a stiff neck and depression creeping in (but the latter's not so serious).

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Have you tried tiger balm or equivalent for the stiff neck? How's the nose doing?

[charlesatan.livejournal.com]

Just applied a hotpack last night. It's better now but the pain's still there.

So far the nose is fine. No colds yet!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

That's good news about the nose.

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well, Charles. I've been off the net myself from illness and behind on current events.

Why the stiff neck? Injury or illness? If illness don't ignore it.

[charlesatan.livejournal.com]

I was just sleeping in bed in the wrong position.

Don't worry, feeling much better by now.

Take care.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I get that sometimes from the same thing. A crick in the neck.

[charlesatan.livejournal.com]

Yay, online Datlow. Hope your dad's status is better.

[pds-lit.livejournal.com]

Have a nice visit with the folks even though you are seeing the inside of another hospital. Good thoughts coming your dad's way.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Hey, I feel like an expert now :-)
thanks

[robinbailey.livejournal.com]

My best wishes to your father, Ellen, and to you, too. On the bright side, you're in Florida! I'm gonna miss my trip to Florida this year, and New York isn't certain. Looking forward to seeing you in May, though.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks Robin. Yes, and it's lovely here.

I hope you come to NY and that I'm there--I think I was out of town last year.

[maryrobinette.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you can be there, too.

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

I hope your dad feels better soon.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks Jon.

[scottedelman.livejournal.com]

Fingers crossed for your Dad, Ellen.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks Scott. We should know more this morning.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

Bundles of good thoughts coming your way, dearest E.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks Paul.

[rhondaparrish.livejournal.com]

I hope they find out what's wrong and that it's nothing to worry about.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks Rhonda.
He just called us and said they had done some tests (I think another EKG) and mentioned that they forgot to feed him dinner last night (or "ran out of food" or something bad--and considering my dad's disposition when not fed regularly, I'm surprised he didn't kill someone). But he did have a good breakfast this morning.

My mom and I are heading over there in a little while.

[rhondaparrish.livejournal.com]

They "ran out of food"? That's...disgraceful. I don't think anyone would have blamed your dad for killing someone. I'm glad he had a good breakfast at least, but really, that sucks.

My fingers are still crossed.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Just got back from the hospital --he had just eaten a big meal and was busily drinking a quart of water to prep for the bladder sonogram for which he was schedule. He went downstairs and we were told we could pick him up in a bit so he wouldn't have to wait to be brought back to his room. In the meantime, we talked to the resident from yesterday. He's in good shape. Low risk for stroke so they won't need to make the decision to keep him on blood thinners. The heartbeat is still a bit high but as soon as they can get it stable, they'll give him pills to take for it.

My mom and I picked him up and wheeled him back upstairs (I've never wheeled a chair before so it was a little tough maneuvering into the elevator.

He couldn't leave today because they haven't figured out that dosage but hopefully tomorrow. He was pretty grumpy that he couldn't leave but he seemed great otherwise. I brought him some magazines (he was reading one I left for him yesterday. Each patient (two in a room) has a flatscreen tv.

[rhondaparrish.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad it turned out to be something that's treatable with medication, and that he got to eat today. I've got to say, the flat screen tv doesn't sound so bad either. I mean, if you've got to be in a hospital, it's good to have one with nice tvs. I still feel bad for his missed meal yesterday though.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Me too.

He's bored (he called tonight) --doesn't want to watch tv as it's the same stuff he watches at home ;-)...

I did tell the resident and intern we talked to today about the meal lapse last night. I never did find out exactly what happened there.

[lingster1.livejournal.com]

My best wishes for your father's health, Ellen. And to you and your mother, too. Don't neglect your own well-being.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

thank you so much Sheila. One thing I made my mom do was call my sister this morning--my mother does this all the time. She won't let me or my sister know anything's wrong until it's fixed. I told her you must let her know dad is in the hospital even if she'll worry. So we called. And we just called when we got home to say he is doing fine. I told my mom that we want to know if something's wrong, even if we can't help because we're so far away.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm convinced, w/ my Dad having dementia and being in the VA home, and my Mom undergoing numerous surgeries for different ailments, that aging/ill parents are payback for all the crap we gave them as teenagers. ;)

Hope your Dad's okay, and good for him and your Mom that you're there.

Jeff P.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

We visited today and stayed about 2 1/2 hours, saw a few different docs (including the cardiologist). We all sat in the day room, which is much nicer than the hospital room. My father's wearing his street clothes-he didn't like the pjs-said they were uncomfortable.

He's on beta blockers for the heart rate and they're still monitoring him although they don't see any reason that he can't come home tomorrow. He is really bored--no tennis all ball games on the tv today/tonight.

sorry to hear...

[themadblonde]

he's been poorly, but yes, it is good that this happened while you were there to help.