My cousin's daughter, her name is Emma and she's 19, went to Urgent Care with the flu late last week, and she also had swelling in her arms. Upon her third time in when the swelling wouldn't go down, the doctor there called an ambulance for her. It's a rare occurrence where the flu virus directly targeted her heart. She had a heart pump put it, but had to have it taken out the following day due to blood leakage. She is currently in a coma.
Also, and hopefully less urgent, my mom, Janet, went to the hospital this morning due to not being able to breathe. Her PCP diagnosed her as having bronchitis on Monday, but it turns out that she has fluid build up around her lungs. She has cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart), and it is in a state where they can't risk putting her under for any type of surgical procedure.
Regarding my mom, even though her kidney count is low, she opted for the lasix drip (which is hard on your kidneys) over localized surgery. She had a doctor tell her no anesthetic a long time ago, so she has said "I can't have surgery (of any nature)" ever since. She's cold natured, but the other lady in her room was getting too warm. Mom doesn't like a lot of blankets, so along with getting up to pee every half hour last night, she said she's going to end up coming down with pneumonia with how cold they had it, even though an extra blanket would have helped. I guess, at the very least, her complaining shows that she's still herself...lol. [Reply]
Regarding my mom, even though her kidney count is low, she opted for the lasix drip (which is hard on your kidneys) over localized surgery. She had a doctor tell her no anesthetic a long time ago, so she has said "I can't have surgery (of any nature)" ever since. She's cold natured, but the other lady in her room was getting too warm. Mom doesn't like a lot of blankets, so along with getting up to pee every half hour last night, she said she's going to end up coming down with pneumonia with how cold they had it, even though an extra blanket would have helped. I guess, at the very least, her complaining shows that she's still herself...lol.
I have a relative it's the same exact way. If they're complaining, that's how you know everything is on the up and up.
Is her issue quantity of blankets or weight? If it's quantity, you may want to consider bringing in a personal blanket or something thicker perhaps for her if you have anything, especially compared to how thin some hospital blankets are. (I'm sure you've thought of this already, I just know that when I have a lot of stresses on my mind that I sometimes overlook the simpler things)
Hang in there luv *Said in a horrible british accent* [Reply]
My mom is back home and now has an oxygen tank for when she gets short of breath. She has to weigh herself daily and report any unexplained weight gain to her kidney doctor. They'd rather not have her gain 30 lbs worth of fluid and having to be admitted again.
My cousin's daughter, Emma, will not be so lucky. She will be taken off life support tomorrow (Monday). When she passes, her organs will be donated. Her body will be sent to St. Louis to have tissue and bone marrow samples taken before being sent back to Springfield to have an autopsy performed on her heart to see if they can find out for sure what happened. Her remains will, of course, then be cremated. She is only 19. Her death could mean life for many others. [Reply]
Originally Posted by luv:
My mom is back home and now has an oxygen tank for when she gets short of breath. She has to weigh herself daily and report any unexplained weight gain to her kidney doctor. They'd rather not have her gain 30 lbs worth of fluid and having to be admitted again.
My cousin's daughter, Emma, will not be so lucky. She will be taken off life support tomorrow (Monday). When she passes, her organs will be donated. Her body will be sent to St. Louis to have tissue and bone marrow samples taken before being sent back to Springfield to have an autopsy performed on her heart to see if they can find out for sure what happened. Her remains will, of course, then be cremated. She is only 19. Her death could mean life for many others.
I am so sorry for all that your family is going through right now. My youngest daughter is the same age as Emma, and I can't imagine what your cousin is going through. [Reply]
Please forgive me if I muddle my words, or fumble this…. I’m not great at this.
But man, I am so deeply sorry to hear about Emma. 19 is way, way too young, but when I read your original posts I feared the worst having been there before, almost the same, except in my case, she was 20. It’s horrible. There’s not a lot of solace there, but Emma is gonna give others the miracle they’ve been hoping and praying for. Emma’s passing is giving life to many others whose prayers have been answered, and I’m betting they will be eternally grateful. That’s a hard, really shitty compromise, but it’s part of our collective experience. I hope you and your cousin and other loved ones can find peace in that.
Regarding your mother…. I highly recommend going to the Mayo Clinic. There’s no reason why a person has to live like that, and I guarantee you they will find solutions you didn’t think possible, and they will do it exactly the way healthcare should be done, with caring, attention, and using every resource to fix the problem.
I am very sorry to hear about all of this, it can often feel overwhelming, and I hope you have a good support group via friends, family or therapist. It won’t always be like this, and there will be healing and better days ahead. Take care. [Reply]
luv, I'm so sorry. Like others have said, in this moment of darkness, try to take some solace in the fact that Emma is providing a miracle to several in their darkest hours.
Also, this is the time that family and community need each other the most, so do not be afraid to reach out to the loved ones and friends around you, your church, your neighbors, us here, anyone.
I will keep you and your family in my prayers. [Reply]