Lancelot Acres

An update on my dad...

I am hesitant to post an update on my dad as things change almost by the minute for him. 

If I had posted Saturday, the news would have been better.  His pain was tolerable w/ the meds from the hospital and he was talking and obviously feeling ok.  He was waiting to see the back surgeon to see when he could have his surgery.

That night his arms started hurting again...even with all the meds, and he's on quite a bit.  His joints and arthritis started hurting again, along with his back and hip.

The back surgeon arrived sometime on Sunday only to inform him that he wouldn't do the surgery without approval from Chicago first.  To say this was a bit of bad news would be putting it mildly.  Dad is in no shape to travel when they can't even control his pain while he's LAYING in a hospital bed!  :( 

Mom called Chicago and they gave permission for the surgeon to do the surgery and then Chicago wanted to see him sometime afterward, when he was able to travel.  The surgeon was back in today and will not do the surgery without dad being SEEN by Chicago doctors first.

The pain doctor is at a loss on what to do for him.  I think that Dr wants to send him to Chicago just so he doesn't have to try and figure out what to do. 

The steroid helps him but it raises his blood sugars to dangerous levels.  After the big dose of steroid on Thursday night his blood sugar was at 548 on Friday.  It took them almost 3 days to get it back to a bearable amount and he's still taking insulin as of today.  It is back down to about 150 or so though.  He has not been diagnosed with Diabetes but he's been checking his blood sugars daily for about two months now.  The doctors have been concerned that the steroids he was on for his gout would raise his sugars.  They've never been over about 150 while he  checked them at home.

Coincidentally, when he went off these steroids (he weaned off of them per the doctor's orders), all of his back pain got worse as did his arthritis.  They are calling it Rhuematoid Arthritis now.  His finger joints are so swollen that his fingers are crooked.  :(

So on top of all this other pain, he has a fracture in his back that needs fixed.  It looks like he has to get to Chicago before that can be done.  He also has a bulged disk in his back and a narrowing of the fluid surrounding the spine (I have no idea what the technical term for that is) that the Dr said can sometimes be painful.

Mom has been in contact with the doctors in Chicago and they have an appt for dad to be seen on Wednesday.  We are doing all we can to have dad transported via ambulance as he is not in any shape to travel by car.  Both mom and dad said they would refuse to sign a release form releasing him from the hospital while he's in so much pain.  The problem is that they HAVE to get him to Chicago for him to eventually have some permanent relief from it.

On top of all this, he's been having trouble breathing today.  They took him down for a chest X-ray earlier but I haven't heard back from that yet.

I'll post more when I know what's going on.  I haven't been to the hospital yet today but I've talked to mom several times already.  I'm not sure if I'll go this evening or not, I'm waiting to hear what they are going to do.

** For those who are reading this that don't know our history...my dad had a living-donor liver transplant in December 2003.  My little brother donated half of his liver to my dad at that time.  The transplant was done in Chicago and that is why the doctors HERE don't want to do any operations without him being seen by Chicago first. 

I can understand their hesitation, but I cannot imagine them releasing him in the pain he is in right now.  :(  If he has to be seen, he needs to be transported via ambulance or helicopter OR have a Chicago doctor come here and see him (that makes more sense but I'm sure it isn't going to happen).

I'll post more as I find out what's going on...

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{ 04:36, 2008-Jul-28 } { Posted by gabbie427 }

Still praying for your dad hun. It sounds like alot of hoops to hop through to get this all taken care of doesn't it??? GEESH!

I do hope they will be able to control his pain, and that they can do the surgery soon!!

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo

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{ 05:29, 2008-Jul-28 } { Posted by haflinger }

Oh Lia my friend I didn't know your dad was sick,,I must of missed the post sorry...We will be praying for him and I will put him on our prayer list at church..How are the girls doing and your father In-law?
Blessing Sister Brenda