He was taken into the E.R. with no known medical conditions. When he arrived he had a blood sugar level of 2133.Yes,I know that sounds impossible but it is true.His pancreas gave out,which led all the bad toxins to destroy 2.5 feet of his intestine,not to mention his kidneys failed.It has been one week today that he had the surgery. He has finally had the breathing tube removed and can talk.all he talks about is how we need to be there to see him asap because we will never see him again.i dont know if he is giving up or just being a 'bad, miserable' patient.obviously he has gone through a lot and is very lucky to be alive.all my friends and family are asking me if his chances are good,and i dont know what to say.i have no clue and am not being told much by the dr's and nurses.my mom lost her first husband to cancer (my real father), her middle son to a heart condition at age 4,and if she loses him, i dont know what will happen.has anyone heard of cases like this w/survivors?
2007-09-27 17:36:53 · 8 answers · asked by the future Mrs.Dale Earnhardt Jr 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
he also now has a colestomy bag,which we have not told him about yet due to we dont think he will take it well.he is not a dr kinda person,and when i called the ambulance to get him,he was very angry with me.i know he needs to take care of himself and i just wish he would know that to. i feel that i am about ready to go crazy with all of this.
2007-09-27 17:38:27 · update #1
I am a critcial care setep down nurse(LPN), the military uses LPN in er and icu. I worked in sicu, micu, ccu, and cardiac stepdown for 7 years. I can tell you that if all the nurses and doctors are not telling you much then they probably do not know much. But they should be telling you that much, like it is to early to tell, or of the recovery will need to depend on him and how much he wants to get back to as normal life as possible. If he does not to do much, then there is not much we can so for him. But I know prayer goes a long way. For the staff not to tell you much I do not agree with. I tell my patients all I know, even if is hard to hear. I go through all the charts to get the most updated info, right there in front of them. the hospital I worked at was completely computerized.
One day I had TWO patients with severe hperglycemia, not as severe as your step-father, but they both made complete recovery. hope this helps. e-mail me, I'm leaveing later today for a miliatry outpost, but I'll check as often as I can. I'll pray for you and your family, God bless.
2007-09-27 17:57:32 · answer #1 · answered by colway 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Beings the ventilator has been removed the prognosis is good. This means he has been recovering very well. The doctors will NOT take a patient off of a ventilator if they have any incling if there will be any more cardiac or respiratory compromise. He may end up going to a Long-Term Acute Care facility LTAC for rehab and wound healing.
The things I would be mostly concerned about is infections. Particularly, sepsis. He may need to start dialysis, which many people live for 20-30 years just fine with dialysis. He may start insulin to control the blood sugar, people live entire life spans using insulin. With all of this, you must eat healthy and be cautious of infections and have a good doctor.
Right now, I think he may be a little meladramatic. Be supportive to your mom. Pray. Have faith.
2007-09-28 00:57:40 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Obviously I can't tell you he will absolutely be fine. However I can tell you that others have survived similar situations. His statements are probably due to fear. He almost died and is still in a very scary place. Once he starts improving and is moved out of ICU hopefully his mood will improve. But remember he went very quickly from being healthy to now having multiple medical issues, It will probably take him a while to adjust and you'll need to cut him some slack.
You should probably let a doctor or nurse at the hospital know about your concerns for your mom and ask them to talk openly with you so you know what is going on.
Good luck - I'll be praying for you.
2007-09-28 00:58:19 · answer #3 · answered by jjhoffer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am really not sure as to the odds or anything. But what I do know is that the doctors or nurses have to tell you if you do ask what is going on. I would get your mother, since it is your step father, to talk to the nurse or doctor and find out what is going on. If you are persistent, but polite, they will tell you and answer any questions you have. It is also important to try and keep him in high spirits and not let him give up hope. Once someone gives up, chances are they won't make it. On www.cnn.com under the health section there is a great little article about what to do if someone you love is in the hospital. http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/09/13/ep.patient.advocates/index.html
Hope I kinda helped, honestly just help him keep his spirits up and talk to the medical staff. Best of luck.
2007-09-28 00:49:35 · answer #4 · answered by sweetmanda20 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a similar situation happen with my mother years ago. I understand your frustration and your fear of the future.
Whether or not your Step-Father makes it may be a huge mystery to you right now, and truthfully no one knows for sure. It's what you do right now that will determine how you will see things in the future. I did all I could to make my mom (bless her soul) comfortable and I was there all the time. I brought her little things to cheer her up, things she liked when she was well, and I told her stories about when I was young, etc. I always, inspite of what the Drs said, told her she was looking better. Always brought a smile to her pretty face. Illness is tough for anyone. Be as stable as you can.
R
2007-09-28 00:52:38 · answer #5 · answered by roy s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't get it - you're not a blood relative or his spouse, why is everyone asking YOU for his prognosis? Tell them the truth, which is that you don't know. If you DO want to know, get the doctors to sit down with you and tell you. You're not a mind reader. But don't be surprised if they want to make your Mom the point person instead.
He probably feels pretty low right now and that may be where all the talk is coming from. If it makes him feel better, be there for him. People have come back from some pretty severe illnesses.
.
2007-09-28 00:45:27 · answer #6 · answered by Kacky 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If he is telling you to spend time with him just in case...then maybe you should. It may be his last wish, and believe me when I say....you could regret not being there with him in his last moments. Dying people know when their time is near. Not only have I been there 3 years ago, but one of my friends was there this morning.....a few hours and extra hugs couldn't hurt either way!
2007-09-28 00:47:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't give up there's hope but all things are impossible if you pray
There are survivors
2007-09-28 00:46:02 · answer #8 · answered by Louie™ 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋