Sunday 11 May 2014

Difficult times

The last week has been a bit of a nightmare.  It started with Keith's second fall of the Bank Holiday weekend this one we could not manage to get him back on his feet.  We had to call the emergency number for help.  He seemed okay when they finally got him into bed and we talked late into the night putting the world to rights.  But on Tuesday morning I woke to a completely different man, one who was very weak and very confused but didn't appear to be in pain.  Keith deteriorated rapidly over the next couple of days becoming even more confused and combative, something he has never been but still not complaining of pain.  The District and MacMillan nursing teams and his GP all thought he was entering the final phase of his illness and the cancer had probably gone to his brain.  

However, at the insistence of his nursing carers, his GP finally organised blood tests (why this hadn't been done earlier nobody can understand).  It appeared that Keith's lack of appetite and reluctance to drink had resulted in severe dehydration and raised calcium levels, plus other raised results showed he had an infection somewhere.   Any, or all, of these result could be the reason for his altered behaviour.   He is in hospital where they are trying to get his calcium levels down, rehydrate him and treat his infection.  But he isn't the easiest of patients to treat as is determined to go home.  He persistently climbs out of bed (despite the rails round his bed), removes all his clothing because he is too hot and still confused. Despite being so ill he is physically a strong man when agitated.  My poor love is very distressed and I hope they manage to get to the bottom of this soon.  In spite of his treatment though all the doctors he has seen believe that his cancer is partially to blame and we have a long wait until Tuesday to see if what they can treat has worked I get my Keith back.

In the meantime I have managed to get some hand sewing in sitting by his bedside.  I will take a photo later and show you how far I have got with my "woolly jumpers".

4 comments:

Plum Cox said...

I do feel for you, Annette. I hope that they can find out what the problem is. Very distressing for you (and for Keith too, by the sound of it). My thoughts are with you both.

PaulineC said...

So sorry Annette. Thinking of you both.

Lyndsey said...

My thoughts and prayers are with you both Annette. Hopefully re-hydrating Keith will help as will finding the source of the infection.

Suztats said...

I hope Keith is improving, and that re-hydrating and solving the infection works to make him less agitated. Sending up prayers for you both.