4.2 Montefiore Monday

A bit of a rough day. Dad had 2 attacks. The first day that he's had more than one attack in a day. One was around 8am to maybe 10am. It was comforting to him and the family that my Aunt Peggy was there. She's a nurse that trains people diagnosed with diabetes how to handle their treatment, I think. She had stopped in to see how he was doing since her husband, Vince, was in the hospital to have his gallbladder removed. (He's doing fine.) She told my Dad that he was in good hands with his nurses.

In the first attack they tried different ways to combat the pain and nausea. He was given a prescription earlier the week before for a suppository to help with the nausea (I think). That didn't work. They ended up giving him the 2 shots, Dilaudid for the pain and Zofran for the nausea. They also took blood from an artery in his arm, around his wrist.

I arrived around 11:30 and he promptly had another attack. They tried a Fentanyl Lollipop and an Zofran pill. It took about 40 min, but finally the pain went away.

Dr. Roberts, Dad's PCP, came in after all this and discusses what may be going on. They are also looking into not only the Ischemia but also the possibility of Carcinoid Tumors. The next web entry is from an email I sent to Mom about the Doctor's visit.

-Paige

3.30 Montefiore Friday

In the hospital, no "attacks" this day. He did another 24 hour urine collection since the first one was lost. *We later find out they had this one in the fridge 5 days before sending it out to be tested...grrr*

-Paige

3.29 Thursday

And again to the hospital not 15 hours after he came back from the night before. Dad had some of a Meat Lovers personal pan pizza for lunch. Around 3 he started feeling bad with throwing up and pain. It subsided a little. Then came back with full force around 4ish. I took him to the hospital at 4:30pm. Mom met us there.

Dad was admitted to Montefiore, a spill over for Presby. He's in 8 North room 882 bed 2. I'm sure he would love a visit.

-Paige

3.28 Wednesday

Wednesday evening, I made dinner. It was turkey, stuffing and spinach. Pretty much within the hour Dad started feeling poorly. Instead of waiting until the pain was full force, Mom took Dad into Presby right away. They waited in the waiting room for an hour before being seen. Dad got the 2 shots and was discharged. They got home around 1 or 2 am.

-Paige

3.26 Monday

Dad went back to Dr. Roberts on Monday to start some of the testing that Dr. Roberts wanted done. He dropped of the 24 hour urine collection. The CT Enterography happened. And they were supposed to do a blood draw, but the paperwork wasn't there.

A few weeks later we find out they lost the urine collection and whoever did the CT Enterography, didn't do the test correctly.

-Paige

3.24 Saturday

On Saturday the 24th, Mom and Dad went to my cousin Karl's final tamburitzans concert. There was a banquet type of thing afterwards and Dad had eaten a hot dog, fried chicken, haluski and then later in the evening he had some Popcorn.

9pm the pain and nausea started again. They went into the hospital around midnight and once the pain was under controll he was discharged.

-Paige

3.21-3.23

3.21 Dad went to his Ear/Nose/Throat doctor and learned that his sinus infection that had been hounding him since December is cleared up! Great news! No more Antibiotics.

3.22 Mom and Dad went to his primary care physician, Dr. Roberts, to find out what is going on. Dr. Roberts wants a few tests done to check for Ischemia. He wants a CT Enterography, Colonoscopy, Angiogram, blood work and a 24hour urine collection.

One of the things they think Dad may have is Mesenteric Ischemia.

3.23 Dad calls Dr. Roberts on Friday to set up tests for the following Monday.

-Paige

3.20

Dad called Mom at work before lunch to take him to the ER again. He had gone to McDonald's and gotten a Sausage/Egg/Cheese Bagel. Paige was out doing job search stuff so she couldn't drive him. Mom came out to Shaler and picked him up, then drove back to Oakland to take him again to Presby. They have him the 2 shots and sent Dad home after a while. Before they sent him home they did a chest X-ray and a different CT scan of his lower abdomen checking the blood vessels to see if something was constricting the bowel. Everything came out normal.

No hospital stay this time.

-Paige

3.13 - 3.16

Tuesday the 13th was a super beautiful day, temp wise in the 70's and lots of sun! Mom came home and made steak, mushrooms, noodles and spinach for dinner.

Around 11pm I was sitting on the couch doing some stuff for the kids at work since the 14th was my last day. Dad came downstairs and asked me to move so that he could sleep on the couch. He said that he had thrown up a few times and didn't want to be upstairs with Mom, in case he woke her. He got sick a few more times. Around 12am he fell asleep and I went to bed.

I guess at 1am, Dad woke up Mom to take him to the hospital again. They got there at 2am. He was admitted after they took care of the pain and he was sent to Magee.

Yes Magee Womens Hospital. They are an overflow for Presby. They wanted to check his gallbladder again. He got to have an ultrasound. I don't know too many men (read:none) who have had an ultrasound at Magee. He also had an endoscopy, stomach emptying test and a scope. All came out good.

On Friday they sent him home...again.

-Paige