I guess this is more of a rant than a question. There really isn't anywhere else I can be comfortable just unloading this sort of thing and know that the readers know exactly where I am coming from. Anyway, The issue of sleep around here has been a problem, First mom and Ambien. Finally. Solved. Then Dad causing a total uproar and keeping everyone awake night after night. Finally got a real sleep aide from the VA, and got some sleep last night ...yeah! I really hoped that we could get a few good days before then next "event". But, it was not to be. Yesterday the nurse manager at the VA was pretty worried about the fluid retention and rattle in my Dads lungs, The X-ray and lab work today revealed way too much fluid surrounding his heart and in his lungs. In fact, his entire body has way too much fluid retention. So a stop at the VA pharmacy and new meds to take tonight. But, no..that would have been to easy. Just at dinner time I finally get a call back from the VA about the neurology appointment been trying to get for weeks. Those incompetents working there refused to talk to me! Said they didn't have a copy of the health care proxy, so couldn't talk to me. Well, you can imagine how this phone conversation went with Dad. He told them off, and hung up! Great, something else to try to straighten out on Monday. But..no...that wasn't enough... dad has decided there is some defairious organization taking over the VA, and he is NOT going to take those meds....period. This was said with some pretty impressive cuss words. Drunken sailor come to mind. I am not going to try to fight with a dementia in full blown sundown. He is suppose to take this at night...well...may.be tomorrow morning. Maybe not at all. Honestly, I never know who I am going to be dealing with any more. He was hiding pills under the cushion of his chair..so, now the nurse says to hand them to him and watch him take them. So..now he won't take them at all. Geez, my kids weren't this bad. I am concerned about this sudden fluid buildup around his heart..and the fluid weight gain in general. Nursing is a bit alarmed about it too. Well, I know you can't reason with anyone with this condition...plus if he is retaining a lot of fluid in his body...you can bet the situation with his hydrocephalus is getting worse too. Ok..well,methinks for letting me rant! Now I am going to go learn about RV insulation methods.
Typically some number of them end up in the chair or the floor. Attempts to fix this has only resulted in refusal to take any. But, by the law of averages, it isn't the same ones on the floor each day.
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So..today I went to show Mom the cereal I got for her in the pantry...Dad yells "yeah, you go over there in the corner to conspire against me....can't tell me how you plan to do me in?" And he wasn't joking. I just ignore this. It is the noise in his head talking.
He takes. Furosemide and potassium chl.
Nurse tells me the Furosemide will cause him to pee .... A lot.
The potassium is an absolute must to take as the same time to help keep with minerals in balance because of the dieretic effects.
Ok...so...I am guessing the fluid retention is severely effecting his brain now,
After a lot of fuss, he finally took the meds...BUT, ah yes...explosive diarrhea. (Never a dull moment). Now he blames it on the meds. Keeps claiming he had never had diarrhea before.
This is clearly not sundown ( at least not completely). It's going to be a long weekend!
Ok...I going in.........
What did the doctor prescribe for the fluid?