Friday, August 21, 2009

Three Pints of Blood too High a Price



Well, home health was not to draw blood from Mother. They tried from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.After three different LPN's and three hours I asked them to stop and I would take her to the hospital. Also the LPN last here said that Mother has a build up of fluid around her heart and she is swollen all over so she sees the Dr at 1:30 this afternoon.


I left for the hospital at 11:00 a.m. Taking her to the lab there. We are only about 5 minutes from the hospital.


It only took about 15 minutes and then back home to wait for results and a Dr appointment at 1:15. About 5 minutes after getting mom home the phone rang and it was the Dr's office telling me to get mother to the hospital ER right now. Her hemoglobin was 4.9 and it should be 12. She was in danger of heart failure and needed blood right now. The Dr had called the ER and they were waiting for us when we got there. That was at 12:00 noon and at 5:00 p.m. they were finally taking her upstairs to a room and get the blood started.
The wheels turn slowly.


Mom needed 4 pints of blood and it takes at least 3 hours for one pint and did you know that when they give you blood they give you equal amounts of IV fluid and LASIX with each pint.
You know what Lasix does! It makes you go pee!!!!!!!!!! Mother started peeing about 5 minutes after the started the first pint of blood and got up every 10 minutes to go pee for the next 3 hours.


I guess you have figured out by now that we missed the concert and most of the day from the ER at noon to moving up to the room at 5:00 I cried. I am not sure what it was all about but most likely a mixture of worry about Mom and disappointment that we did not get to have just a few hours for ourselves.

My brother Paul was out of town and could not get back at all to help and there is no one else to ask. My sweet son Chris told me he would come to the hospital and watch mom but you all know that I would not do that. Anyway, my sweet husband stayed with me most of the day and at 6:00 or so I sent him home.

Me and Mom were up all night getting her up and down to the bathroom. She was exhausted, I was exhausted and I think at some point I just cried because she was so tired and I did not know what else to do but cry.

So what started at 7:00 am on Thursday ended at 9:30 on Friday morning and her blood count was up to 9.9 and they let her go home. By the time we got her home and settled in and Dennis and I laid down for a few hours the day was over.

NOW.......... I want to tell you what happened when the Dr came in to release Mom. My brother Paul had shown up at the hospital at 3:00 a.m to relieve me and let me go home but I stayed till after 5:00 am not wanting to leave mom. At 5:00 a.m. my sweet husband walked in and I left and went home to take a shower and maybe lay down an hour and go back to the hospital to let my brother Paul go as he teaches at the University at 9:00 a.m. BUT I went to sleep and my sweet husband went to the hospital instead and relieved brother Paul.


THEN!!!!!!!!!!! The Dr. came in around 9:00a.m. and told Dennis and they were letting mother go home after three pints of blood instead of the 4 that had been allocated to her. Instead of bringing her blood up to 11-12 where it is best they stopped at 9.6. The Dr said to my husband


"If you are not going to have tests run to try and find out where her blood is going" then why would we treat her again for this same problem"


My husband looked at him and said " We will treat her because if we do not she will die and she has not had to have blood in 18 months or more"

The Dr then said " You do realize that she is 89"

My sweet husband then realized what the Dr was getting at.

The Dr then realized that Dennis was shocked and insulted by the statement made and his response to Dennis was " Well I guess it is something that her and her family need to discuss with her Doctor!"


I thank God I thank God I thank God that I was not the one having that conversation with that Dr. I just do not know how that would have ended. My mother has had test after test after test just 18 months ago to try and find where the blood was going and they never could find any reason for it. Her mother suffered from anemia and had to have transfusions and her brother Uncle Ed has anemia and has to have transfusions.


Mother is very healthy with the exception of the dementia. She has no heart problems and no diabetics. No high blood pressure or any thing that calls for life sustaining medicine.

That Doctor insinuated that because she is 89 years old and is of no use anymore then why in the world would they want to give her three pints of blood to let her live a few years longer.

The price of a beautiful life is not worth the cost of three pints of blood. I do not know what will happen if in another year and half goes by and she again needs blood, I wonder if they will turn her away.


Ladies, the time to pray for out beautiful country is now, the time to call upon the Father God and humble ourselves and pray. HE will hear and HE will listen. The darkness that has flooded into our nation is filled with evil and sinister plans that have no love for life and has an agenda of death and euthanasia.

We are all headed into that darkness and one day we will be in the place where my sweet mother stands. She is alive and loves life, she is frail and old in years but alive in her soul. She loves her flowers and box of crochet thread, but those that will have choices over her are not of our Father God and they will choose to let her die for the cost of a few pints of blood.

I cried a lot today.


Mom is home and resting well and once again the Father God has kept HIS hand of protection on her. She lives because of HIS grace.

I am headed to bed with the thoughts of Rod Stewart dancing across that stage singing his songs...... Maybe he will come back again.......


(I am very past tired and if some of this is not worded well, then forgive me)
I am writing a letter to the Editor tomorrow after I have rested and have it published in our local newspaper. I will share that with your latter..

Love ya's



18 comments:

  1. Oh ! oh! oh I am so so so s o angry hurt for you and appalled.. Yep science fiction is becoming a reality in our nation. I am so sorry your family was given such disrespect. See however it is you who had the story to tell>>>
    the editor will hear your real life story!
    If the story if they are wise...they will tell it. The media is owned however often by these same unscrupulous type folk. Here is to hoping that the media is independent. I would also call the local news channel.

    there is a reason you get to tell...you are the one chosen to speak out and up

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  2. Sweetie, my heart hurts for you, and your dear mom. I love you, and you are in my prayers.

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  3. Dear Denise....as I read this I began to cry too. There should be no question what treatment your mom should be receiving....times are very sad and scary. Keeping you and yours in my thoughts and prayers...hugs, Linda

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  4. O, I am boiling on this end! How dare him! It's not up to him to decide when it's your mother's turn to leave this world, cant these doctors figure that out! I hear this so much at work and I get so darn mad, I have to walk away and pray to that very same God who allowed this person to become a Dr. to keep my mouth SHUT! they are doctors,not our God! and besides he's not paying for the blood to be given, get me going and I don't know when to shut up! and so what if your Mom needs more blood in 18 months, or 6 months, or in 30 days, give it too her! sounds like he needs to love his mother in the way you love your momma and then he'll realize how you and your hubby felt when he said what to & yours! I'm sorry your going through this but at least you have your faith in our father and your husband to help you get through this!
    I love you!
    Annette

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  5. I am so angry reading this!!!! How dare the doctor, and how dare this country!!!!! Holy Moly!!!!! This is exactly why i am against the health plan our president is trying to push down our throats!!!!!! My friend i will be praying!!!!

    Hugs and blessings.

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  6. Goodness girl i think I would be contacting the hospital!
    After what we went through with Paw Paw at 93....everyone deserves the best of care!
    Paw Paw had the same problem loosing blood...but his problem was cancer in the marrow of his bones.
    Even so...they would not treat it because of his age....but He still got the best of care.

    I can not even believe they would have the disrespect to say such a thing.Glad you are right a letter....and yes, we need to realize what is coming and be prepared. God help us!

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  7. My heart was in my throat the whole time I was reading this. As much as this administration tries to dismiss this as an unwarranted concern, what happened to your family is going to become more and more prevalent in this nation. It's already present, but all this health reform is leading more and more in that direction. You are so right, it's darkness in the hearts of a people who have gone far from God. We can only fall on our knees with desparate prayers.

    The Lord be with your mom. She, at least, is blessed to have the family that she has. Praying the Lord will sustain you, Sister.

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  8. Denise, I hate to get you agitated again (God knows you've had enough lately) but I'm 67 and my husband is 70. He has lupus and this has been a battle with the doctors for 10 years. I asked him if he got the idea that because we're Medicare that we were being shunted to the side, patted on the head and sent on our way with no real treatment. About 3 weeks ago the doctor put me on enalilpril for my blood pressure. After a cough so bad I was unable to sleep night after night I got on the net and found out that it can cause a cough. So I told her I wasn't going to take it anymore. She gave me some samples of Diovan and the cough didn't slow down but got worse. I looked on the net and found out that the first side effect was a cough!!!! So I dropped it and went on my old medicine without a drs advice!!! Dang!!!!! I hate to make this so long. Please read my blog for 8/23

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  9. LOVE YOU Denise...

    Just checking in on you and your Mom as well.. As you already know God is GOOD! and nothing but good will come from all this.

    Love & hugs~
    Annette

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  10. Denise, this is all so hard on your mom and the family. It's heart breaking to hear some of this stuff.

    Please get some rest and take care.

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  11. Friend,

    I can not imagine all that you went through, only to be treated by a doctor that insulted not only you and your family, but all of us that having aging parents in need of health care.

    Praying that God will continue to take care of your mother, daddy and you and hubby....and crying is good for the soul...

    Love you.

    ~Beth

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  12. Denise,

    I was in bed, falling asleep, when I thought of you and felt the most profound sadness. Something urged me to get up and I did. I made a cup of tea and came to the computer and saw that you had commented on my post about the Welland Canal. I followed the link here to your blog and read your latest post.

    I must confess that when I read it, I knew that our Father had sent me here to read this. I am so sorry, my friend, that you didn't get to attend Rod Stewart's concert, but more sorry that you have had to go through this...and your poor mother.

    I'm glad that Dr. didn't say that to me about my mother. I would have lost it. I'm very protective of my loved ones and friends. I believe that your mother suffers from anemia and that they should be testing her blood regularly and treating her.

    I can certainly relate. As I've told you, Grandma had a rare blood condition and had to have transfusions often. Her cousin suffered from pernicious anemia and so does my daughter, Michelle. It is a life threatening condition and has to be treated regularly. Michelle has an iron shot once a month in summer and in winter, twice a month and she still has to take iron during the winter.

    That doctor had no right to say those words to Dennis about your dear mother. I would file (and we can here in Canada) a formal complaint with the board of Physicians and Surgeons. I'm not sure what the equivalent is there, but I do hope you will look into it.

    Euthanasia is something that I don't believe in except for animals. I would have been hopping mad had a doctor said such a thing and would have let him know it from the get-go. Praying for you, dear friend, for you and your dear mother are on my heart tonight.

    We won't be here tomorrow, but possibly Tuesday I can give you a call.

    Love and hugs,
    Mary

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  13. What the heck??? How could a doctor say that to ANYONE??? I am so sorry Denise. I will continue to keep you and your mother in my prayers. I so miss my mom...and would give all my blood to have her back again.

    Big hugz,
    Michele

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  14. Sweet Denise...you are on my heart...I am weeping with you for the unrecognized treasure that your Mom is!

    Bless you for being a faithful daughter,
    Susan

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  15. (((((Denise)))))
    My heart goes out to you...Love you~Sharon

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  16. Dear Denise...bless your sweet heart and your precious mom...I have been offline for a week so am just now learning of this...so so sorry for the way things have gone for you and your family and for the complete dishonor your mom was shown...crying in my heart with you and praying always....

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  17. Denise, my soul is in anguish just THINKING about this! I want to be surprised by the disgusting treatment of your precious Mom by that Dr and the words he spoke but I'm not surprised as we look around the Gov, nation and the world this is what it's come to. Life in the womb and elderly life is NOT important to so many people. GOD HELP US!

    May HIS touch be upon your Mother and your entire family. I'm praying...

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  18. Bless your heart! I don't know why this post didn't come up on my reader. I had to go searching for it.
    I remember Daddy complaining to the dr about being tired and his legs aching so it was hard to walk and the dr told him there wasn't anything wrong with him except he was old.

    I'm afraid we are headed into the end times. Your sweet Mother should have the blood whether they know why she is anemic or not.
    Heres wishing you a better weekend.
    Mama Bear

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