I received a phone call from the wound care nurse this afternoon. Dad's tiny wound on the bottom of his left foot has healed. The basal cell on his left pinkie toe is bigger, redder and swollen. She said they know it probably won't help, but the doctor ordered an antibiotic cream for ten days. Dad does not complain of any discomfort amazingly...
Dad still has the mark on his chin, but she said it was dried up. Dad's only complaint is when they put the drops in and clean his right eye.
The lab results are in on Dad's "fasting" blood test. His blood sugar (glucose) is elevated at 184 and his HBAIC is 6.8...(I think I have that right...) so he is pre-diabetic, but the doctor did not write any orders for it.
The nursing home and doctor did the same thing last year in April. The Director of Nursing called and wanted Dad to be on a diabetic diet and we all voted to let him eat what he wants to eat...Dad doesn't like bland food or anyone to tell him what he cannot eat... I wish they would just let Dad be...all these tests and creams etc, it just gives Medicare more money...and Dad has to keep getting stuck with needles...
I have been calling for a week leaving messages with the Psychiatrist's office to have him call me and explain why he keeps taking Dad off the Lexapro. I also want to know if there is a choice, we prefer the Lexapro over the Remeron. The doctor has Dad on the Remeron to increase his appetite..
First off, Dad has always had a voracious appetite. The nursing home wants to increase his appetite because Dad weighs 148. Most of Dad's life he has weighed 150. He could eat and eat and never gain weight. At one point, the first year Dad was in the nursing home, he got up to a whopping 166 pounds, mainly because my brothers, my sister and I would bring him In and Out Burgers, fries and shakes every time we visited....
In January of this year, Dad weighed 156 and in February the nursing home informed me he had lost 8 pounds from the previous month and weighs 148, (which he has maintained to date) so they were going to give him ice cream at lunch and dinner and food supplement drinks three times a day.
Every Friday I can count on the nursing home calling me at least once. Lately, it seems they have been calling on average of 3 times a week...
Lord, please watch over Dad and keep him well until you call him home...Amen.
6 comments:
That's a good HmgA1c, for an elderly person. Our Dr likes our residents to be at 7 or below. Glad to hear that one wound healed!
Amen! You know Donna as hard as it was, I prayed this for the longest time for my mom, even before she was sick, but that she would have a peaceful death and she did; I was so thankful about it; she basically fell asleep here on earth and woke up in heaven and that was what my prayer was. Conversely, I told hubby to pray for a peaceful death for his parents; his mom's death was awful, just awful, (that's why I am such an advocate about advance directives and sticking to them and having everyone on board at end of life issues).
I think you guys are doing the right thing to let your dad eat what he wants and have him enjoy his food.
I'm sure you'll be anxious to see him when you visit next month.
betty
As one who has to keep a check on my blood sugars, I can assure you, eating a 'diabetic diet', as you call it, doesn't mean I have to starve and eat less food! Merely watch the sugar content. There is no need for either medication or injections, simply a sensible approach to the sugar content in all foods.
I'm sure your father would find such a diet no hardship, and the adverse affects of diabetes are serious, and best avoided. Monitoring diet is a relatively simple way to prevent dire results from this progressive and serious disease.
My heart goes out to you. Institutions operate differently than the individual caregiver. Why can't they leave well enough alone? I wish you peace and comfort. Worry won't change anything. I learned that.
Just be a thorn in their side, don't stop until you get what you want.
Hi Donna~ I hear your frustration..
In & Out Burgers? Can I be in your family? We don't have an In & Out but have heard about them! lol.
Hang in there.. Your Dad is so blessed to have you. And I think you too are Blessed.
So, he weighs LESS than he has most of his life, by 2 pounds? Lord love a duck.
As for the close to diabetes, my guess is that you'll have already read all you need to about it. And are already on top of the matter, if there has to BE an "on top" of the matter.
Forgive me, but I am sort of hoping that you don't get THREE calls a day, now that things are better. Is that a bad thing to wish for?
As I have said many times, you have much on your plate. I envy the genuine closeness in your family sometimes--but I'm hoping that I used the right word. I LOVE seeing love among family members. And there was love in mine, but we had to do some digging around sometimes to retrieve it!
Take care of YOU along the way, Donna, okay? I almost called you DEBBIE. What's up with that?
Love you.
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