father in hospital, I think they are going to kill him

[PatColo]

Wow forgot about K2. Thanks man.

apparently the vegie KALE has alot of vit K -- easy to remember eh? K for KALE

may have to go to whole foods or similar boutique supermarket for kale; safeway & similar don't seem to carry the more exotic vegies.

[Amanda]

Check my edited post, changed the recommendation from Walgreens to a pulse oximeter at CVS plus added some info.

I CANNOT believe they won't adjust his bed for him so he can eat.

Yes, on the first night I visited him at 7pm, he said food was there by 6:10 and person quickly drops it and leaves. Yet, within minutes of my arrival, those lazy bitchy nurses came in and adjusted him. My father said, they only did that because you were here. And they KNOW this is an issue he needs taken care of every single time he gets a meal. And I was there when they did it and it literally took ONE freaking minute.


I think all of this abusive treatment has demoralized him- they are disrespecting his dignity. There was apparently some issue with pee (not sure of the details, he told my mother), but he needed someone to help clean something up and he had to wait and wait. He had to call my mother, who then called them. Yet the nurses station is right there outside his door. And I think once yesterday he called for water and the nurse hung up on him. (I'm documenting all of this).

***
Again, prior to the hospital, he NEVER showed any signs of needing oxygen. He never got winded or short of breath. My mother said only once, when he was going back and forth from house to car loading it up with stuff, maybe 6-7 trips did he get a bit winded and needed to sit down. But that might be typical for anyone who is in their 80s. Now, suddenly, after just 2 days at the hospital, he suddenly needs oxygen forever? It makes no sense IMO.

[Amanda]

I suggested to my mother to call the insurance company and let them know what's going on. Not sure if they can help, but they are getting ripped off by all of this, so maybe they will be interested.

I think maybe he has good coverage, because my mother said last time he went through this valve drama was in 2019 at a Philadelphia hospital. Apparently, my parents didn't have to pay anything for that--insurance covered the whole thing. So perhaps that's what some of this is about??

****

late tonight, now my mom is worried that they already got him so weak, that he cannot be managed at home, as in too weak to stand up and get to the bathroom. She is wondering about getting him to rehab to get stronger from this hospital visit. She thinks now he would need 24 hour nurse care.

I think I also read in Dr. Rogers "Is Your Cardiologist Killing You?" that being low/deficient in potassium will cause weakness.

I honestly don't know how they could have destroyed his health in just 4 days. He was not weak before he left--he was up and about making his meals and getting stuff for himself. He had the elderly problem of having trouble getting up from the sofa and normally needed to use both arms to push off, but once he broke shoulder, then he needed assistance, But once he was up, he was fine walking around.

[Bigjon]

apparently the vegie KALE has alot of vit K -- easy to remember eh? K for KALE

may have to go to whole foods or similar boutique supermarket for kale; safeway & similar don't seem to carry the more exotic vegies.

vit K is a different animal from K2, K is more in the blood coagulation line while K2 keeps calcium out of the soft tissues and sends it to the bones.
Vit K is from leafy vegies like Kale, while K2 is a fermentation of soy tofu called natto and I believe fermented cheese.

[Tumbleweed]

I think I also read in Dr. Rogers "Is Your Cardiologist Killing You?" that being low/deficient in potassium will cause weakness.

Have they checked his potassium Level? When I was in the hospital after my heart operation they were checking my potassium level often and it got low. I was feeling pretty weak too. They gave me some juice that tasted terrible too bring the level up. I've read if it's too low or to high it can cause weakness.

When my dad passed my niece who's a registered nurse said his potassium level was low and she thought if it had been supplemented he may have been able to get up and going again. She works in hospice now. She wasn't a nurse though at the time my dad passed.

When my dad got weak he was moved in to the hospice program and we moved hm to my sisters home. I didn't know it at the time but my sister knew his potassium was low but was afraid of supplementing him with potassium. I suppose because of not know knowing how much to supplement and not do harm.

You've mentioned supplementing your dad with magnesium and I think that's a good thing. I have arrhythmias when I don't supplement magnesium. I don't seem to absorb it very well through my stomach with pills or powder but I do absorb it very well through my skin. I use magnesium oil and when I start having arrhythmias the magnesium oil rubbed in to my skin stops them right away.

[Amanda]

Have they checked his potassium Level? When I was in the hospital after my heart operation they were checking my potassium level often and it got low. I was feeling pretty weak too. They gave me some juice that tasted terrible too bring the level up. I've read if it's too low or to high it can cause weakness.

When my dad passed my niece who's a registered nurse said his potassium level was low and she thought if it had been supplemented he may have been able to get up and going again. She works in hospice now. She wasn't a nurse though at the time my dad passed.

When my dad got weak he was moved in to the hospice program and we moved hm to my sisters home. I didn't know it at the time but my sister knew his potassium was low but was afraid of supplementing him with potassium. I suppose because of not know knowing how much to supplement and not do harm.

You've mentioned supplementing your dad with magnesium and I think that's a good thing. I have arrhythmias when I don't supplement magnesium. I don't seem to absorb it very well through my stomach with pills or powder but I do absorb it very well through my skin. I use magnesium oil and when I start having arrhythmias the magnesium oil rubbed in to my skin stops them right away.

Thanks for this. Nope, they definitely have NOT checked his potassium level or magnesium level. We will ask about getting this done. I will look into getting a potassium supplement today. We have been bringing him bananas everyday. I have magnesium spray and will bring that over there today.

Is Afib the same as arrhythmia?

This is such a freaking nightmare. We're totally exhausted. I've only gotten a few hours of sleep each night b/c I'm so wired and worried. I don't want to take anything for sleep b/c I'm afraid I will miss a call or something.
We have been working at this all week. When we are not there, then we are on the phone with him. My mother spends so much time calling the nurses station to get them to do their job.

***

Just found that I have potassium chloride powder, so I guess I can give that to him in water (1/8 tsp =365 mg)

[Tumbleweed]

Is Afib the same as arrhythmia?

Magnesium is used in the treatment of both.

[Tumbleweed]

Is Afib the same as arrhythmia?

Magnesium is used in the treatment of both.

I'll leave a link to a search that may help you with more information.

Magnesium treatment for arryhthmias and afib

a quote from the search and link.

Because of its unique and diverse electrophysiological actions, intravenous magnesiumhas been reported to be useful in preventing atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias after cardiac and thoracic surgery; in reducing the ventricular response in acute onset atrial fibrillation, including for patients with ...

I just stopped by my house and need to get back to work. Hope this helps. You're doing a good job taking care of your father and he needs you and your mother to be advocates for him. My family did that for both of my parents when they were in the hospital. We tried to have a family member with them around the clock to watch out for them.

[Amanda]

Magnesium is used in the treatment of both.

I'll leave a link to a search that may help you with more information.

Magnesium treatment for arryhthmias and afib

a quote from the search and link.



I just stopped by my house and need to get back to work. Hope this helps. You're doing a good job taking care of your father and he needs you and your mother to be advocates for him. My family did that for both of my parents when they were in the hospital. We tried to have family member with them around the clock to watch out for them.

Thanks so much for all of this!

Just heard from my father 11am, he talked with someone who told him the name of the doctor who would be discharging him (so, I guess that's a good sign, though we don't know when). He talked with another doctor from the local cardiology group (I guess they work with the hospital) who told him that he would be discharged with oxygen. So, this is good news, but why were we told all last week that he would NOT get oxygen Was that part of the medical kidnapping/blackmail?

I think my mother is going to have to get a hospital bed and set it up in their living room.

[JDRock]

Wow, its as if the entire medical establishment is one giant cult! Kudos for getting him the h@ll outta there, hes lucky to have you watching out for him.