And two baby step backwards.
As you know, every time John takes two steps forward, there seems to be one step back. This time, the back step isn't as bad as before, but it's two of them, so I'm asking for more prayers.
1. "Hemoglobin count." That's the name of that thingy they kept counting with John when they gave him blood tests. And that's the number that tells them when he needs more blood. According to the first hospital he stayed in, (HUP), he was fine until he went under 700, which he did often, so not so "fine."
According to the second hospital, (VA), they didn't worry about it until it got close to 700. Not "at," but "close," and he kept getting close, so he'd keep getting more blood.
According to where he is now, (CLC -- the nursing home/short-term rehab for vets through the VA hospital), they get worried when it goes below 800.
Three weeks ago, he spent time back in the VA because he needed two pints of blood, because it rushed down to 590-something. BUT they supposedly/finally (depending if you're an optimist or pessimist), took him off Warfarin, because that blood thinner was the cause for him losing blood, so that should do the trick. His blood count was 860 when he returned to the CLC. And then he has had three blood test since, which, since he didn't go back to the hospital right afterward we've been pretty happy thinking that's over.
Hold the brakes! It's not over. He's not losing blood as quickly as he was, but he is going down ever so slowly. 824, 796, 760-something. Next Tuesday, when they give him his next blood test, IF he goes down any lower, he goes back to get a transfusion that day. (Not to stay in the hospital, just to spend several hours in the short-procedure unit to get another pint.) Since it's not rising, we don't think it's merely an "if."
Here's the kicker. I asked his doctor, (who is both female and probably postmenopausal like me, which apparently makes a difference in blood count numbers), "What is the average blood count for people like us?"
Answer: "1200, but for men it should be between 900-1200."
I did NOT flip out. I did not say what I'm thinking, because I didn't want to upset John, or, knowing me when I get very emotional, start crying, which really upsets John, so here's what I'm thinking that I did not say, "So? You're telling me that here is this man trying to heal from a massive heart attack, two heart surgeries, two huge infections that almost killed him, kidneys shutting down on him, and a freaking bedsore big enough to use as a mug holder for your morning coffee that he is supposed to be getting better on two-thirds of a tank of blood, simply because that's what the numbers say on how much he can survive on? HOW IS THAT LOGICAL?"
(Still a baby step, not a huge leap back because he's apparently dripping blood, not drizzling blood now.)
2. Because that just wasn't enough to grasp in one fell swoop, and because the doctor managed to forget to mention the problem with his blood count until after we settled this one, he is also going to get weaned off his foley. (Something like a catheter, but fulltime.) He's needed it for a long time, but it also works in such a way that his bladder never needs to hold the urine until he goes to the bathroom. Since his bladder hasn't had to do its job in months it doesn't work. (We know his because this has happened before and months ago.) So, he's going to have to get the foley removed and get a catheter put in every six hours to release the pee, and exercise the bladder again. In most cases, after 2-3 days a patient can just go to the bathroom as needed, but the doctor is sure John isn't that patient. We're just hoping his bladder figures out what to do, but it's not likely.
I'd be asking for prayers for the unlikely right now, EXCEPT, this is supposed to happen on Monday, blood test is Tuesday, transfusion is either Tuesday or Wednesday which IS that three day event for when that foley is supposed to be gone.
I'm not sure if you get this, but he's going to hurt from a full bladder after six hours, and, yes, I know nurses are supposed to get to it after six hours, but NO! Not usually. They can't even coordinate repacking his bedsore with physical therapy and that's just two things happening on the same day. They forget to feed him sometimes. He's wearing diaper still, because pushing the nurses button doesn't really mean they're rushing to his room to see what's happening, but have you ever been able to hold in a "bathroom" visit for an hour? Maybe you can, but he's weaker, so he can't. AND, the last time he went in for two pints of blood, it only took two hours to give him those pints, but it took another EIGHT hours to put him in a room that night. (Only time we watched Jeopardy together in the last five months, and only because I got tired of waiting for them to tell me what room he was going to, so went to visit him IN the ER. lol)
So, the idea of him going through that process with his bladder at the same time he's going through hell because gurneys are too thin and barely padded leaving his bedsore even sorer just isn't cutting it for me. (He'd do it, but simply because he's tired of fighting anything under the assumption, "They're going to do whatever they want to do anyway, so?")
I get these are just minor steps back, but most his major steps back he slept through. This kind of stuff is very tough on him, and I'm still working on keeping hope alive for him.
So prayers for these two new things. I've put in a call to his doctor about removing the foley. It has to happen soon, but two extra obstacles at the same time is just too much.
