Many questions

Douggie said:

Thank you for your responses.
He was moved to the oncology ward today but they decided to wait until tomorrow to start chemo.

We are located in south West Michigan. It was suggested we try the university of chicago. When I got home from the hospital this morning I called the cleveland clinic. I spoke with a nurse there that wasnt very helpful. It kinda hit me in the face that my father is terminal.

The reason he hasnt been released yet is because he hasnt been able to produce a major void. He does have bowel movements but they are very small. He also has (what they are calling a lung infection) I personally feel he aspirated some vomit the night he had CHF. But they are insiting its a lung infection. But then he has no temperature, he does cough but not uncontrollably.
The fluids mainly stay in his stomach. They feel that the lymph nodes are pushing on the stomach and causing a blockage.

My fathers previous medical history. None, he would never go to the doctor. He was a truck driver and had to get a physical but I think it was like once every 8 years or so. He never took any medications. The closest thing he would ever do (and this was every night). He would take 2 aspirins before he went to sleep.
My personal opionion is most of his problems are from him lying on his back. Lastnight when I got there they told me he vomited again. He was laying down in bed. I talked with him and told him to get up and try sitting in the chair for a while. They are trying to trick his bowels into working so they are clamping the ng for 4 hours then truning it on for 4. I noticed when he is laying down is when he get nausiated. We went for a walk lastnight and I sat him in a chair until he started dozing off from the sleeping pill. He didnt mention being nausiated once while the NG was clamped.
Well this is my theory, the infection in his lungs are a combination of aspiration from vomit and the anestisia during the surgury.
He has never layed on his back. He would always sleep on his side if he were in bed. But he liked sleeping on the sofa more, always sitting up with his legs on the sofa.

He is 66, just retired in August. Never any medical derogitories. A little overweight but not obiese, big framed. He has smoked off and on all his life. For the last 20 years he smoked about a pack every 2 weeks or less. No copd or any respratory problems.
Well, If you would take the time to read it. Im going to post what to me are important issues from his surgury to present.
After surugry (in post op) the nurse informed me he was having a real hard time with his catheter. They had to give him extra pain medication because of this. I felt it was best to let him rest that evening and returned the next day. He seemed to be doing fine. He had moments of confusion but I felt that was contributed from the morphine. He mentioned several times that he needed to leave, they removed his NG earlier that afternoon. (I made a misteak in my first post. It was the 3rd day after surugry that he had CHF). The next night (3rd evening after surgury) He was extremely distressed. Arguing for hours that he needed to leave and taking it personal that I wouldnt let him. He vomited green several times. I could see his breathing was getting shallow and saw his eyes roll back several times. But still pretty coherant. I called the nurse and noticed his oxygen was off and knew the RT was the last to mess with it,,,4 hours ago. I turned the oxygen on. A different nurse came in and checked his lungs. They were very full and she told his nurse to call his doctor. A hour later the put the NG back in. A hour and a half later they had RT back in, (they gave him a test where they place the sticky tabs on different parts of the body and measure the heart voltage...forgot what its called). It came back as CHF (theyre denighing it now).
Then later that morning. A doctor came in and told me his kidneys look good. That he had renal failure right after surgury but its cleared up now.
Since then, the NG was pulling up a green colored substance (appraently from the gall bladder?), It has cleared over the last 3 days and looks like its pulling out yellow bile.
As stated above. Theyre keeping him there because he is still unable to digest and have a bowel movement. Theyre thinking that the lymph nodes arround the stomach are pushing on his stomach and causing a blockage. Thats why they are going to start chemo earlier then originally planned

Douggie said:

Thank you for your responses.
He was moved to the oncology ward today but they decided to wait until tomorrow to start chemo.

We are located in south West Michigan. It was suggested we try the university of chicago. When I got home from the hospital this morning I called the cleveland clinic. I spoke with a nurse there that wasnt very helpful. It kinda hit me in the face that my father is terminal.

The reason he hasnt been released yet is because he hasnt been able to produce a major void. He does have bowel movements but they are very small. He also has (what they are calling a lung infection) I personally feel he aspirated some vomit the night he had CHF. But they are insiting its a lung infection. But then he has no temperature, he does cough but not uncontrollably.
The fluids mainly stay in his stomach. They feel that the lymph nodes are pushing on the stomach and causing a blockage.

My fathers previous medical history. None, he would never go to the doctor. He was a truck driver and had to get a physical but I think it was like once every 8 years or so. He never took any medications. The closest thing he would ever do (and this was every night). He would take 2 aspirins before he went to sleep.
My personal opionion is most of his problems are from him lying on his back. Lastnight when I got there they told me he vomited again. He was laying down in bed. I talked with him and told him to get up and try sitting in the chair for a while. They are trying to trick his bowels into working so they are clamping the ng for 4 hours then truning it on for 4. I noticed when he is laying down is when he get nausiated. We went for a walk lastnight and I sat him in a chair until he started dozing off from the sleeping pill. He didnt mention being nausiated once while the NG was clamped.
Well this is my theory, the infection in his lungs are a combination of aspiration from vomit and the anestisia during the surgury.
He has never layed on his back. He would always sleep on his side if he were in bed. But he liked sleeping on the sofa more, always sitting up with his legs on the sofa.

He is 66, just retired in August. Never any medical derogitories. A little overweight but not obiese, big framed. He has smoked off and on all his life. For the last 20 years he smoked about a pack every 2 weeks or less. No copd or any respratory problems.
Well, If you would take the time to read it. Im going to post what to me are important issues from his surgury to present.
After surugry (in post op) the nurse informed me he was having a real hard time with his catheter. They had to give him extra pain medication because of this. I felt it was best to let him rest that evening and returned the next day. He seemed to be doing fine. He had moments of confusion but I felt that was contributed from the morphine. He mentioned several times that he needed to leave, they removed his NG earlier that afternoon. (I made a misteak in my first post. It was the 3rd day after surugry that he had CHF). The next night (3rd evening after surgury) He was extremely distressed. Arguing for hours that he needed to leave and taking it personal that I wouldnt let him. He vomited green several times. I could see his breathing was getting shallow and saw his eyes roll back several times. But still pretty coherant. I called the nurse and noticed his oxygen was off and knew the RT was the last to mess with it,,,4 hours ago. I turned the oxygen on. A different nurse came in and checked his lungs. They were very full and she told his nurse to call his doctor. A hour later the put the NG back in. A hour and a half later they had RT back in, (they gave him a test where they place the sticky tabs on different parts of the body and measure the heart voltage...forgot what its called). It came back as CHF (theyre denighing it now).
Then later that morning. A doctor came in and told me his kidneys look good. That he had renal failure right after surgury but its cleared up now.
Since then, the NG was pulling up a green colored substance (appraently from the gall bladder?), It has cleared over the last 3 days and looks like its pulling out yellow bile.
As stated above. Theyre keeping him there because he is still unable to digest and have a bowel movement. Theyre thinking that the lymph nodes arround the stomach are pushing on his stomach and causing a blockage. Thats why they are going to start chemo earlier then originally planned

Douggie said:

Thanks so much for your help. I just got off the phone with my sister. Its hard for me to catch the doctors when Im there all night and have to work during the day. She suggested a CT scan earlier. There response was that with the past renal failure that the dies would make it that much worse.