Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Something New


Last night I sent Bob off to enjoy a Hops game with son Rodger. He had a good time and talked a lot when he got home.

This morning I made myself a cup of (hot) coffee and read like I do every morning. In time it occurred to me he wasn't up. I went to take a look and saw he was in trouble.  He told me he could not urinate.

I left him to get his clothes on while I closed up the house before leaving for the emergency room.

I heard a thud that made me cringe. Yep, he had fallen in the bathroom. Then he decided to go back to bed and not go to the ER.

I sat around here until 2:30 and told him he didn't have a choice. Enough was enough.

He had 895 ml of urine in his bladder. A bag of IV fluids is 1000 ml. He's home now with a Foley catheter. He's clueless about dealing with one but it's not my first rodeo. I have a lot of catheter experience from the days I cared for my parents.

My first task for tomorrow will be to get him in to see a urologist. I'm a lot more knowledgeable about the heart than I am plumbing but apparently I'm going to learn about it. Not a subject I'm remotely interested in but I don't think I get a choice.

28 comments:

  1. Oh God. I am so sorry for both of you. :( I hope it's nothing serious. Good luck, sweetie. You will be in my prayers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have talked to the urologist office this morning. This likely will not be over quickly but he feels well today and is in good spirits.

      Delete
    2. very sorry to hear this. You have been in my prayers for sure. And will continue to be...both of you.

      Delete
  2. Hope the doctor can figure out what's going on and give Bob a "cure" that doesn't involve a catheter. The body is such a complicated thing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like there's not going to be a magic cure. He's an old man and their plumbing is prone to failure. The first step is to wear the catheter for 2 weeks for the situation to settle down. They'll then remove it and see if he can urinate. If not, we move on to the next level of care.

      Delete
  3. My father had a similar situation in around 1998 , and it was a prostate inflammation problem. Once he had some kind of surgery for that he was fine . I was told this often happens in old age . I think there are newer and better technologies for this problem now . Good luck , and hope things work out soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely no question this is prostate related. I hope he has as good an outcome as your father. Thanks for stopping by to give me an encouraging word.

      Delete
  4. You're dealing with some irrational behavior. It's difficult to deal with as it seems that the options and choices are simple.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's very hard for me to cross him but he sure made a bad choice yesterday and I was finally forced to tell him he no loner had a choice. I hate doing that.

      Delete
  5. Oh, Linda! Well, I have no doubt that you can handle this too, but I'm so sorry you have to.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After talking to the urologist office this morning it sounds like we may be in for a long haul on this one. I didn't tell him one possible outcome would be having to wear a catheter permanently. We'll hope for the best but there's no guarantee this will turn out to our liking. I'd rather be at the beach with you!

      Delete
  6. Yikes, that was a lot of fluid in his bladder. I hope he can handle the catheter OK. I had to wear one briefly and it is much more uncomfortable for a woman due to our anatomy. Lots of things could be going on, hope the solution is a simple one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've been given no reason to think the solution will be simple. Apparently this is a long and involved process. He appears to be comfortable today.

      Delete
  7. Darn. I hope it is something that clears up or can be fixed. There is just so much that can go wrong with out bodies and darned if some of us, like me, seem to keep finding new places that are acting up. Good luck to you and Bob.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This one blind sided me. I've been so focused on heart It never occurred to me plumbing could become a major issue.

      Delete
  8. Oh, wow. I'm not sure I could be a Nurse of Plumbing. I hope Bob is doing much better today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've learned to never say never. In 1987 I thought there was no way I could handle dealing with my mother's colostomy but I not only learned I could, I also then had a catheter bag to deal with for her, and when they had to go back in after one of her surgeries the incision was left open to heal from the inside out an had to be dressed every day. I did all that and managed to keep working.

      Delete
  9. One of the realities of life is that we often rise to challenges we never imagined coming our way. You're going to do fine with the technical aspects of the plumbing issues. It's dealing with the guy who's housing the plumbing that may get tricky.

    Still, there comes a time when we have to be firm. I still remember telling my mother once, "You may hate me for this, but I'd rather have you hate me than deal with the consequences of not addressing this problem." So there. Humph!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so right. My bigger problem is dealing with "the guy who's housing the plumbing." I'm learning to be firm but it isn't easy.

      Delete
  10. Oh, Linda! I am so truly sorry to hear this! You are a saint of a wife! Love and prayers for you as you rise to yet another challenge.......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll admit to a few tears over this one but I'm getting there. You do what you have to do even if it's not always pleasant.

      Delete
  11. Oh my gosh. I feel for you. Another challenge has been thrown your way. You've got a lot a support here in the blogosphere. Hope that helps at least a little.

    You are amazing, in that you "never say never". It's your positive attitude that has served you well, and will help you through this as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I promised him I would not put him in a nursing home if there was any possible way I could keep him at home. He is testing me.

      Delete
  12. It is clear that you are a woman of great strength and great heart. You stay in my thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is all part of the commitment I made to this man 54 years ago. There will be a way. Thanks for your support.

      Delete
  13. Hang in there Linda. Unfortunately the problems of aging are something we can't wish away.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm getting a crash course in old men's plumbing! In my opinion, when you reach Bob's age (84) you seldom get a healthy come back from a crisis. Good to hear from you.

      Delete