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Original poster

Handhold DH heading to ICU covid

999 replies

Wardrobes123 · 02/01/2021 08:57

DH went to hospital yesterday for breathing issues. We’ve been unwell for a few days and we’re already awaiting covid tests.

Just been told he’s taken a turn and is heading to ICU. He is ECV and we’ve been so careful, we’ve not been out except to the supermarket, and we’ve avoided seeing anyone.

I’m just so worried and I know the next few days will be critical

OP posts:
Original poster
Wardrobes123 · 02/01/2021 16:33

@yuyubooboo Flowers thank you and all the other medical staff who do a brilliant job.

Dialysis isn’t the worst thing in the world for DH, and we knew he’d have to restart it soon anyway. But obviously the stress on his body right now is not ideal.

No news since early this afternoon. DD has been fairly contented this afternoon so I’m not raising it. If she does I will explain that it’s not her fault and just one of those things. We could’ve caught it anywhere. It’s why the virus has travelled so well and done so much bloody damage. But we’ve all acted as responsibly as we could.

I just hope he pulls through.

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants - I love our oximeter ! Spent a small fortune on it at the time as DH has previously had pneumonia and had silent hypoxia last time. So we wanted to be sure.

I took him when he dipped - I’m hoping I acted soon enough. Certainly he wouldn’t have gone without me telling him to go. Stubborn as an Ox that one!

I just miss him - his bloody silly gadgets from Christmas are still in the lounge. And he should be here with them and us.

OP posts:
Moulesvinrouge1 · 02/01/2021 16:39

I’m thinking of you all

MorningTeas · 02/01/2021 16:42

I'm thinking of you and your family op, wishing your Dh well.

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Covid-19
Gerty554 · 02/01/2021 16:55

Sending love and a hand hold to you, your DH and family Flowers

Even for the ECV the odds are stacked highly in his favour, he's in the best place and treatments have come a long way since the early days x

BaileysforBreakfast · 02/01/2021 17:02

Handhold and Flowers

Spied · 02/01/2021 17:09

Look after yourself OP. Your DH will be receiving the best possible care and you need to keep yourself well looked after too, for all of you.Flowers

Trumplosttheelection · 02/01/2021 19:09

Has he got a working fistula op?

Original poster
Wardrobes123 · 02/01/2021 19:19

@Trumplosttheelection no he’s had one before but it stopped working (it was in his arm). They’ve fitted a central line (I think) one of those double valve things so it can flow in and out. Sorry I can’t remember the proper name at the minute.

He’s not on full dialysis he’s on filtration. I think it’s very similar but slightly gentler to account for the stress on his body.

He had a heart scan a couple of years ago which they said looked surprisingly good in light of his previous dialysis.

He’s on quite high oxygen I believe but his nurse said he was comfortable. Let’s hope that’s a positive sign. I was hoping to speak to him at 6, but he has his mask on and was about to start filtration.

I’m hoping to speak to him afterwards.

OP posts:
ShesMadeATwatOfMePam · 02/01/2021 20:40

I'm so sorry to hear this op I've got everything crossed.

Bolshybun · 02/01/2021 20:45

He really is in the best place, he won’t be able to hiccup without the nurses and doctors knowing first. The treatment is so much better than it was, the team have better treatment plans now and it is more structures. Sending you lots of best wishes (hope that you feel better soon) xx

Resistthethoughtpolice · 02/01/2021 20:47

Oh dear OP, thinking of you and your family. Treatment is much more successful than it was in the early days of the pandemic. Stay positive and keep us updated. Flowers

Choconuttolata · 02/01/2021 20:53

Sounds like he is in the best possible hands OP.

My DH is a similar age and also in hospital due to Covid, he went in on day 6 and is now no longer requiring oxygen a week later. I also picked up the changes on an oximeter thank goodness as he went downhill really quickly.

I also have Covid too and it has wiped me out, especially now that I can rest after caring for DH. Now that your DH is at the hospital make sure you are taking time for you to recover and get better too.

Thinking of you xx

ttigerlilly · 02/01/2021 20:55

I'm so sorry to hear this OP, I'm thinking of you and your family and have everything crossed for you Thanks keep us in the loop xx

notapizzaeater · 02/01/2021 20:57

Our hospital has a patients line that you can ring and they tell you everything that's been put on their record by doctors and nurses and explain anything (DH was in for a week recently)

AdoraBell · 02/01/2021 21:00

Another hand hold, keeping everything crossed for you and DH.

Trumplosttheelection · 02/01/2021 21:09

Yes Filtration does the same as dialysis but is less harsh and less strain on the heart I think. It runs over 24 hours as opposed to 4 for dialysis. They can do dialysis in icu too so might move him on to that in due course. And if they think his kidney isn't recovering (which as you know is the likely outcome) they can try and get an access procedure done whilst he's in so he has the plastic line for less time. That's all a long way ahead though. Is he in the hospital where his renal team is based? If not I would definitely call them on Monday and make sure they are liaising with icu OP. They will want to offer you some support too I'm sure, they get to know their patients well.

Original poster
Wardrobes123 · 02/01/2021 21:30

@Choconuttolata - I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been in a similar way. I’m sorry to hear about your husband. I’m glad to hear he’s improving that’s wonderful news. When does he get to go home? . I’m surprised at how ill I am at the moment. Very drained - all the time. It’s really getting to me as I want to support the children but they’re fending for themselves (well the older one is doing the basics). I’m trying my best but I’m so so exhausted.

@notapizzaeater - I’ve got a direct dial through to his bed and his nurse. She’s been so nice. They switch over at 8, so I’m sure I’ll get someone else when I call later.

@Trumplosttheelection - this is where we’ve got difficulties. DH is at a wonderful hospital. But his renal team aren’t based there. Also there were some massive fuck ups from his renal team that means that he doesn’t want to be transferred to that hospital. He was looking to transfer his care but hadn’t been able to speak to the GP about it. So the current hospital (award winning) have agreed to keep him and sort regular access but they don’t have a renal team based there. We hope that he can get satellite care at a very local dialysis centre who know DH from when he prepped for home dialysis a few years ago.

DH has stuck his head in the sand about his kidney but it was on the way out. So we both had already had the conversation about throwing the kidney to save his life if it was needed. I just hope his chest is able to recover from this. He’s already had pneumonia so has some damage already which really scares me.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wardrobes123 · 02/01/2021 21:32

@Trumplosttheelection - I don’t know what you do but your asking all the right questions. All the questions I’ve asked! I guess your medical either ICU or renal. But Flowers thank you. Medical staff are bloody fantastic and I am so grateful to you all

OP posts:
Trumplosttheelection · 02/01/2021 21:39

I see. Lots of people stick their heads in the sand tbh and at least if this is it for the kidney it's out of his hands and you both just need to deal with realities not unknown possibilities. Some patients do home haemo dialysis overnight now. Don't know if you've heard about that? It's gentler and gives good results. For a young patient it's a good option longer term when you are over the current crisis.

Trumplosttheelection · 02/01/2021 21:41

X posted. I'm not medical but am nhs and know renal and Covid pretty well now 😀

Original poster
Wardrobes123 · 02/01/2021 21:46

Very well!

We personally don’t like home dialysis. All of his electrolytes were screwed last time we did it so it’s made him very reluctant but we do have a dialysis centre where he can have haemo dialysis if he has access. It’s two minutes away and for us that works - we’ve had lengthy conversations about it as you can tell!

His renal team will have already been notified I’m sure. And even more so by Monday. He is due to go back on the list but that’s another long story for another day. Let’s just get him through this crisis 🤞🤞

Big love to all that help in the nhs. We know and love it because of all the different roles. We have a really strong bond with some staff (for a separate issue - not DH related). DH doesn’t get on with the team but even so we do recognise their role in his ongoing care.

OP posts:
Confusedismyname · 02/01/2021 22:27

Hand holding here too OP. 💐

Fandaddydoozie · 02/01/2021 22:29

Just offering you a hand hold. I went through a bit of an ordeal a while back when my husband was whisked off to ICU by ambulance due to Sepsis. He ended up with kidney failure and ventilated on a life support machine in ICU for a couple of weeks. He was 40 and we had a young baby and child. It was hellish. However, the care in ICU is absolutely amazing! I can assure you that he will very much matter and be a priority. If he is put on dialysis machine like my husband was then it's not a major deal. There is a big jump in care between a normal ward, which is essentially convalescent and ICU which is active care. That is the difference between the two. My husband was the sickest person in ICU at the time. There were plenty of others up there who required treatment but we're not deemed to be in a critical condition. It's a scary sounding place if you've not been there before, but is actually extremely reassuring to be there. I'm sorry that you are also unwell. I was too when my husband was ill (we both had a bad throat infection/virus but his suddenly turned into Sepsis), so I appreciate how hard it is to deal with when you are also under the weather. It must be hard not being there with him, although, tbh, I spent most of the time sat in the waiting area at ICU as my husband was constantly being treated/assessed and the visiting hours were quite short. Anyway, best of luck. Don't panic. Look after yourself too.

Bettydot · 02/01/2021 22:38

Thinking of you and hoping that your husband starts to turn a corner soon. He’s absolutely in the right place and so much has been learnt about Covid since March. He has age on his side and so many people who are ECV are coming through this both with and without support. He sounds like he’s at a fantastic hospital and is exactly where he needs to be to get better.

spidermomma · 02/01/2021 22:58

Be positive and strong op
He is in the best place and they've learnt so much over the past few months they've a better idea on how to treat him
If it helps our friend is in his late 50s, has diabetes, overweight slightly, lots of underlining problems, he went to hospital with his oxygen under 50 and pneumonia

He was in ICU for 4 weeks in an induced coma.
One day they said they was reducing it and trying to bring him around. Same day he was up. Moaning about food and was home 2 weeks later... their is hope and he isn't 100% himself just glad he's out of the dark!

Hope your okay and your dh is to op ❤️❤️