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Original poster

MIL in hospital

64 replies

Choccyoclocky · 01/12/2021 19:33

I have name changed for this because people close to me would recognise this.

I'll start from the beginning..

17th - 19th - We saw MIL each of these days
20th - My daughter tested positive (PM)
21st - 22nd - MIL said she felt a bit off all weekend
23rd AM - Myself and DS tested positive
23rd PM - MIL tested positive
Myself and children started feeling better around days 4-5. All fine now.
MIL was still struggling - wasn't hungry, coughing, tired.
29th PM - I got a phonecall from MIL partner. He said her blood oxygen level was down to 82 and she was in hospital. They only knew because he had one of those finger things from when his mum was ill.

I messaged MIL after getting off the phone with him and she replied a few hours later saying she had oxygen and IV drip, and was feeling better than she did earlier. That is the last time I spoke to her.

MIL partner knows a nurse at the hospital so she has been keeping him updated and he has been passing the messages to me. I have attached the messages. The medication one was yesterday PM and the one saying Morning (with a name covered) was this morning.

I messaged MIL again this morning just checking in so she knows we're thinking of her. But no response. All we know is what I have added below and that she went to hospital because the blood oxygen level was "82 over 90" but we don't know what any of this means.

MIL is 53 and otherwise healthy so her having to go to hospital has really surprised us. She has had both jabs and I think she had booked her booster.

Before it gets questioned.. Contact always goes through me because I always have my phone, DH is pretty rubbish with taking his off silent. I see MIL more than DH does, I absolutely adore her, she is one of my best friends. I usually see her Wed, Thurs afternoon for a couple of hours then for 10 hours on a Friday. It's a running joke that she comes here to see me and the kids, not DH.

DH knows how worried I am and I think he is trying not to show just how worried he is because he is comforting me when I get upset.. but it should be the other way around! He is NC with his Dad so I think this is a tough one because she is all he's got and she is here a lot. He acts like he's annoyed she's still here, but we all know that's not the case and he likes that she is so involved.

I feel awful that she caught this from DD and that she's been in hospital a few days now. I just need to know that she'll be okay. I even painted my downstairs toilet with a paintbrush just to distract myself from worrying.

I don't really know what the point of this thread is. I don't know what blood oxygen level means in terms of covid but I know under 90 isn't good and she was at 82.

I (well we obviously) just want her to reply and say she's absolutely fine and leaving hospital.. but how long will that be before it happens.. I can't begin to even think about what if that doesn't happen Sad our children (9, 8 and 3) are all asking when we can see her and they have no idea she's in hospital. I am so worried that DD will blame herself as she caught it at school and gave it to the rest of us.

If you got to the bottom, thank you for listening to my ramblings. I just want everything back to normal SadSad

MIL in hospital
MIL in hospital
OP posts:
72WayTooCool · 01/12/2021 19:40

Can you not call the hospital? Or get your DH to call as next of kin?

Vallmo47 · 01/12/2021 19:41

I’m sorry to hear this Op. I understand the worry but she really is in the best of hands. I hope you all feel better very soon. 🥰

Original poster
Choccyoclocky · 01/12/2021 19:45

@72WayTooCool Well we didn't even consider that. I don't think we are very good adults when it comes to this sort of thing. We've been so lucky to never have to deal with this sort of thing before, none of our family have really been ill. I will get him to ring in the morning.

My nanny passed away last year from COPD but she had been ill for quite a while, she went into hospital during the day and they said she was stable and would be home next day.. but she passed away in her sleep that night so I never had to make any calls.

OP posts:
Olliesocks · 01/12/2021 19:48

Another vote for ringing the ward and asking to speak to the nurse caring for her. You can ring at anytime, day or night remember.

72WayTooCool · 01/12/2021 19:49

@Choccyoclocky Hope your MIL is ok and that everyone is better soon.

Olliesocks · 01/12/2021 19:49

If MILs phone has no charge and she’s able, they may let you speak to her directly as well.

Original poster
Choccyoclocky · 01/12/2021 19:55

I think her phone must have run out of charge as I checked the WhatsApp messages and they only have one tick.

We will give the ward a ring and see if they can update us.

OP posts:
Chloemol · 01/12/2021 19:55

Why not ring now rather than wait until the morning?

Greybeardy · 01/12/2021 19:58

Hope MIL’s partner’s friend has MIL’s consent to be passing medical info. (particularly by text). Although it would seem to be the humane thing to do to send txts like that, they could get into a lot of trouble if it’s not with consent and if the info that’s being shared is not documented appropriately. MIL’s NOK (presumably her partner) will probably get more accurate info from the team actually looking after her.

The sats on their own aren’t that helpful really. Being on optiflow (which is probably what they’re describing in one of the txts) is quite common in covid - it suggests she’s poorly but not much more than that. The lack of replies to your txts could really be something as simple as her phone having packed up or that she’s trying to get some rest. It’s nice to let her know you’re thinking of her, but I wouldn’t necessarily expect a reply. Hope she turns a corner soon.

Original poster
Choccyoclocky · 01/12/2021 20:01

@Chloemol I didn't realise we could ring at any time. Never been in this situation before. DH is going to try in a minute.

OP posts:
Hairyfairy01 · 01/12/2021 20:03

Definitely don't be afraid to ring, although it may be 'handover time' at the moment. The likelihood is her phone has ran out of charge and she's unable to charge it herself / lost charger etc.

JSL52 · 01/12/2021 20:04

Are these texts from a nurse ? If so I hope she's got MILs permission to pass her confidential medical information on.

DoctorDonna20 · 01/12/2021 20:06

Ringing for an update sounds sensible.
Next of kin has no legal basis whilst someone is alive although this is a common misconception- as long as MIL consents her medical info can be shared with anyone.

Mischievous12 · 01/12/2021 20:06

Best wishes OP. Hope she's OK!

Original poster
Choccyoclocky · 01/12/2021 20:08

@Greybeardy I imagine she would as they are neighbours. Partner and nurse have been neighbours for a very long time and she was at the hospital when both his parents passed (over the last couple of years, both around this sort of time too). MIL would want us to be aware of what is going on as she'd know we would be worrying.

I assume they are updating him too but we haven't been told that, only what the nurse friend has said. I don't want to bug him too much though as he is also suffering with covid but not as bad as MIL.

Thank you. I hope she does too.
I think her phone has died because the WhatsApp haven't been delivered. They were just short messages because I didn't want her to feel like she had to reply.. yesterday I asked how she was feeling, today I sent some flower and heart emoji.

OP posts:
IslaInthesun · 01/12/2021 20:09

Hope she's okay OP

Original poster
Choccyoclocky · 01/12/2021 20:09

DH tried phoning but no answer so will try again shortly.

OP posts:
Trixiefirecracker · 01/12/2021 20:13

Hope she is okay OP. 💐

squee123 · 01/12/2021 20:14

I hope you can get an update soon. Has he tried the ward directly rather than via switchboard?

Isbdm · 01/12/2021 20:16

My db is in hospital with covid

Some number over another number is usually a blood pressure, not a blood oxygen reading.

Definitely get your dh to ring the hospital. Should be able to locate with name and DOB.

I suppose it's good she's in respiratory ward - they still have the option of critical care if more help is needed.

Joystir59 · 01/12/2021 20:18

Hope she starts to feel better very soon OP. Perhaps you can take a charger for her phone to the hospital so the nurses could plug her phone in for her. Can you visit?

SilenceOfThePrams · 01/12/2021 20:19

8pm is likely to be handover time. They’ll be more likely to be able to answer after 9, once the day staff have gone home and the night staff have checked up on all their patients.

Hope you can get an answer soon

Original poster
Choccyoclocky · 01/12/2021 20:26

@Joystir59 We are all still isolating at the moment. I'm free on Friday, DH on Sunday. But the hospital is 2 hours away. I don't drive so would need to be DH. MIL's partner's isolation is also over on Sunday so he would be able to take her a charger.

If she is only allowed one visitor then we would rather it was him because this is a hard month for him because of his parents. It makes more sense for him to go as he is closer too. I did ask him earlier if he was allowed to visit and he said he didn't know.

OP posts:
Isbdm · 01/12/2021 20:39

There are no visits to covid patients, well not where my db is in anyway.

You can drop stuff off.

However, I would ring the hospital and ask for them to charge her phone for her. This is a common problem for people going in and if it's an iphone, I'm sure someone will be able to get it charged for her. We had to drop a phone charger off as well.

NurseP · 01/12/2021 20:42

Call now, they will have finished handover and not started the evening meds! You may need to call a few times but just keep calling!
Sonds like she is on all the right treatment, the high oxygen needs is common for people with covid. Likely she is exhausted from coughing and has run out of charge. Ask them to plug her phone in when you speak to the nurse!! I hope she will turn the corner and improve quickly.