Please help. Desperate for advice. Mil desperately ill in hospital and nobody is explaining things to us.

[Memoo]

She is 76, has emphysema, and has been in hospital for 8 weeks. She was perking up but last night took a turn for the worse.

Her stats were in the 80's. They did some arterial bloods. They told us that her oxygen levels are low, her co2 levels are high, and her ph is acidic. That's all they really told us and nobody is explaining what this means.

Please please can anyone explain this too me? Dh is sick with worry and I can't get to the hospital because kids aren't allowed and there is nobody to babysit.

I'm so sorry Memoo, I can't explain but just wanted to say could you phone the ward and ask them to explain?

We did this recently when my mum was in after a heart bypass. It's often difficult to ask people at visiting time so my Dsis would telephone and ask any questions we had.

Write everything down you want the answers to and don't take no for an answer. Just insist you speak to someone who can answer the questions.

I will definately do that. It's the not knowing that is worse to deal with. We're guessing it's not good but we don't know if she can come back from it or if this is the end :(

Will they tell you anything without MIL's consent?

If you have that then phone the ward and arrange to go in and have a chat with someone who can tell you something and if that doesn't happen, then have a word with PALS - this is the stuff that they are good at.

D

They tell fil things but bless him he is a bit rubbish at asking questions and dh is too. They are the ones who have been going in the most whilst I've been with the dc.
I'm going to have to speak to somebody myself because I'm prepared to be a but firmer.
Feel so sick though.
Dh just nipped out but I'll phone the ward in a bit when he gets back.

Hi memoo.
Think i might be able to explain a bit to you.

Everything you describe about her blood gasses sounds like she is in respiratory failure.
If this is due to infection, it may be treateable but this is very dependant on the severity of her underlying lung problems.

If her poor blood gasses are due to the fact that she is end stage repiratory failure due to chronic chest problems with infection on top, then the outcome of this is not good, im sorry.

They will weigh up the severity of her condition and will discuss where to go from here with your poor mil.

Choices may be:
To treat with oxugen, antibiotics and physio.

They may offer intensive care or high dependancy care, this is by no means a decision taken lightly as the implications to end of life care are very serious.

They may offer to just allow her to slip away with comfort measures as there is nothing further that they can offer.

She sounds very unwell indeed and the fact that she has been in for 8 weeks is also a very bad omen as she is likely to aquire infection by hospitalisation.

So sorry you feel so helpless, if there is any way that you can get there to have things explained to you then go. Can i also add that in defence of what the hospital are telling your family, they may only take in a small amount of info at a time..this is normal and when they throw the confusion and complex nature of blood gasses, again it makes it difficult to absorb what is important.
This info just tends to muddy the water somewhat imhe

All the best my lovely, i hope that you get some explanations soon.

Also, they will not tell you anything over the phone due to confidentiality, so pointless getting "firm" with them, their hands are tied, sorry. x

Can you get someone to babysit for you tomorrow so you can go in?
They won't and can't give you details over the phone.

It sounds like it would benefit everyone if your DH stayed home with the dc one afternoon so you can visit in person. It is very difficult asking questions in hospital, and particularly if the ward staff are keeping FIL up-to-date but he's not necessarily remembering everything that's being said. My mum has the same problem when one of her parents is in hospital. Quite properly the ward staff notify my grandad/grandma but then she has to go round the houses to find out what they've actually been told.

I think what the tests are showing is that she isn't getting enough oxygen (sats in the 80s) but she's in the best place to make sure this is monitored and treated.

Memoo sorry I should have said my Dsis was down as next of kin as my Dad has died. So they did speak to her on the phone.

Tightwad, thank you so much for that explanation. It makes sense and confirms what we feared. There is no infection atm. She did have pneumonia (sp?) but that has cleared up.

Thanks all for the replies. Much appreciated. X

You're welcome xx

Tightwad is right. Sounds like type 2 respiratory failure. Nothin much more to add but they may consider using niv non invasive ventilation. I'm pretty sure it can be used in emphysema. An you as a family make an appointment to see the consultant? The hospital I worked at was pretty good about doing this. I know they are all different tho. She could also still have some underlying infection in there. I presume they did an xray as matter of course to rule it out tho.

Hope she gets through this and is feeling better soon xx

If you and DH and struggling to understand the medical info you're given, one option would be to request an appointment with the consultant to talk things through. The ward should be able to arrange that over the phone to come in to see him/her.
I'm sorry you're going through this :(

If you and DH and struggling to understand the medical info you're given, one option would be to request an appointment with the consultant to talk things through. The ward should be able to arrange that over the phone to come in to see him/her.
I'm sorry you're going through this :(