Docs say MIL's kidneys were failing but are now improving since they are re-hydrating her. The UTI is improving. White cell count was high but also coming down. She's very weak and won't eat. She has thrush, and they are treating that. Inserting a feeding tube in her side may be the next step. She is so weak now, she can't sit on the edge of her bed. Hard to believe just over a week ago she was home for four hours for Christmas. She's been able to sit up in a wheelchair for weeks, but now she can't. The c.diff. is mostly to blame, coupled with her refusal to eat enough to keep a bird alive.
We don't understand her inability to eat. It isn't just that her mouth is sore. Even when given foods that don't irritate her mouth, she barely ingests anything. Seriously, it's like two teaspoons of soup and a sip or two of tea. It's more of a "won't eat" than a "can't eat" kind of thing. And we're perplexed. There is no medical reason, according to the docs. It's been going on all along, at least to some degree, as if she's lost all interest in food.
The hospital asks if she is depressed, and I suppose that could be a factor, at least now, when she is losing ground on getting well. But I didn't see depression before, and not eating has been a problem since this began. I don't know. She insists that she's not hungry. Ever. I can't understand this. The men (Dh, FIL, her brother) all get angry and frustrated because they think she's not trying. I'm just confused. Sometimes she does seem to act like she's not going to be bothered with working to get better, at least where food is concerned. Other times she shocks us all and survives things that no one thought she would. She seems to be a fighter! So why not fight to get well by doing what should be simple? Eat! For Chrissake!
The doc told us that if she won't eat, this cycle will repeat. She will go back to the nursing home, not eat, get sick again, and be right back at the hospital. Her kidneys will continue to fail for lack of nutrition, the c.diff. will keep coming back, and it will all be a vicious cycle. Eventually the kidneys will shut down altogether.
And the doctors won't allow this cycle to continue.
They asked about the feeding tube. We are all for it, but MIL was not, at least not the last time. This time, the doc was able to get her verbal permission. So it looks like that might happen tomorrow. Or soon, anyway. They say if they can get nutrition into her, and she can get stronger, she should be able to fight off this bout of c.diff. (whew). Let's hope so. They can always remove the feeding tube later, if she starts to eat on her own.
I just want to see her well again.
No comments:
Post a Comment