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Got a bad wakeup call this morning...


Roman
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Those of you who follow me on facebook know I spent most of yesterday at the Hospital.

 

My Elderly aunt, who has a whole host of medical problems (Obescity, SEVERE Heart Disease, Diabetes, Failing kidneys, Congestice Heart Failure, etc) slipped in the shower yesterday...

 

Paramedics brought her to the hospital.... I ran over there.... She seemed a little "out of it", but I didnt think it was too serious.... The fall sounded fairly low speed... They took her to Xray and went to pick my son up from school....

 

Called last night, She broke her ankle. Not GOOD... Not the end of the world either.

 

 

Flash to 5AM this morning. Im asleep... Phone rings... Its the Hospital... "Your aunts condition has changed. They are doing CPR on her...Can you come over?" I hop in the car and FLY to Long Beach.... I have no recollection of the drive there.

 

Go up to her room... Shes not there. They sent her up to ICU....

 

 

I get to ICU...

 

At about 4 am her heart STOPPED. "Asystole" (which I had to google) for 35-55 Minutes... They managed, after ALL THAT to get it restarted.... But its pretty likely that there was some brain damage from being without a pulse for that long. She was unconscious all day, but there did appear to be a couple of times when she focused her eye on me...

 

They really dont know what CAUSED the heart to stop (other than the whole host of chronic conditions she has).

 

Her short term prognosis is not good. Not only do we have the problems of the damage cause DURING the event, but we have the underlying problem that caused the event in the first place.

 

I guess tomorrow Im going to have to decide if I am going to put a DNR on her if, (or more likely when) she crashes again...

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Sorry to hear RD. I saw your "non-shooting section" FB status from the hospital but didn't realize what was going on. Thoughts are with you and your family.

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Many prayers buddy. You'll know in your heart when it's time to sign that form.

 

 

After a night of googling the words "Asystole prognosis" and "Cardiac Arrest Prognosis" and learning there is a 2% chance for someone in her condition (not counting the amount of time she was down) to be discharged from the hospital alive, my heart is telling me that its time to sign that form....

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Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time. Yes, it's time to sign. I had to do it for my uncle a few years back, not an easy decision, but it was one he and I had talked about should the time arise.

I got static from some family members, but I knew in my heart it was right because, like I said, he had confided in me and I made him a promise.

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Sorry to hear this. Similar incident happened to my uncle, suffered brain damage, had to pull the plug after 3 months. Not an easy decision to make.

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Eric, personally I think it's better to let her go, and certainly instate the DNR. Of course you should first consider her wishes. What would she want in this situation. Oftentimes people keep people in her situation alive for their own benefit be it guilt, misguided beliefs, etc.

 

Asystole of that long a duration is probably not recoverable. I don't know her specific situation, but from what I'm reading it seems that is the case.

 

Though it's unknown why she went asystolic, probable causes were either embolus secondary to the ankle fracture, or respiratory arrest, or even aspiration.

 

If you want to talk about it, shoot me a PM and I"ll give you my number or PM me your number and I'll call you.

Obviously it's a very difficult time for you, all you can do is be strong and do the right thing for her.

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Eric, personally I think it's better to let her go, and certainly instate the DNR. Of course you should first consider her wishes. What would she want in this situation. Oftentimes people keep people in her situation alive for their own benefit be it guilt, misguided beliefs, etc.

 

Asystole of that long a duration is probably not recoverable. I don't know her specific situation, but from what I'm reading it seems that is the case.

 

Though it's unknown why she went asystolic, probable causes were either embolus secondary to the ankle fracture, or respiratory arrest, or even aspiration.

 

If you want to talk about it, shoot me a PM and I"ll give you my number or PM me your number and I'll call you.

Obviously it's a very difficult time for you, all you can do is be strong and do the right thing for her.

 

 

At this point I think they may have already done MORE than she would have wanted.... But I had no say in any of that. She was ventilated by the time I got there... If something happens tonight, and they beat the crap out of her again, that will be my fault, because I didnt do the dnr today....

 

A doctor came in late this afternoon and did what I now recognize as a Glasgow exam on her.... If Im GENEROUS she got a 5... MAYBE a 6.... More likely a 3. The ONLY motor function was a Babinski extension.... The eyes MAY have focused once or twice in a 12 hour period... But thats it.

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I will keep her, you and the ret of your family in my thoughts and prayers. Don't question your decisions, they are out of love and respect for her.

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