Julie,

Well, I'm glad you are getting good advice. I hope you never have to use it. That was my best opinion, glad to see I wasn't off the mark. I guess paying attention in anatomy class was helpful.

Blessings to you all,

Mike

Hi Julie and Mike

time difference means i lost track of the thread after i went to bed at 2.30 am.Glad you have got some practical advice Julie and hope you never ever have to try and put it into practise.


love and warmest wishes liz

Julie,
DO NOT CALL 911! They are required, by US law, to take heroic life saving measures! Your hospice people should be guiding you through this and should have given you specific instructions on this issue. His advanced directives and DNR orders should be keep readily available. My hospice people told me to keep them on the refrigerator so they were easy to locate in a panic situation. Even with these, the 911 EMT's may ignore them.

Liz's post was truly inspired and she just went through this traumatizing event. Her advice is absolutely accurate.

He may need to be moved to a hospice facility so that you can be truly be a family member and not part of the care team. Would it be possible to get a full time nurse (or even team of caregivers)?

I am so sorry that you are faced with this and will keep you both in my prayers as you face this phase of the journey.

Gary
Your advice on 911 is spot on, (like our 999) But if Julie is on her own and this happens she needs someone who will respond quickly to help her deal with this. No way should she be in the postion of dealing with this on her own
Sunshine.. love and hugs
Helen

In the US the typical protocol is to call the hospice nurse and they come right over.

Thanks for the tip about the 911. I was concerned about that but wasn't sure.As I stated before the doctor said only a surgeon might be able to stop it and if they did it would be very temporary. I think he said to rush him to the hospital as a means of keeping us busy. He is well aware of how far the hospital is
Hospice would be here as soon as possible if I needed them but they do not provide 24 hour care, and really Rich doesn't need it. He is alert, orientated, and capable of most of his adls by himself. I think I have mentioned before very stubburn. Today we went to a car show with his kids and grandkids. I was quietly packing up dark towels and gauze and such to take and he stated we were all going over board. Denial isn't always bad is it?
Thanks everyone
Julie

I am being very cautious here Julie,because i am not in possession of all or really any of the facts in Riches case.
Robin was alert and able to do for himself right up to the minute he fell asleep really,so please dont be overly influenced by his apparent capabilities.
Things change so rapidly it is breathtaking,so dont lower your guard,and the minute you feel anything is different,even the most innocuos silly remark he may make,then look at your care plan again.

The one thing i have to say and i dont want or mean to be insensitiveis is that at some point Rich's stubborness must be put on the back burner and your want and needs made clear to him and the care staff.You have a right to some choices after all you are shouldering the lions share of responsibility.

I thank god every day that Robins attitude changed so much once he was in full time hospice care,and the knowledge that he had other people to take the burden of comfort and pain control over, made him more able to see how i was coping and feeling and bring that into his equation of how to deal with everything.
I also had the luxury of a back up from the staff who always spent time talking to me and Robin ,and were able to discuss matters with him that he was being difficult about.Compromises were more easily reached with gentle explanations from the staff and i was relieved not to have to be the one constantly passing on information he really didnt want to hear,and almost blamed me for telling him.

I think about you both daily and will never forget your first PM to me when i joined this group it made me realise i wasnt the only one battling with more than one demon.


love liz

Dear Julie and Rich,
My prayers are with you.
Donna

Julie, my heart goes out to you in this impossible time. You and Rich are in our prayers.

Julie hows things?