Vibes for my Father in Law, Please.

I should have asked for this a week ago. My father in law has been in the hospital since last Tuesday. He had terrible diarrhea and was very woozy, and went to the ER. They transferred him to the VA hospital, and performed a lot of tests. Eventually they figured out that he had Salmonella and an obstructed bowel. He got tired of laying around and forced them to let him leave yesterday, but we all knew it was a bad idea. Now he is back in the hospital and has been transferred to the main hospital in the city (away from the VA hospital) and is being prepped for emergency surgery to remove the obstruction from his bowel.

They are afraid to do the surgery because he is weak and still sick from the Salmonella, and his sugar is high (he has diabetes) because they gave him REAL Jello and orange juice at the hospital! But his stomach is bloated and huge and if they do not remove the obstruction, his bowel could rupture and he would probably not make it.

So, please please vibes that the surgery goes well and he recovers. We are all so worried right now.


Also, can I sneak in some vibes for my kitties? They are sick, too. It seems like they are always sick and I don't know what I am doing wrong. Both have very soft, stinky poop. I have ordered some Bene-bac and I hope they get better.


Thanks everyone.

Sorry to hear your FIL is so ill.
Sending along a whole lot of healing vibes for him and a couple for your kitties as well..

Sending your father in law and kitties healing vibes and prayers.

Sending many vibes and prayers for father in law and kitties

Prayers for everyone.

Originally Posted by zorana_dragonky

They are afraid to do the surgery because he is weak and still sick from the Salmonella, and his sugar is high (he has diabetes) because they gave him REAL Jello and orange juice at the hospital!

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You have to watch them, unless there's a sign taped to the door they don't always know what or who they're delivering trays to. So, unfortunately, it's up to family and the patient to prevent some of those mistakes.

How long did it take for them to figure out to take a stool sample? I was stuck in the hospital for around two days till they figured out that brilliant idea. But at least he should be on fluids, which is very important.

That the surgery goes well and that he can start getting over the bacterial infection. I can understand him wanting out of there so badly. When you're there day and night it's like the hospital is in it's own little time zone moving separately from the rest of the world. One starts getting a bit stir crazy and wondering if they could sneak out when no one's looking.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

You have to watch them, unless there's a sign taped to the door they don't always know what or who they're delivering trays to. So, unfortunately, it's up to family and the patient to prevent some of those mistakes.

How long did it take for them to figure out to take a stool sample? I was stuck in the hospital for around two days till they figured out that brilliant idea.

But at least he should be on fluids, which is very important.

That the surgery goes well and that he can start getting over the bacterial infection. I can understand him wanting out of there so badly. When you're there day and night it's like the hospital is in it's own little time zone moving separately from the rest of the world. One starts getting a bit stir crazy and wondering if they could sneak out when no one's looking.

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I only went to visit him one day, but there wasn't a label on the jello, so it would be hard to tell if it had sugar or not. He wasn't even allowed to eat until the last two days. They have had him on intravenous fluids and nutrients the whole time, as well as medications. He was a "Nothing by Mouth" case for a while. I don't know when they took a stool sample first. It has been very tough for me because I have to stay here and go to work and go to class so that we do not fall behind (we are taking the same courses right now) and because I am our only source of direct income. I get my reports in short phone calls and text messages. It makes it tough.

They put a tube down his nose into his stomach a little bit ago to remove some of the gas in his stomach/bowel, because they said it was not safe to operate on him with so much gas in his digestive system. My husband is nervous. We all are. They may do the surgery later tonight, if not they will tomorrow because he can't keep waiting. They are just trying to make it safer and easier by removing the gas.

Or this is what they tell me anyway.

Thank you so much for all the vibes everyone.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

You have to watch them, unless there's a sign taped to the door they don't always know what or who they're delivering trays to. So, unfortunately, it's up to family and the patient to prevent some of those mistakes...

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Absolutely true! With all due respect to medical professionals, the fact is that mistakes are very common, and big ones. It's critical to be there, to insist on understanding what's being done and why, and to doublecheck every detail of a loved one's treatment.

If my family weren't committed to that policy, we might have lost my father several years earlier (also diabetic, also given the wrong food -- and then overdosed with insulin), and my mom surely would not be here today (due to morphine overdose while no one was monitoring her condition -- thank goodness my father and I stayed the night in her room).

I'm so sorry this happened to your father-in-law... sending good thoughts for his surgery to go well.

Many vibes coming to your FIL and your kitties . Keep us posted.

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Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Absolutely true! With all due respect to medical professionals, the fact is that mistakes are very common, and big ones. It's critical to be there, to insist on understanding what's being done and why, and to doublecheck every detail of a loved one's treatment.

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Well the problem lies in that it's not the RNs that do know the patient's condition that are delivering the food (they have better things to do). Sometimes those delivering the food may not get a complete room by room list, either. If there's a sign taped to the door that can prevent some mistakes, but it's always best to ask what's being given to you or your family member.

I'm nosy. They can't even put anything in my IV without me wanting to know exactly what it is. Then I get asked by the RNs if I've ever had any medical training since I can actually understand and speak logically.


zorana_dragonky - How is your FIL doing today? Any news?

Prayers and for your father in law and your kitties!

I hope everything goes well in the surgery.

Hoping for good news...

He is not doing so hot today everyone. They have done a few X-rays and they want to do an MRI, but they can't do the MRI until they get the stuff out of his system that they gave him to do the X-ray of his organs. His stomach/intestines are very distended and they have a tube down his nose to siphon out the gas and bile. He vomited a lot today and is not feeling well.

This hospital is better than the other one though!

They have not done surgery yet. Thank you for all of the vibes. I will let you know how it goes. We are expecting surgery after the MRI tomorrow. We really want to get rid of that blockage.


My kitties are still feeling yucko. I think they sense the stress in the house.

Renewing the vibes and prayers, hon -- oh, I hope things turn around for him today!