Not sure how to feel

Bunny whisperer

The last week of February my DH and myself tested positive for covid. Two weeks later we tested negative and his symptoms seem to have went away, but on the 19th of March we took him to the ER for a totally different issue when they found he has pneumonia and spent 3 days in the hospital. They said he tested positive for covid in the hospital. He came home yesterday, but not only has pneumonia, but it spread bacteria into his blood stream. He is on antibiotics and sleeps all the time, but wondering what if the medication doesnt work...they already switched it once because of the spread. Hes weak and cant walk alone…not sure how to feel at this point since Im running on auto pilot.

cdgbdr

Do you have a nurse coming in periodically? Ask the physician/provider for a home health referral. They can provide assessment and support to you.

BPS

I don't know how you should feel about all that has happened, but I think I would feel angry and disappointed in the reliability of the test, in the current medical system, and lost in what to do next. I also think you should feel good about the choices you are making. It sounds like you are doing the best you can do and that is something to be proud of. None of us can control the outcome and should never regret our decisions if we are doing the best we can. This is what I believe but I can't do it. I have regrets and feeling of guilt for some of my decisions.

Bunny whisperer

I will need to talk to my DH caseworker and ask about that, thank you do the info.

harshedbuzz

@Bunny whisperer

You have my sympathies. This can be confusing and scary.

I went through something similar with my own mom minus the dementia and COVID; mom's pneumonia complicated by COPD was the result of aspiration as a medication side effect. The poor woman was hospitalized 5 times for a total of 31 inpatient days since mid-October.

Clearing up bacteremia isn't straight forward. During her December visit, the blood cultures drawn in the ED came back the next day which meant a change of antibiotic. She did a 10-day IV push of Ancef and was scheduled for 2 repeat blood cultures to confirm that the infection was cleared. The first came back clear but her breathing was terrible off IV steroids, so she was readmitted for a week to deal with that. She was scheduled for her second follow up blood culture the day of discharge, so the hospitalist arranged it to be drawn there. Imagine my surprise when I went the culture showed not only the original staph but strep as well. We returned to the ED and she was readmitted 18 hours after her discharge and started on Vancomycin which was later switched to Nafcillin IV for 6 weeks.

I will say she's now 4 1/2 weeks into this treatment and is doing a lot better in the last few days. She was really not herself— her energy level was really low, cognitively she wasn't at her baseline and sleep became her new hobby. She seemed frail and as if she'd aged 10 years. It's still early days for you, perhaps things will improve once the infection is cleared.

HB

SDianeL

so sorry. I know how you feel. It’s exhausting. Talk to the case manager and ask for home health care or other options. I think he should be monitored closely. Maybe explain that you have been sick and not up to caring for him.

Bunny whisperer

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/239133#Comment_239133

Thank you for sharing this with me. Im sorry your mom had to go through all that, but happy she is doing better.