I thought that John would be looked after for the morning so I took the time to get some things done around the apartment, and go to the Thursday morning coffee hour. I did not get to the hospital until noon.
Apparently John had had a difficult time in the morning trying to communicate with both the nurses and the doctor. Because they are such busy people, they do not have the time to try and listen to what he is whispering or to wait until he can get a word out. So he was frustrated. However, worse than that was the fact that he had begun another "attack" at about 11:00am and was already rigid and sweating by the time I got there. When I arrived John greeted me by saying, "take me home, I don't was to die here." I assured him he was not going to die there - although later on I began to wonder if I had spoken too soon.
The next few hours were a nightmare between the rigidity, difficulty in breathing and sweating. By 3pm the nurses called our doctor and asked for something to relieve his pain. The doctor ordered Percocet. They gave him a dose at 2;30 but it made not difference at all. They gave him another one at 3:30pm and shortly thereafter he began to feel better. We got his clothing and the bed all changed from being soaked with his sweat and he said he felt much better. That lasted for about one hour.
During that time Bishop Ron Ferris dropped in to see John and prayed with him. Gus had come earlier but John was not well enough to visit with him at all. He also could not talk to his brother Jim or his sister Ruth who both phoned today. However, I was able to talk to them and update them on John's condition.
At about 5pm John said he could feel another attack coming on. The nurse said he was only supposed to have the Percocet every 6 hours. Nevertheless, because he was getting worse again, she finally relented and gave him another dose at 6:30pm. This helped a little although he never felt good again.
I read a good part of a mystery novel to him to keep his mind occupied. When they brought the 9:30 meds I asked them to give him his sleeping pills too and he was soon sound asleep. Then I could come home.
It has been an exhausting day.
I'm not sure what all this means. I hope to go to the hospital very early tomorrow so I will see the doctor when he makes his rounds and see what he has to say.
a FOUR thumbs down day today.
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