Well this is my last blog post I think, and its taken a while to work up the energy to write it.
While Dad was in the home he had a couple of big seizures. These were dealt with at the home with use of Medazolam, meaning he didn't have to go to hospital, despite them being biggies. He then got shingles. This knocked him out a few days and just showed how compromised his immune system was.
On the 28th September he was taken to hospital with suspected pneumonia. This was confirmed and antibiotics given though IV, but he didn't respond. On Friday 2nd October I allowed them to stop treatment, and on the 3rd, after having to contact the macmillan nurse myself as the ward didn't, we stopped sustenance. He died on the morning of the 7th.
The biggest advice I can give you if you end up being admitted on a general ward for any reason is this. If you haven't seen a macmillan nurse within 6 hours, they probably haven't told them, ask for one. Without her I would be a mess right now. The doctors dithered and dallied and looked to me to make reasonably uninformed decisions by myself. I had to ask whether any palliative teams had been informed, which they hadn't, and as soon as they made the request I saw my life saver within an hour.
To say she was furious was an understatement. Within the next couple of hours his syringe driver was sorted, his care was sorted, and I had someone to give me proper advice so I could make the right decisions.
Please, please, don't do it alone. You really do need the help.
