My mum was admitted to hospital just over 3 weeks ago with bilateral pneumonia whilst there she has been told that there is potential central lung malignancy. Mum has struggled in hospital with insomnia (something she hasn't had before) she has also been suffering from delerium in the middle of the night. She was discharged yesterday pending further tests (EBOS needed) her legs are massively swollen and she is low sodium which we are hoping to build up by her repeat bloods on Monday. Her plural effusion was drained and after a two week wait returned as 'incinclusive'.
Since returning home she has struggled to get upstairs but she did it and I think we were a little naive to think that she would just get in bed and sleep but the insomnia has continued and when she did sleep she again woke not knowing where she was.
We are all extremely concerned as the lady who has come home from hospital is not the lady who went in. She will have sodium levels checked Monday, she'll see her consultant in clinic in 2 weeks but other than that we have been given nothing, she has no one to speak to or contact and neither do we as her carers. My SIL is a nurse and has said that she should have lung nurses to speak to at least.
I suppose my question is how can I help her sleep? And who do we turn to? I'm.so worried things might get worse before we see her consultant again and we have no one to ask.
Many thanks in advance for anyone reading this and sending love to all on this journey too
Hi LauraZ welcome to the group, but sorry to hear about your mum.
When you have low sodium levels it can make you feel very unwell, and one of the side effects is confusion, which is what you are describing with your mum. I am hoping once your mums sodium levels are correct she will feel better.
Lung nurses are assigned once a cancer diagnoses is given, and as your mum is having further tests, I wonder if she has not quite got to that point. I expect this will happen when she sees her consultant in 2 weeks. At this time I would be contacting mums GP especially with the insomnia to see if he can give her something to help.
