So much for a relaxing, productive Spring Break! Monday morning I got a call that my Poppy (mom's dad) was in the hospital. He has Parkinson's Disease and was admitted because he couldn't breathe. They suctioned out his lungs and found over a quart of fluid. The following "posts" are emails I sent to friends.
Monday morning:
My Poppy (my grandfather that I've lived with since infancy) is in the hospital. He has pneumonia and swallowing problems (dysphagia). They're trying to convince my mom to authorize a permanent feeding tube, but they aren't sure what to do yet.
As of yesterday, the doctor was discussing end-of-life care and giving him a "maybe 50/50" chance of surviving. He's looking a better today, but he's still in the Intensive Care Unit. I'm waiting until the next check from the doctor to decide whether or not I'll fly down to LA.
Please pray for Poppy, as he's not a believer. Also, pray for my mom, she's very unstable and I'm concerned about her becoming suicidal when he passes. Please pray for me. I have a very small family circle and Poppy was the only father-figure I knew when I was little, and the only grandparent I've ever known. I'm going to have a tough time when he goes, and I need strength. I need to know the right time to fly down there to be with him. Carl doesn't know what to do for me, he's never experienced a death in his immediate family, so he's in new territory right now, as well.
Monday night:
I spoke to Poppy's doctor and Poppy seems to be doing better. He has advanced stage Parkinson's disease and one of the symptoms is problems with swallowing coordination (dysphagia). He inhales when he is breathing, so fluid and food builds up in his lungs. They took more than a quart of fluid out of his right lung yesterday and he's breathing better now.
Right now the main concern is the the aspiration pneumonia, but after that it's preventing this from occurring again. They want to place a PEG tube (a tube from his stomach to the outside of his abdomen) to avoid him needing to swallow for nutrition. It's a gastric feeding tube. It's a fairly easy procedure, but he has a bad history with surgeries and is now refusing to consider the surgery.
The doctor anticipates that he will either choke or drown on food or water within a month if he doesn't get the surgery. He is getting weaker and weaker because he can't eat very much and he is already dangerously thin. The doctor anticipates the surgery could improve the quality of life by allowing him to gain weight and grow stronger. If things stay the way they are now, my mom will no longer be able to care for him and he'd most likely end up in a nursing home if he doesn't get the surgery, though Poppy is in denial about it.
Please keep us in your prayers. Poppy is being stubborn about the surgery, and I'm praying he gives in soon. We have a couple days before he'd be ready to have the surgery, so we have some time. My mom is really upset and angry with him right now, so please pray for her strength. I've decided that I won't be going down to LA right now. There isn't much I can do and Carl and I can't afford to shell out $300 for the flights. The doctor promised to make it clear if things take a turn for the worse.
Wednesday AM:
I'm at the airport right now.
I'm not sure what the last update I gave you was, but they now need to open up his chest to remove most or all of his right lung. My Poppy is refusing surgery at this time, so I'm going down to be with him and try to convince him. The surgery is risky because he is so weak, but if he doesn't have it, he'll die of infection in a few days. The surgeon said that if he gets the surgery today, he'll be in pretty good shape to make it out alive, but tomorrow he is likely to be critical and the surgery will kill him. He's being stubborn and foolish and my mom and I are doing our best to convince him to get the surgery. The surgeon ordered a psych consult to determine his ability to make medical decisions. I'm hoping that if he continues to refuse the surgery, they will give my mom the ability to make medical decisions for him.
Wednesday afternoon:
Poppy agreed to surgery while I was on the plane and got wheeled in as I was landing. After 2 hours Mom and I got word that he came out safely. They removed 1/4 of his right lung and a quart of fluid. He is on a ventilator for at least 24 hours and isn't out of of the woods yet. Now we need to worry about infection and he still needs surgery to insert a feeding tube.
We are very happy he made it through this major surgery and we're hoping for more good news with his recovery. Thanks again for all the prayers.
Thursday:
Poppy is doing SO much better. I just got home (Thurs 11pm) and I'm exhausted. I miss Poppy, but I have to get things together before school starts on Monday. I spent the whole day with him in Critical Care, fluffing pillows and putting Chapstick on him. I was with him when they removed the intubation tube, and he was MUCH happier without it. He is off the ventilator, talking, sleeping, and all that. He is still in a lot of pain, but the doctors said he needs to stay off the serious pain meds because they might make breathing difficult and they'd have to put him back on the ventilator.
So far the cultures of his lung fluid are coming back with just normal saliva bacteria. The big worry was some antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We still are waiting on the cultures from the surgery. His heart is doing well, everything is on track.
His behavior is much better, too. He agreed to the feeding tube and they are setting up a consult for the procedure tomorrow.
Please pray that infection stays away. That's the big worry and it could kill him very quickly. Also pray that once the feeding tube is placed, he'll gain weight and strength. My mom is facing financial and health problems right now, on top of the stress of Poppy's hospitalization. Please pray for her strength and provision during this time.
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
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