Meet fellow Caregivers - Introduce yourself

Hi @19lin @aasthapuri @adri @bbams @besrus5 @bina @burrkay @charlena @chesneydell1965 @clayton48 @coladyrev @dawn_giacabazi @dawn0202 @eaglesview @IndianaScott @jeannie2 @jennyjones38 @jhammer @js119 @lindagee @lisa_sj9 @saltyfrog @shellsk24 @soul @sylviapf @tavi @ters1993
I'd like to invite you to the new Caregivers group. It's a space where we can share the ups and downs of caregiving, honestly and openly without judgement. Whether you're caring for someone with dementia, cancer, heart problems or whatever, please join us. Pull up a chair and tell us a bit about yourself.

Hello to all, My husband July 1st woke up and could not walk 10 steps before he sat down sweating very pale and a yellow tint to his skin, plus he could not breath.. I immediately rushed him to the nearest ER I could think of.
They immediately hooked him up to oxygen, IV fluids and called an ambulance to move him to the best hospital in our area.

He stayed in ICU 11 days..his heart was completly surrounded by fluid in which a drain was placed into the heart sack an came out of his chest into a colostomy bag....the fluid was pretty much all blood red.
It took about 3 days to drain his heart sack they said had I not brought him in when i did his heart would have stopped beating from the pressure of the fluid.
After the surgery a Cardio Dr came in and said point blank see that fluid.... its cancer. see this monitor look at the mass on his lung its cancer. Needless to say we where both in Shock as my husband is a non stop gardner, cook and enjoying his retirement at age 72. Stays busy always.

After 10 days in ICU , 4 days in a floor down in a private room he was going to come home and he was so happy as he had never been in the hospital before.

I brought him home and his Oncoligist appt was 12 days later...seemed to far away for me. I was uncomfortable and scared to bring him home.
1 and a half days later same scenario as the July 1st. back to ER at hospital...his lungs where almost filled with fluid..they immediately put him an antibiotic IV and drained one lung...yay he can breath we where happy. 2 days later they drained the second lung 2 liters of fluid....the first lung had a bit more.
He stayed another night till they could MRI his brain to ensure the cancer had not spread..he started the test made the tech stop after 25 min and she took him back to his room. The next day he said I'm ready to go home I said wonderful ....until the nurse informed me he had not completed the MRI...and had to have it done...I said may I take him to a place in the am close to home, sure we got him released and his now home. The next morning at 8 I got him as weak as he was and out of breath to have the MRI.
This Monday is the long awaited Oncologist appt. He will be given his options.

All that said I noticed after his 10lb weight loss in 6 days and constant coughing up so much mucus, blood I literally threw up...not a very good nurse but I did what any caregiver would do and cleaned up for my husband..
He seemed very confused when I got him up from a 4 hr. nap and he was saying things about people visiting him and just scared me really bad I just assured him no one was here and if they where they have left...he said good I dont want company. Again the next morning more hallucinations and almost as if he developed dementia
overnight..I feel so alone and lost. I just want to get him to the Drs on Monday and start treatment yesterday, I'm just a mess.

Please tell me it gets a little better I need to hear positive news from others as you who have been in my situation...I just want to rest and not worry about his severe sleep apnea new diagnosis by the way and make sure to check his oxygen every few hours and BP..all has been good.
I pray he will be himself again one day but until then I will take the best of care as I Love him even after 46 yrs of marriage...any advise would help.
Thank you for listening I hope to hear from someone who has been in my shoes .

With Warmest Regatds,
Yvonne a loving wife❤😭

Hello to all, My husband July 1st woke up and could not walk 10 steps before he sat down sweating very pale and a yellow tint to his skin, plus he could not breath.. I immediately rushed him to the nearest ER I could think of.
They immediately hooked him up to oxygen, IV fluids and called an ambulance to move him to the best hospital in our area.

He stayed in ICU 11 days..his heart was completly surrounded by fluid in which a drain was placed into the heart sack an came out of his chest into a colostomy bag....the fluid was pretty much all blood red.
It took about 3 days to drain his heart sack they said had I not brought him in when i did his heart would have stopped beating from the pressure of the fluid.
After the surgery a Cardio Dr came in and said point blank see that fluid.... its cancer. see this monitor look at the mass on his lung its cancer. Needless to say we where both in Shock as my husband is a non stop gardner, cook and enjoying his retirement at age 72. Stays busy always.

After 10 days in ICU , 4 days in a floor down in a private room he was going to come home and he was so happy as he had never been in the hospital before.

I brought him home and his Oncoligist appt was 12 days later...seemed to far away for me. I was uncomfortable and scared to bring him home.
1 and a half days later same scenario as the July 1st. back to ER at hospital...his lungs where almost filled with fluid..they immediately put him an antibiotic IV and drained one lung...yay he can breath we where happy. 2 days later they drained the second lung 2 liters of fluid....the first lung had a bit more.
He stayed another night till they could MRI his brain to ensure the cancer had not spread..he started the test made the tech stop after 25 min and she took him back to his room. The next day he said I'm ready to go home I said wonderful ....until the nurse informed me he had not completed the MRI...and had to have it done...I said may I take him to a place in the am close to home, sure we got him released and his now home. The next morning at 8 I got him as weak as he was and out of breath to have the MRI.
This Monday is the long awaited Oncologist appt. He will be given his options.

All that said I noticed after his 10lb weight loss in 6 days and constant coughing up so much mucus, blood I literally threw up...not a very good nurse but I did what any caregiver would do and cleaned up for my husband..
He seemed very confused when I got him up from a 4 hr. nap and he was saying things about people visiting him and just scared me really bad I just assured him no one was here and if they where they have left...he said good I dont want company. Again the next morning more hallucinations and almost as if he developed dementia
overnight..I feel so alone and lost. I just want to get him to the Drs on Monday and start treatment yesterday, I'm just a mess.

Please tell me it gets a little better I need to hear positive news from others as you who have been in my situation...I just want to rest and not worry about his severe sleep apnea new diagnosis by the way and make sure to check his oxygen every few hours and BP..all has been good.
I pray he will be himself again one day but until then I will take the best of care as I Love him even after 46 yrs of marriage...any advise would help.
Thank you for listening I hope to hear from someone who has been in my shoes .

With Warmest Regatds,
Yvonne a loving wife❤😭

Hello @ytmorgan1 I am so sorry to read of your husband's scary healthcare journey right now. I am Scott and I am glad you found Connect and are here to share and participate in this group. This is a great community of folks who are very caring! Caregiving is a very scary time in life and one we are suddenly thrust into with no warning and no training! I am sorry you are having to go through this.

My wife's case was a bit different, but just as sudden with a brain tumor and extensive complications post-operative. We were married for 41 years and while caregiving my love for her only grew, even though she was different after her diagnosis.

As a caregiver I also know the waiting times are often the toughest! They were tough on my wife and tough on me. All the wondering and wishing just to have some word as to what the situation was. I will be thinking of you both from now to Monday!

I know each and every person and each and every cancer is different, but keep hoping for the best! My wife awoke from a coma and had to relearn how to eat, swallow, write, walk, and talk. It took her over a year and a half, but she did it! The doctors said she might live 7 years and she lived over 14! She was a fighter as it sounds like your husband is, too! Plus they have new treatments that were not even imagined back when my wife first got ill. Medical science is moving at a rapid pace in many areas and new options are always apprearing on the horizon!

I hope you are doing OK this morning and that at least the sun is shining wherever you are.

How are you managing today?

Strength, courage, and peace!

Hi @19lin @aasthapuri @adri @bbams @besrus5 @bina @burrkay @charlena @chesneydell1965 @clayton48 @coladyrev @dawn_giacabazi @dawn0202 @eaglesview @IndianaScott @jeannie2 @jennyjones38 @jhammer @js119 @lindagee @lisa_sj9 @saltyfrog @shellsk24 @soul @sylviapf @tavi @ters1993
I'd like to invite you to the new Caregivers group. It's a space where we can share the ups and downs of caregiving, honestly and openly without judgement. Whether you're caring for someone with dementia, cancer, heart problems or whatever, please join us. Pull up a chair and tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm getting at least a dozen of these emails a day, and need to unsubscribe as they're overloading my inbox. I really appreciate the support and caring fellow caregivers, but need to unsubscribe for now. Bless you. Pat

Hello to all, My husband July 1st woke up and could not walk 10 steps before he sat down sweating very pale and a yellow tint to his skin, plus he could not breath.. I immediately rushed him to the nearest ER I could think of.
They immediately hooked him up to oxygen, IV fluids and called an ambulance to move him to the best hospital in our area.

He stayed in ICU 11 days..his heart was completly surrounded by fluid in which a drain was placed into the heart sack an came out of his chest into a colostomy bag....the fluid was pretty much all blood red.
It took about 3 days to drain his heart sack they said had I not brought him in when i did his heart would have stopped beating from the pressure of the fluid.
After the surgery a Cardio Dr came in and said point blank see that fluid.... its cancer. see this monitor look at the mass on his lung its cancer. Needless to say we where both in Shock as my husband is a non stop gardner, cook and enjoying his retirement at age 72. Stays busy always.

After 10 days in ICU , 4 days in a floor down in a private room he was going to come home and he was so happy as he had never been in the hospital before.

I brought him home and his Oncoligist appt was 12 days later...seemed to far away for me. I was uncomfortable and scared to bring him home.
1 and a half days later same scenario as the July 1st. back to ER at hospital...his lungs where almost filled with fluid..they immediately put him an antibiotic IV and drained one lung...yay he can breath we where happy. 2 days later they drained the second lung 2 liters of fluid....the first lung had a bit more.
He stayed another night till they could MRI his brain to ensure the cancer had not spread..he started the test made the tech stop after 25 min and she took him back to his room. The next day he said I'm ready to go home I said wonderful ....until the nurse informed me he had not completed the MRI...and had to have it done...I said may I take him to a place in the am close to home, sure we got him released and his now home. The next morning at 8 I got him as weak as he was and out of breath to have the MRI.
This Monday is the long awaited Oncologist appt. He will be given his options.

All that said I noticed after his 10lb weight loss in 6 days and constant coughing up so much mucus, blood I literally threw up...not a very good nurse but I did what any caregiver would do and cleaned up for my husband..
He seemed very confused when I got him up from a 4 hr. nap and he was saying things about people visiting him and just scared me really bad I just assured him no one was here and if they where they have left...he said good I dont want company. Again the next morning more hallucinations and almost as if he developed dementia
overnight..I feel so alone and lost. I just want to get him to the Drs on Monday and start treatment yesterday, I'm just a mess.

Please tell me it gets a little better I need to hear positive news from others as you who have been in my situation...I just want to rest and not worry about his severe sleep apnea new diagnosis by the way and make sure to check his oxygen every few hours and BP..all has been good.
I pray he will be himself again one day but until then I will take the best of care as I Love him even after 46 yrs of marriage...any advise would help.
Thank you for listening I hope to hear from someone who has been in my shoes .

With Warmest Regatds,
Yvonne a loving wife❤😭

I am Patsy. My husband, an aerospace engineer, is the smartest man I know, but Mild Cognitive Impairment has robbed him of all those engineering skills. He is still physically able, a sweet, kind husband, likes to be socially active but cannot remember what happened 30 seconds ago. Unable to reason, he gets frustrated and so do I! It can be physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting. But when I say, “Lord, I cant do this!” He says, “No, but I can.”