Called in Hospice : Nancy came at 6:30 p.m. took down information (Barb, Mike, Jennie & Vivian with Jim). Left at 8:30. Ordered hospital bed will bring it on Thursday. Ordered pills.
Wednesday 1/24
Hospice pills came at 3:30. Nurses Aid coming on Thursday. Jim doing okay.
Thursday 1/25
Hospital bed & walker came at noon. Jean, nurses aid 1:45 to 2:45. Jim still okay.
Friday 1/26
Nurses aid 2:30 until 3. Nurse Nora 4:15 to 5:30. Took care of Jim, changed his tube bandage, etc. Jim slept in hospital bed for a while tonight.
Saturday 1/27
Social Worker Margaret 2:45 to 3:45 talked to Jim and Viv. Delivered pads for bed and chair at 3:30. Jim is back to Lazy Boy Chair. Had a good day.
Sunday 1/28
During day Jim wasn't doing too good, had ensure at noon and nothing else all day. Had bloody bowl movement in the morning, and again a short while later. More bowel movements during the day. Called Hospice at 2:45 and the nurse on call said not to worry it was probably because he had been constipated and now the stool was soft but the bowel had been irritated. Said to call Nora on Monday. Barbara changed Jim's dressing at 8:00 p.m. and it was bloody. Cleaned it all up. Tube seemed to be extended farther out than usual. Jim was very weak but still coherent. He asked Barbara if she was okay with changing the dressing because it was a bit frightening to see the blood.
Sunday Night: Jim going to the bathroom every 10 minutes. Very restless and said he was having trouble breathing. He was staying in the Lazy Boy Chair but up all night long going back and forth to the bathroom. A few times he was confused and went into the wrong room and stood there then turned around and came out. Barbara called Hospice at 4:45 a.m. and asked for oxygen to be delivered on Monday so Nora could help Jim with it.
Monday 1/29
Oxygen delivered at 9 a.m., Nora came at 2:15 and stayed until 5:15. Jean came at 3:30 and left at 5:15. Nora checked tube and it came out. She put a temporary tubing into the opening (said there is a 2-hour window to reinsert a tube if it comes out). Blood was draining from the tube. Apparently Jim was bleeding internally. The balloon had deflated causing the tube to fall out. Jim seemed out of it from the loss of blood maybe, or being dehydrated. Jennie stayed overnight. Jim slept in Lazy Boy. He was up only twice during the night.
Tuesday 1/30
At 7:15 a.m. he wet his pants. Mike, Barb and Jennie put a Depend on him. At 11:45 Bob stopped in to see how Viv was doing. Millie and Bob stayed with Viv from 12:45 until 2:15. Had to change Jim's Depend. Barb & Mike home at 4:00 and Mike changed his Depend. Jennie left at 8:45 a.m. but back at 2:15 and helped with Depend. She left again at 7:30 p.m.) Dr called and is coming on Wednesday. Pills came at 10:30. Emergency Oxygen tank at 12:45. Jim isn't using even the original oxygen, apparently that was not the problem he was experiencing on Sunday night. At 10 p.m. Mike changed Jim's Depend before bed. Still in Lazy Boy. Refused to go to bed. Very confused (and stubborn). Bob, Millie and Barb handle the night shift. Millie 11:00-12:00; Bob 12:00-1:00; Millie, with Barbara, 1:00-6:00. At 6:00 Millie went upstairs. Jim refused to use Depends and wanted to go to the washroom. We took him and it was such a struggle for all of us we used the hand-held urinal the next few times. He was insistent he needed to go to the washroom.
WEDNESDAY 1/31
At 6:30 Millie had gone upstairs and Barbara went downstairs to ask Mike to take Jim to the washroom before he left for work. Mike went upstairs and said Jim said he did not have to go to the bathroom and would not let Mike change his Depend. Mike went to work. Barbara went into her bedroom to get dressed and Jim got off his chair and walked with no assistance into the bathroom. Barbara checked on him and helped him get the Depend off so he could sit on the toilet. He finished and Barbara took him in the wheelchair back into the front room. Barb called Jenny to let her know Jim is being too active to be left alone with Vivian. Barb decided that Jim needs to have a catheter put in to eliminate the stress on those who are taking care of him. And also to remove the make-shift feeding tube in his chest because it is only a source of irritation to Jim who keeps trying to scratch at the tape on his skin and the metal clamp holding it shut. Viv called Hospice at 8:30. Nora called at 9:15 to say she'll be here around noon. Dr Preador and 2 other doctors came 10:30 to 11:30. Jim had wet his pants at 9:30 and Viv couldn't change it. Couldn't call Bob since they got to bed at 6:30 a.m. so covered him up and waited till Doctor came who did the change. Dr. discontinued all his former pills, and now only Hospice prescriptions. Examined him and said will have Nora remove tube and put in catheter (as Barb had told me to ask). Nora came at 1 to 3:30 removed tube put in catheter took care of pills, ordered another pill for sleeping at night. Really had a job to do. Also did examined him. Anna, nurse Aid came at 2:45 to 3:15 and she shaved him. Commode Nora had ordered came at 5:00. Really rough day (on all)
Jon came with Millie & Bob at 6:30 to see him. We thought Jim was in his hospital bed, sides up, foot end raised, and so we were all chatting in the front room. As Barb walked past the doorway she saw Jim had gotten out of bed and was standing on the floor at the food end of his bed resting on the footboard.
Viv called Marilyn, Betty, Theresa, Joyce and Helen. Jennie was here for Doctor and Nora. Had to leave at 3:30 for I.C. work. Back at 9:30 with Rick to be here overnight. Jim was moaning during the night so loud Fairman's could hear him.
Thursday 2/1
Rick left at 6 a.m. for work. Jennie left at 10:15. Working tonight. Helen & Jack came at 8:30. Jack went to work and will pick Helen up tonight. Bob down at 11, then came back with Tim at 11:30 to give him anointing of Sick. Jim couldn't take communion. Joyce came at 1:15. Millie & Bob came down and were here when Nora came. Dr. Gopinath at 2:15 to 3:15. Jean came at 3:10 to 4:15 and gave him a bath.
Night was Barb until 11:00 then Millie 11:00-12:00, Bob 12:00-2:00, Millie 2:00-6:00 . Jim seems unable to swallow. Barb faxed Nora at 8:00 a.m. Barb helped Millie at 4:00 get Jim comfortable, had small temp of 100.7.
Friday 2/2
Helen and Karen came at 9:45. Karen home at 12:30. Pattie came at 3:00 and left at 5:45. Called Hospice at 4 about Thorazine medication. Had Nora call me at 4:30, liquid not made and Jim can't swallow pill so cancelled. Will have some one come out tomorrow to check him. Fr. Pat came at 4:15 until 4:45 and gave him Anointing of the Sick. Jack at 4:15 and took Helen home at 5:45. Jennie stayed overnight. Barb helped with the medications every two hours for the Liquid Morphine and every 6 hours for the white pill.
Saturday 2/3
Jim off and on. He seems to be out of it and moaning a lot. Barb coming up to give him his medications and talk to him today. Bob called at 10:30 to see if all was okay, then Jennie called from I.C. at 10"45. Fr. Larry coming at noon. Fr Larry got here at 11:45 talked (we prayed and Viv got communion) then more private talk by Fr. Larry who left at 12:15. Called Betty at 12:30 then Bob checking to see if all is alright. Gave Jim his pill at 1:00. Theresa called 1:45. Kleins: Jack, Helen, John, Laura came at 3 and left at 6:15. Nora called around 4 talked to Barb about Jim's condition. Barb said no need to come out. Natalie called at 5:30 will come tomorrow. Betty called at 6:30 about holding phone to Jim's ear so she could talk to him. They did this at 7:30 when she called back. Jennie's cat having kittens so Barb bold her she'd take the shift tonight: Barb, Mike, Bob and Millie. Barb continued to give Jim his medicine every 2 hours. Bob 11:00-1:00, Millie 1:00-3:30; Mike 3:30 till 6:00 a.m. then Barb for rest of the morning.
Sunday 2/4
Jim doing pretty good with medications. Barb doing medications. Jennie called 9 a.m. I.C. then again at 1, coming here by 2. 10:50 Joyce who left at 1:00 11:40 Dennis who left at 1:00. 12:30 Natalie called, coming at 2. Got here at 2:15 left 3:30. 1:20 Marilyn called. 1:45 Millie & Bob called. Jim same as last night. I didn't need help, Barb had Mike make a tape of a CD Chris had made for Jim of music he thought Jim would enjoy and be appropriate listening. Barb brought up a tape recorder and put the tape in. Jim was alone with the music for about an hour when Natalie and Jennie came at 2:00. When they walked in the room they thought Jim was singing. Natalie took Jim's hand and began to sing Amazing Grace. Jim sang along with her (not the words but the melody, as best as he could. He then continued to "sing" along with the tape for about 3 hours. Barb went up to Fairmans at 5:30 and told them that she thought Jim was nearing death. They came downstairs. Jennie stayed until 9 then left with Rick (who came here at 8 from work). Jennie, Mike, Barb, Millie, Bob and me, Millie called Jon who came about 7 then Rick around 8. Betty called, Elena called, Barb & Millie and Bob will take the watch tonight. Millie 11:00-1:00; Bob 1:00-1:35
Monday 2/5
Barbara continued giving Jim his liquid morphine every two hours even though he seemed in no pain and relatively calm. Bob and Millie came down at 11:30 and then Bob stayed for the first watch of the night. He came into Barb's room at 1:35 and said that Jim was gone.
Called Hospice at 1:45 a.m. Called Jennie right after. Barb told her not necessary for her to come over. Millie, Bob, Barb Mike and Viv up. Nurse called Mike for instructions to get here. While waiting for her to come we called Elena, Helen, Betty and Jon. Nurse got here at 3 and took care of Jim, destroyed his medicine, filled out instruction and called undertaker. Left at 3:45. Undertaker got here at 4:15 a.m., left 5 a.m.
Tuesday 2/6
Picked up bed and oxygen at 10:30 a.m.. Commode and walker ours to keep. Insurance paid for them