Wish us luck - I'm bringing Peter home this afternoon

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corrineinwa

Just spoke with the surgeon and he said Peter can come home this afternoon.

I've been busting a gut clearing the snow from the deck etc. that fell last night and earlier this morning. The forecast is that it'll clear by this afternoon so I shouldn't have a problem getting him home.

Many, many thanks to all for your advice and support over this past few days. This forum as been tremendously helpful during these difficult and confusing days - looks like you're going to be stuck with me from now on in.

hugs to you all.
 
Congratulations and good luck on getting Peter home!:)
Don't forget, we're here if you have questions or need support.:)
 
Corrine.....best wishes for your trip home. I know Peter will be glad to get there. Maybe the weather will clear and you can take a walk outside in a few days.
 
Snow?? It's the middle of April, what the heck is going on over there?

Corinne, the first few days of care giving at home will be tiring. Don't worry about laundry or cleaning or anything else.
Rest is important for both of you.
Best wishes. :)
 
Awesome news, glad to hear it. :)

Be prepared for him to be wiped out when he gets home - I know I was. I couldn't do anything for almost a day once returning home. There is something about that last day in the hospital that just wears you out.
 
This is great news Corrine! I'm sure that Peter will be so happy to be home & so will you!

I wish him well in his recovery & keep us informed on how he is doing. And, you take care too! :)
 
Good news, Corrine. So happy Peter is well enough to come home.

We are very happy you found us and eager to help you in every way possible.
No question is silly. Ask them all.

Better to be safe than sorry and if in doubt, check it out.

Hope you have an easy time getting him home.
 
Corrine:

Am sure Peter will be very happy to be home. Being waited on hand and foot :eek: in a hospital is oh, so much fun -- what with all the hall noise, macines that beep incessantly, being awakened in the middle of the night for a BP check, etc. I have far too many fond :rolleyes: memories of my visit to the "spa" for my "grand opening."
 
Home is definitely the best place to be ! Just remember, he may find it hard to lie down for a while, and will need to sleep sitting up.

My mother watched my SIL and 3 grandchildren, my Mum was just mid-40s at the time, SIL had gall bladder surgery (full incision in those days), kids were just babies (probably about 4years, 2 years and 6 months or so). Whenever the kids went for a nap, so did Mum and grandmum ! I suggest you also follow that routine for a wee while. Once you have named all the dust-bunnies, you can declare war on them.
 
Congrats to Peter on getting out of the hospital and to a place where I'm sure his recovery will go smoothly. He'll be very tired the first couple of days until the drugs work out of his system. But before you know it he'll be back to his old self (hopefully that's a good thing!). Best of luck, Corrine. Don't wear yourself out too much.
 
I'm sure you and Peter will do fine.

One thing I forgot to mention earlier, you may want to purchase a Stethoscope (a Low Cost one is 'good enough') and Blood Pressure Meter if you don't already have them.

Do you have other family members or friends who can help 'baby sit' or do chores as needed to give you a chance to rest and recuperate?

Peter will need a Lot of Help the first week at home, a little less the second week. After that he should progress slowly but surely and be able to do simple things by himself such as going to the bathroom, taking a shower (with a shower chair or stool), make a sandwich, etc.

You know where to find us if / when you need us.
Someone should be around, even during the wee hours.

Be sure to keep the Surgeon's and Cardiologit's On-Call Telephone Numbers handy 'just in case'.

Best wishes,

'AL Capshaw'
 
All went well and Peter is now sleeping like a baby. So much for me getting him one of those wedge things - I've just checked and he's away with the fairies with just his normal couple of pillows.

I'm an organised soul so the domestic stuff is up-to-date and I have a couple of friends from church have volunteered if I need some help with anything or if I just need a breather for a couple of hours.

I made a big pot of chicken noodle soup (love you Mrs Dash) for the freezer - Peter enjoyed a small mug of that. An individual serving of no sugar added tapioca pudding, washed down by a small glass of apple juice. I was pleased with that, he didn't enjoy hospital food.

His nurse was great and the guy even had all Peter's meds in a bag waiting for me (saved me a trip). Unfortunately, I should have checked them before I left cause one was missing.

Thankfully, it was only the Percocet! Although Peter hasn't needed pain medication, living as far out as we do and what with the car trip home, I was a little worried what to do if he needed something. I was too late for me to head back down to the hospital and I really didn't want to do it anyway so I jumped on the internet and found out that Percocet 5/325 is 325mg acetaminophen and 5mg oxycodone.

I called his ward to tell them about the missing Percocet and asked if, in the event he needed something during the night, could I give him a 325mg Tylenol and they said that would be OK. I don't think he'll need it but it's as well to know.

And that brings me to a question.

Can someone recommend an easy schedule for the meds he has to take. The Prilosec and Lipitor I'm OK with but the rest ... ug!

This is his list:

Docusate 250mg - twice a day.
Metroprolol 75mg - twice a day.
Amiodarone 200mg - once a day.
Warfarin 2mg - once a day.
Omeprazole 20mg - twice a day 30 mins before breakfast and dinner
Atorvastatin 40mg - bedtime.
Aspirin 81mg - once a day.
 
Welcome Home Corrine (and Peter) !

I'm glad (but not surprised) to hear that everything went smoothly. Somehow, I *knew* you would be prepared. :)

Do you happen to know Peter's INR (anticoagulation level from one of the blood tests) when he was released?

I'm a little surprised by the Dose of Warfarin prescribed (2 mg) which is on the low end of the (wide) normal distribution. That number may very well be correct IF he is a 'slow metabolizer' of warfarin. This varies greatly from person to person.

Note that Amiodarone is a Very Powerful antiarrhythmic medication which many Doctors like to prescribe "because it works" and they can release their patients on schedule. As long as it is not taken for 'too long' (and Peter's dose does seem appropriate), it seems to be OK. Long term use can lead to eye and lung 'issues'. Hopefully his
Doctors will watch for the tell-tale signs and discontinue use of Amiodarone if any begin to show up.

After Peter has progressed a bit in his recovery, you and he may want to discuss trying a 'less powerful' anti-arrhythmic (such as Sotalol, the Generic form of BetaPace) which has fewer side effects and works well for several of our members.

Now that Peter is sleeping, maybe you should get some rest too. You will probably be pretty busy tending to his needs for the next several days.

On scheduling his medications, I use 2 Pill Boxes, one for Morning Pills (usually around Breakfast) and Evening Pills (just before bedtime).... and his Prilosec before dinner...

I also chart my medications (and INR test data) on a 31 day chart I created using MS WORD.

The Pill Boxes are very good for preventing Double Dosing and the Chart (plus my S.O.) help to prevent missing a dose.

Best wishes,

'AL Capshaw'
 
Thank you for responding Al.

I'm sorry - I don't know Peter's INR level but I will definately ask and report back. Along with the 2mg Warfarin, they also gave me some 5mg to hold as the dose may have to be tweaked.

We have an appointment to see his cardiologist on Thursday and I've made a note to ask him about the Amiodarone - I appreciate the heads-up.

Well, I'm dead on my feet right now so I'm heading off for a shower and bed. It's been a long day but I've got the old chap home and he seems comfortable and happy to be home.
 
I can't be much of a help for most of the drugs, but as a lifelong antiacid user (I have a hiatal hernia), I take 40mg Nexium daily - once, and that is it. I'd consider getting his Prilosec changed to a once a day thing. Nexium is quite affordable if you do it mail order.
 
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