Hey guys, for those of you who are so inclined, I ask that you would say a few prayers for my Step-Dad. (Warren) He's 77 years old and having health problems of an unkown origin right now.
Our last trip to the doctor, (3/14/08) found him to be anemic and with considerable edema in his lower legs and feet. The doc ran several tests and he is indeed anemic. (This often means blood loss in the body and poor electrolyte numbers as well)
This may be due to a fall a few weeks ago that pushed his healing abilities to the limits, or something more serious. (Prostrate enlargement... which is very common im men over 60)
He may need electrolyte therapy to bring things back into balance and has started a new regimine of diuretics to reduce the edema. (That part seems to be working already)
I don't want to see this one go south now as Mom passed away in December 2006 in a sudden and unexpected way. (Age 80) This was a shock to the entire family and we are all trying to regroup from that loss as well.
Now, my dear Step-Dad is on the ropes and I hope he has the determination to hang in there and proper medical care to turn this new situation around.
It's hard to watch loved ones suffer and depart as we get older. Things get so complicated as our parents and others we care about suffer the ravages of aging and poor health. There's more to it than that, but it's personal and I admit the task at hand is indeed daunting. Losses are all part of life, but I am not ready to see this dear man depart just now.
So, I ask for prayer... not just for Warren, but also for myself. May we make wise choices, do the best we can and secure a few more years of good health before the "Grim Reaper" calls for his life.
I care deeply for this man and he has been a pillar of strength for many years to my Mom and me. He has been more like a kind and patient father to me then my birth Dad. (Dad passed 12 years ago) But, Warren filled Mom's life with good things she never would have dreamed could happen. He also gave me a few good lessons in life as well. May he pass these trials in flying colors and have a few more good years before his number comes up.
Thanks to all that read this message and respond.
Swez THINK
Replies (7)
MrBrownstone on 03/21/2008 12:27:00
Hey Swez
I can identify with you & how you are your parents' parent. My prayers go out to you & the ole boy.
The more life we have left, the more precious it is to others. The less life we have left, the more precious it becomes to ourselves.
swez on 03/22/2008 09:00:10
A quick update... Pops went back to the doctor this week for a review. His adema has improved considerably in one week and he is now scheduled for a few simple tests to check for blood losses via a colonoscopy. (Looking for leisions, cysts and other possible issues that may be present but not detected to date)
He was also instructed on the proper way to take his medications. This has been hit or miss for some time and needs to be corrected. This may be a contributing factor as well.
Yes, being parent to a parent is challenging. I have learned that once one is pretty well set in their ways, it's very hard to turn that around until a crisis hits. With Pops, I cannot/do not just "tell" him what to do and expect compliance. However, I can "suggest" a plan of attack and give him reasons to follow it.
For the most part, it's a lot like dealing with small children. We give them choices and the cause/affect scenarios that come with good or poor choices. The rest is pretty much up to them to comply and benefit or ignore and suffer the consequences.
Thanks for the prayers and concerns,
Swez
admin on 03/22/2008 10:05:52
Consider it done my friend.
Ash on 03/22/2008 10:26:28
God sees & knows all that you do. In your time of stress, there is no need to worry for you know that he is always by your side. Lean on him and everything will work out according to how he sees fit.
God bless
swez on 03/22/2008 11:32:55
Thanks guys, we appreciate the thoughts and prayers and the unspoken concerns.
At the moment, Pops is a bit fearful of the unkown and that is very understandable. On the other hand, see no reason to fear his aging process and he is in good hands medically and plenty of support from friends and family too.
After going through various things over the past 10 years with both of my aging parents, one can learn a lot by observation, asking well researched questions and following a skilled doctor's advice. The key is giving the doctor(s) accurate information so they know where to target their searches. Since both of my parents were not able to do this, I stand in the gap as a patient advocate for them.
It's interesting to see how much we can learn and help our aging parents through the hurdles of growing older and becoming less able to do things for themselves. Feeding the doctor key bits of missing information has made a big difference in the quality of care Warren gets now. We are like a team. I give her, (Dr. Sue) details and observations and make notes as she does the exams. More often then not, we come to similar conclusions on what to do and how to monitor progress. It's really neat to be a part of the solution, fact-finding process. The trick is getting reasonable compliance from the patient. (That's a challenge and fortunately, Warren seems to get it) He finally seems to get the point that not telling his doctors the whole story, is not in his best interests)
OK, so I am the "snitch" in this scenario. But if that's what it takes to get him back to good health, so be it. If he gets mad at me for "snitching", that's fine by me. I can handle that one too.
In short, being a "patient advocate" is hard work at times. But when the results are favorable and the outcome is very positive, I'll be the "bad guy" as long as it works. Besides, Warren has been very good to me and now I have the opportunity to get him through the rough spots as needed.
Swez
PS Yes, doctors are basically tools in God's hand. They cannot heal and they admit it. However, they can facilitate the process and let God do the rest. So far, that strategy is working very well. I see no need to change the game plan... Prayer Works in strange and wonderful ways. Just be careful what we ask for and realize that God does things in His own ways and in His own timing. He also has a strange sense of humor at times.
Example: "Praying for patience" is a sure-fire way to get a truck load of challenges we might prefer not to have. Unfortunately, the only way to obtain patience, is to stretch ones tolerance levels well beyond our normal limits.
It's kinda like hitting our thumb with a hammer in the same place too many times. When we put down the hammer, grab a pair of pliers and hold the nail with pliers, the pain stops and we feel much better huh? LOL
newB on 03/22/2008 16:19:03
for swez- anything.
-Drew
swez on 03/26/2008 18:04:45
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers here fellas. Pop's is doing better this week and just has a prostate check up too. His P-gland is a little enlarged, but not enough to take any serious action on at this time. Heck, a little swelling is normal for most men over 50 and he's OK on that one as well at 77.
In a nutchell, he's getting along much better, returning to normal activities and getting out and about as he wishes. The leg swelling and cramping have deminished considerably and now he's more comfortable while walking, resting and sleeping better too.
Good news in all guys,
Swez HAPPY
Our last trip to the doctor, (3/14/08) found him to be anemic and with considerable edema in his lower legs and feet. The doc ran several tests and he is indeed anemic. (This often means blood loss in the body and poor electrolyte numbers as well)
This may be due to a fall a few weeks ago that pushed his healing abilities to the limits, or something more serious. (Prostrate enlargement... which is very common im men over 60)
He may need electrolyte therapy to bring things back into balance and has started a new regimine of diuretics to reduce the edema. (That part seems to be working already)
I don't want to see this one go south now as Mom passed away in December 2006 in a sudden and unexpected way. (Age 80) This was a shock to the entire family and we are all trying to regroup from that loss as well.
Now, my dear Step-Dad is on the ropes and I hope he has the determination to hang in there and proper medical care to turn this new situation around.
It's hard to watch loved ones suffer and depart as we get older. Things get so complicated as our parents and others we care about suffer the ravages of aging and poor health. There's more to it than that, but it's personal and I admit the task at hand is indeed daunting. Losses are all part of life, but I am not ready to see this dear man depart just now.
So, I ask for prayer... not just for Warren, but also for myself. May we make wise choices, do the best we can and secure a few more years of good health before the "Grim Reaper" calls for his life.
I care deeply for this man and he has been a pillar of strength for many years to my Mom and me. He has been more like a kind and patient father to me then my birth Dad. (Dad passed 12 years ago) But, Warren filled Mom's life with good things she never would have dreamed could happen. He also gave me a few good lessons in life as well. May he pass these trials in flying colors and have a few more good years before his number comes up.
Thanks to all that read this message and respond.
Swez THINK
Replies (7)
MrBrownstone on 03/21/2008 12:27:00
Hey Swez
I can identify with you & how you are your parents' parent. My prayers go out to you & the ole boy.
The more life we have left, the more precious it is to others. The less life we have left, the more precious it becomes to ourselves.
swez on 03/22/2008 09:00:10
A quick update... Pops went back to the doctor this week for a review. His adema has improved considerably in one week and he is now scheduled for a few simple tests to check for blood losses via a colonoscopy. (Looking for leisions, cysts and other possible issues that may be present but not detected to date)
He was also instructed on the proper way to take his medications. This has been hit or miss for some time and needs to be corrected. This may be a contributing factor as well.
Yes, being parent to a parent is challenging. I have learned that once one is pretty well set in their ways, it's very hard to turn that around until a crisis hits. With Pops, I cannot/do not just "tell" him what to do and expect compliance. However, I can "suggest" a plan of attack and give him reasons to follow it.
For the most part, it's a lot like dealing with small children. We give them choices and the cause/affect scenarios that come with good or poor choices. The rest is pretty much up to them to comply and benefit or ignore and suffer the consequences.
Thanks for the prayers and concerns,
Swez
admin on 03/22/2008 10:05:52
Consider it done my friend.
Ash on 03/22/2008 10:26:28
God sees & knows all that you do. In your time of stress, there is no need to worry for you know that he is always by your side. Lean on him and everything will work out according to how he sees fit.
God bless
swez on 03/22/2008 11:32:55
Thanks guys, we appreciate the thoughts and prayers and the unspoken concerns.
At the moment, Pops is a bit fearful of the unkown and that is very understandable. On the other hand, see no reason to fear his aging process and he is in good hands medically and plenty of support from friends and family too.
After going through various things over the past 10 years with both of my aging parents, one can learn a lot by observation, asking well researched questions and following a skilled doctor's advice. The key is giving the doctor(s) accurate information so they know where to target their searches. Since both of my parents were not able to do this, I stand in the gap as a patient advocate for them.
It's interesting to see how much we can learn and help our aging parents through the hurdles of growing older and becoming less able to do things for themselves. Feeding the doctor key bits of missing information has made a big difference in the quality of care Warren gets now. We are like a team. I give her, (Dr. Sue) details and observations and make notes as she does the exams. More often then not, we come to similar conclusions on what to do and how to monitor progress. It's really neat to be a part of the solution, fact-finding process. The trick is getting reasonable compliance from the patient. (That's a challenge and fortunately, Warren seems to get it) He finally seems to get the point that not telling his doctors the whole story, is not in his best interests)
OK, so I am the "snitch" in this scenario. But if that's what it takes to get him back to good health, so be it. If he gets mad at me for "snitching", that's fine by me. I can handle that one too.
In short, being a "patient advocate" is hard work at times. But when the results are favorable and the outcome is very positive, I'll be the "bad guy" as long as it works. Besides, Warren has been very good to me and now I have the opportunity to get him through the rough spots as needed.
Swez
PS Yes, doctors are basically tools in God's hand. They cannot heal and they admit it. However, they can facilitate the process and let God do the rest. So far, that strategy is working very well. I see no need to change the game plan... Prayer Works in strange and wonderful ways. Just be careful what we ask for and realize that God does things in His own ways and in His own timing. He also has a strange sense of humor at times.
Example: "Praying for patience" is a sure-fire way to get a truck load of challenges we might prefer not to have. Unfortunately, the only way to obtain patience, is to stretch ones tolerance levels well beyond our normal limits.
It's kinda like hitting our thumb with a hammer in the same place too many times. When we put down the hammer, grab a pair of pliers and hold the nail with pliers, the pain stops and we feel much better huh? LOL
newB on 03/22/2008 16:19:03
for swez- anything.
-Drew
swez on 03/26/2008 18:04:45
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers here fellas. Pop's is doing better this week and just has a prostate check up too. His P-gland is a little enlarged, but not enough to take any serious action on at this time. Heck, a little swelling is normal for most men over 50 and he's OK on that one as well at 77.
In a nutchell, he's getting along much better, returning to normal activities and getting out and about as he wishes. The leg swelling and cramping have deminished considerably and now he's more comfortable while walking, resting and sleeping better too.
Good news in all guys,
Swez HAPPY
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