Stroke victim with high blood, diabetes type 1. He won't take his medicine and I think that makes it worse. He hasn't been eating and he'll skip days in between. It's been like this for a week now. His doctor is barely in and won't be in on the weekend. When she came to check on him, she just said it might be his depression. But now I think it might be more? He's always in bed and sometimes he'll sit up and sit in his wheelchair but eating is a no. Everyone is telling me to relax but I can't. Should I call 911? He doesn't want me to bc he keeps shaking his head when I say so but maybe I should do it anyway?
I'd call 911 and get him taken by ambulance to the ER if it were me. Something is going on b/c he's exhibiting new symptoms which could be anything from a new stroke to 100 other things including a worsening of his diabetes from refusing to eat. That alone could create a medical emergency in short order! The EMS staff will check him out and determine on the spot if he needs to be taken to the hospital.
About 15 years ago, I was having a medical emergency myself & told my daughter NOT to call 911, which she did anyway, which turned out to be a good thing. My BP was 220/120 and the EMT had to give me a dose of nitroglycerin in the ambulance in order to prevent a stroke. Sometimes you just have to go against your loved ones wishes and do what YOU feel to be the right thing.
GOOD LUCK!
I'm glad your daughter called! I should do that too. If the paramedics say its fine then at least I tried
Sometimes when people are sick like he is, eating just isn't interesting to them. My mother hasn't eaten the equivalent of an entire meal since the middle of December. She's living on Ensure, a milkshake drink that provides her with calories and protein, but she can't live on it forever. Her body is shutting down, and that's OK.
I think you should listen to the others, and respect him when he says not to call 911. You might ask your other relatives to look into hospice care for him, because they'll keep him comfortable, come to the house to care for him, and it's all paid for my Medicare. It might be a good option for him.
His doctor is kind but my dad is part of a low-income clinic. Idk if it's because they don't really have a lot of resources but its weird because she took blood tests and never got back to me. Every time I have the time to call, they say she's off or she's busy with a patient.
Thanks for reassuring my thoughts. I think it'll be best to take him in too. Hopefully he gets admitted
If his doctor is too busy, find another. A speech pathologist might also be located through an ER visit; the staff could arrange for him to see a speech specialist either on site or by appointment.
You might also try some applesauce to see if he can swallow that w/o coughing; that's what speech therapists used to recommend for my father as a change of pace from pureed foods, as well as a softener for delectable like cookies.
I had to do that when my father was trached for several months, unable to speak except when the speech therapist adjusted the trach mechanism so he could talk, but only while she was present.
So I (a) got a notebook (those typical student spiral bound notebooks with small rings on the side), (b) created a larger selection options (backed by cardboard to keep it from getting wrinkled up) on which I included a multitude of potential needs (too warm, too cold, needed a nurse to contact me if I wasn't there, needed bathroom assistance, etc.). He could point to what he needed.
One of his church members knew sign language, and I considered that but wasn't sure I could learn enough in the short time available to be of use.
You might consider flash cards as well - something to allow him to express himself. It could make a world of difference.
If he wants to be taken to ER... and HE WANTS 911 to be called... BUT IF YOU KNOW HE doesn't want this special attention,... ,make sure you have the correct paper work in order... DO NOT RESUSCITATE... = DNR
Or POLST... ask his doctor... if you don't know.
Maybe he doesn't want to play this game of "life" anymore :(
I am in the mode for DNR and POLST.... I don't want my life to be strung out longer than necessary if I am "going to be an anchor" . I don't have a big family. I don't want them to take care of me...." I wasn't good at that job... I think the they won't be either... nor do I want them to feel they need to be burdened with me. This is life... the circle of life..
As I am writing, a friend is expecting first grandchild while decisions for dad are being made about his cancer and what to do or not to do... THE CIRCLE OF LIFE...
LITERALLY...