Help! Staying at hospital for a week. Not a patient.

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Help! Staying at hospital for a week. Not a patient.

Postby leahnola » 25 Sep 2013, 11:49

My teenage daughter is having major surgery in 10 days. I plan to stay with her for the duration of her stay, which is expected to be a week, give or take a few days. I am stressing about how I am going to be able to do sitz baths and showers after BM's. I also don't know what kind of food I will be able to eat. I eat cereal and blueberries every day - can't figure a way to do that there. I will bring my sitz bath pan, but not sure if I will have a private bathroom to use, especially in the early days, as my daughter will be in ICU and not an actual room. Also, my BM's are rather urgent, and if visitors or staff are there I may have to leave and stay gone if able to soak. I will probably only have a pull-out chair - no bed to lie on when hurting. I hope to be able to walk some for exercise, as I don't want to give that up. Has anyone here had to do somethng similar, or do any hospital workers have advice? I am a person of faith, and I am praying that God will get me through this, as He has through other dreaded situations. So I guess my faith is weak at the moment because of the duration of this stay. I want so badly just to be there for my daughter and to care for her, but I feel like I will be the one who needs care! Any helpful advice will be greatly appreciated. I should mention that my husband and/or another daughter should be there to help much of the time, but probably not overnight.

For information about me, I developed a fissure a little over a year ago. It cleared up in a relatively short period of time. About 4 months ago, I developed another (or the same). I am at the point now where I just ache most of the day. Serious spasms have been gone a while. I was feeling great for about a week and a half and had a relapse this past Sunday. It is not as bad as before, but I am very sore. Car rides and sitting in general are the worst. I am calling my doctor today to see if he will prescribe me Diltiazem, as I have only been on over-the-counter ointments until now. He mentioned nitro, but no Diltiazem, and I think I would like to try that first. Thought I was finally getting better, but now I need more help.

I definitely don't want to make this about me over my daughter, because she is my baby and will be going through a very painful procedure to correct a congenital bone deformity. My first concern is to pray for her safety and swift recovery.

Thanks, everybody.
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Re: Help! Staying at hospital for a week. Not a patient.

Postby Deleted User 2950 » 25 Sep 2013, 14:27

Hi leahnola

Oh we're so sorry to hear of your daughters upcoming surgery. May God bless you and her with healing powers in these next several days. Its hard to keep the faith in times like this. Look at it as a test and that God is seeing how you will respond to this. You know, with God seeing how you're putting your daughter first, that in itself may be passing the test of faith and He may bless you with healing for both you and your daughter. Have Faith.

My mom just recently had an extended stay in the hospital where I would visit and stay with her for much of the time. Although I was not battling my fissures at the time, I know that if I was on that diet of cereal and blueberries, I would not hesitate to bring that with me and fix it up to eat in the lobby or family room. Yes you have to be a little creative about this but there are ways to stay on your routine to a degree.

As you'll probably be sitting a lot at the hospital, you may want to get yourself a hot water bottle to ease the discomfort. Your relatives my not know of your condition, but cluing them in, and that you may need to run to the restroom a lot may give them more avenues to help you than you first thought.

Give yourself a good lay of that hospital and where the restrooms and a few dayrooms or lobbies may be so your very familiar in there. Bring some of the comforts of home (blankets magazines pillows etc) right to that hospital and find a little niche for yourself somewhere. I don't see why you can't take walks daily especially if other family members are there.

You say you had a relapse this past sunday, do you know what the relapse was from or are you saying the symptoms just got worse?

But as you say, though your fissure is no joke, just think how you will be feeling and how your concern will turn away from you, towards your daughters welfare when shes in ICU. Shes going to need that strength from you at that time and I'm sure your up to the task.

We're pulling and praying for you and especially the successful operation on your daughter.

God bless you...
Last edited by Deleted User 2950 on 25 Sep 2013, 14:37, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Help! Staying at hospital for a week. Not a patient.

Postby Scientist2516 » 25 Sep 2013, 14:31

That sounds really tough, Leahnola. Do see if you can get dilt. or nifedipine from your doc. It seems very strange that he didn't prescribe it from the first.
Are heat pads any use for you? a hot water bottle might be difficult to get re-filled in a hospital, but an electrical heat pad might be OK. Sitting on one can both ease the pain and help you to heal. (Ha - Buttastic posted while I was writing. Great minds think alike about heat and fissures!).

For the urgent BMs, you could try anal leakage pads. You can get them from Amazon. They are just thin, slightly absorbent sheets that are shaped to slip up between your buttocks. Your buttocks hold them in place. They are not the greatest, but a lot more discreet than a pad. They won't hold a lot, but will protect your undies in case of a very minor accident. If anyone has anything better to suggest, please let us know. This was the best I could find.

I wish you all the best, for you and your daughter. It must be awful to have all that stress to deal with.
Nifedipine/lidocaine, no help
Diltiazem, effective, but caused major rash
Nitroglycerine, effective.
Topical estrogen for final healing.
Gentle heat to bottom - pain relief, muscle relaxant
Kondremul mineral oil
Time - lots of time.
Status - Healed!
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Re: Help! Staying at hospital for a week. Not a patient.

Postby leahnola » 25 Sep 2013, 22:36

Thank you so much, buttastic and Scientist2516. Let me first say that I greatly appreciate any prayers for this situation. It means a lot to me.

Also, I did forget to mention in my post that my electric heating pad is one of my best friends. I am using it right now. :) It will definitely be going with me, along with my faithful donut pillow. :)

The cream treatments have been crazy from the start. When I first went to see the doctor, he prescribed me something called ProctoCare. He told me if it didn't help, then we would try Nitroglycerin or Recteez(sp?).Well, no pharmacy had ever heard of ProctoCare, so he gave me a prescription for Analpram instead. The cheapest I could find it was $54 or so, and money was tight, so I didn't get it. I have just been using OTC stuff since then (about 4 months). Today I called his office and asked if he could please call in a prescription for diltiazem, as I don't really want to use nitro because of the side effects, and I've read it is very expensive. The pharmacy I called said diltiazem is very inexpensive, $15-$20, and is very common, and that they do mix it there. Well, the nurse waited until after the doctor had left for the day to call and tell me that he would not prescribe dilitazem because the price is through the roof, so he prescribed nitroglycerin instead. I was so upset. He will not be back until next Wednesday, and it is almost impossible to get anything done if he's not in the office. Doesn't he have the cost backward? That has me really, really upset, but I know that God knows all about it; and if that didn't work out today then there was a reason for it.

Can someone tell me what these medications actually cost? Did I get the right information from the pharmacy about the diltiazem?

Oh, buttastic asked what kind of setback I had on Sunday. I don't know. I was having a great 10 days or so with minimal pain - mostly annoying discomfort. I was still doing my diet, miralax, soaks, showers and heat. Saturday night my kids had a party, and I ate just a couple of things there I wouldn't normally eat. (Some Banquet fried "chicken tenders" - more like chopped chicken sticks a la fish sticks), and very few potato chips. But someone brought a big bowl of fresh fruit, which I also ate, along with a couple of stuffed (deviled) eggs. My BM the next day seemed pretty usual, but I was in severe pain throughout the day - pretty much like spasm pain.

Well, here it is Wednesday, and I feel like I am doing somewhat better again. I tell you what, this is a roller coaster.

So again, you both had some great ideas. I will just have to figure out where I can refrigerate or freeze my blueberries at the hospital. My Cheerios shouldn't be a problem. :)

Off-topic question: How do I do an official "thank you" so that it shows up on someone's account?

Blessings.
:thankyou:
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Re: Help! Staying at hospital for a week. Not a patient.

Postby rw76 » 25 Sep 2013, 23:07

I am so sorry you are going through that :( Be sure to wear really comfy clothes and take a comfy and cozy jacket because it is always freezing. Maybe a refillable cup because there is always water fountains for those in hospitals. I am new to the fissure world so I do not know much but I think I would be packing a cooler with ok snacks that you can have and try and make the routines work as much as possible. Maybe toilet seat covers that stick (I get mine for my kids at babies r us) so you can sit without worrying in a hospital toilet.

To answer your question - I paid $45 for diltiazem that was at a compounding pharmacy with insurance (I believe - my hubby went as I was a hot mess of pain at the time)

I had to cancel a trip to Disney due to this pain and the difficulty of staying in a diet for my fissure and although I am so sad we need to move our trip I am so thankful I was able to move it- I am so sorry you have to go through the stress of surgery of one of your babies (Cannot imagine) and then on top of it dealing with your own pain :( Sometimes it does feel like God sends us too much but this fissure is teaching me patience and to depend on Him. Prayers for you and your daughter.
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Re: Help! Staying at hospital for a week. Not a patient.

Postby leahnola » 26 Sep 2013, 00:26

Thank you so much, rw76! Your words and prayers are very encouraging, and I appreciate that information about what items to bring, as well as the prescription price. So very sorry about your Disney trip, but I'm sure you will have a great time later! I do believe that many times these types of trials are to keep us from losing our focus on God. Praying for you also as you fight through this with His strength.
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Re: Help! Staying at hospital for a week. Not a patient.

Postby Deleted User 2950 » 26 Sep 2013, 11:22

Hey leahnola

Good to hear your doing a bit better, lets hope those chips and fried chicken did not help bring about those spasms.

Perhaps you can put your refrigerated stuff in the main lunch rooms refrigerator. I use to pass a big lunch room everyday and saw them in there. I think I even saw one in the family room. Perhaps also letting a couple of the nurses or orderlies know of your stay, they will be able to accommodate you on many of these concerns.

I'm not sure if your in the states but hopefully you'll run across a hospital with these comforts....

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/loca ... to-/nRdJN/


P.S. To officially thank Scientist2516 :D just click on that "thumbs up" link on the far upper right hand corner the posters thread. Good luck to you
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Re: Help! Staying at hospital for a week. Not a patient.

Postby leahnola » 26 Sep 2013, 16:55

Update to add that the nurse did catch the doctor yesterday before he left. This morning my prescription for diltiazem was called in, and I should have it soon! A lot of you say it is helpful, so I hope it will be helpful for me. And the cash price here is only $15.98. Can't beat that! I was discouraged yesterday, and God has provided yet again. I'm trying to keep up my full routine and hoping and praying that I will feel much better by next Friday, when my daughter's surgery is scheduled. The last couple of days have been low pain, mostly discomfort, and my heating pad is my buddy! :)

And I am located in the states, buttastic. That link you provided sounds awesome. We will be at a Children's Hospital, so I hope they have some nice family rooms. We shall see.
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