The E.R.
i was doing my moms exchange (peritoneal dialysis) at 11 pm, two fridays ago, when she became unresponsive. I was afraid to call an ambulance in this town because of the care that most people receive when they go there, but she was going out and I didn’t have a choice.
the EMT’s arrived in what seemed like five minutes from the time I called. I was working on my mom when they came in. They checked her vitals again, but I was ready to go. We didn’t have time to waste. They got her in the ambulance and I got in the front. I asked them to hurry what they were doing so we could get her there.
we arrived at the hospital and they asked me to go in the waiting room while I was walking/running ahead of them. I told them I was not separating from her as I walked through the doors. Dr. Smith came in and looked to the rescue worker for a report. His response was slow and partial so I interrupted and gave him the full one.
I asked him to give her fluid because I believed my mom to be dehydrated due to her recent loss of appetite and vitals. I was trying to revive her still while they were getting supplies. I patted her head, face, lips, and neck with a cool compress. She sluggishly opened her eyes some. They looked yellow.
Dr smith wanted to put her on a ventilator. VENTILATOR! He said she would die if he didn’t do it. I asked him to put the oxygen mask on her and give her fluids but he insisted on the ventilator. He also was starting a central line to get her blood pressure up. Her blood pressure was low but her pulse was 130’s 140’s. I ran out to the waiting room looking for my stepdad and partner to ask for their help but no one was there.
My battery was dead on my phone. I asked the triage nurse to use hers. I reached my partner and told him what was going on. I was scared of that ventilator.
I went back in the back with my mom. He made it in and said to let them put her on the ventilator. The respiratory nurse was already there waiting for the go to put it in. Dr smith wanted to give her antibiotics and asked him for what. He said he felt she had an infection. I told him that her output has always been clear, she had no fever, and he said because of her unresponsiveness. I told him she cldnt take the antibiotic without an anti fungal and he disagreed so I disagreed to the antibiotic and asked to be transferred to a different hospital.
He called a nephrology associate and they advised him to give the anti fungal with the antibiotic. He and his nurse told me they were not aware of this protocol. He struggled with putting the central line in. I peeked in a few times and saw a lot of blood. That was giving me anxiety but I tried to keep my composure so I wouldn’t be taken away from my mothers bedside. She needed me.
We had a central line put in before and it only took about five minutes. This time it was taking thirty. He finally got it in. I was able to see my mom. Her pulse was still all over the place. I asked for more fluid. I told them she hadn’t been eating and we had still been doing the dialysis. They got a second bag. A quarter of the bag was gone and the pulse went to 74 and stayed there. I felt some relief after seeing that.
this is the beginning. We were there for a week. I will share our experience in the icu next …. while there were monsters in the mix, there were excellent providers there who we are forever grateful.
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