STRESSFUL NIGHT

A friend from Queensland has been staying for the past week and was booked to go down to Auckland by bus this morning.

We were set for an early night when the phone rang at 9.30 p.m. and it was the Rest Home to say that Max had a seizure and had been taken to hospital by ambulance.

Doug very kindly came back and took me in.  We found Max on oxygen, with a tube up his nose and asleep after being given drugs but still having slight seizures.

A little while later he was taken off for a C.T. scan.  Shortly after he returned a very pleasant young doctor (Gary) came in and questioned me about Max's general state of health.  When I told him about his dementia and being immobile etc. he asked whether he wanted resuscitation and talked about how animals just go off somewhere quiet to go to sleep and the fact that in our culture we tend to keep giving fluids which delay the inevitable.

If I had not been there he would have performed a lumbar puncture and other procedures but said that they were far too invasive and would also be too painful.  As  Max also had a temperature he asked whether I wanted him to have antibiotics to which I replied that I would like him to if they made him more comfortable.

 The doctor then said he would make the decision for me and not give him the antibiotics and after phoning the Rest Home to check that they could administer the drugs that he would prescribe to be used if Max had another such seizure he said Max would be ambulanced back to the Rest Home.

He was also sending a letter stating that Max should have only comfort care.  I said I would wait until the ambulance came to take him back to the home but the doctor said that I should go home and get some sleep.

I finally got to bed just after midnight and  got to sleep just after 2.30 waking again at 4.30.  (I need my sleep).

I went in this morning and the Home had Max sitting in a lazy-boy chair fast asleep.  I stayed for about 30 minutes but, as he was still asleep and I had my guest to look after I returned home.

We went back later this afternoon and he looked a lot better although he was slurring his speech.

Don't know what the prognosis is but I feel we have turned a corner.  I just hope he doesn't suffer.