Russell Williams
Well-Known Member
And April 3, 2011 update on Louise Wolf.
At least for the moment the C diff has been brought under control. The Dr. however is worried about giving her medicine for much longer because he cannot find protocols for help to treat people who have had C diff come back many times.
The Dr. at the pain clinic looked at the pictures of Louise's back and decided that all of Louise's pain came from her arthritic hip and none from pinched nerves in her back. He gave her a shot of cortisone and she had one pain free day. Some of her pain has come back but it is significantly reduced from the way it was before. The Dr. says that Louise must get a hip replacement but the problem is there is this 299 pound weight limit that most joint replacement surgeons have. Louise did find a joint replacement surgeon whose receptionist would not say anything about a weight limit and simply kept repeating it depends on the individual case. Louise is set up an appointment for the end of this month. My fear is that once we get to the appointment the Dr. will look at her and say "well you're too fat", and we will have wasted about a month. Tomorrow I may call up, and since the receptionist is not yet talked to me and therefore may not know that I am connected to Louise Wolfe, I will ask the receptionist what is the heaviest person the Dr. is ever done.
Meanwhile Louise when entered the nursing home last September weighed about 367 pounds. When she left the nursing home at the end of January she was about 387 pounds. Until about two weeks ago she was too weak and too much pain to get to the heavy duty scale we have. Finally, about two weeks ago she was able to stand on it and her weight was 343. Last week her weight was 337. This week her weight is 322. Louise is worrying about what she might have that is causing such a rapid weight loss.
I have told her that about three weeks ago the Dr. allowed her to start taking her fluid pills again. Before she started retaking her fluid pills her legs were so full of fluid that I was worried that fluid blisters would develop, break, and infection would set in. Now, after three weeks of fluid pills her legs are actually quite thin, at least the part below the knee are even thinner than mine.
The 60 days out of the nursing home and without being admitted to the hospital have passed and because of that Louise has another hundred days of eligibility for the nursing home before she has to start paying $11,000 a month. It seems very likely that after she has her hip replacement she will be in a nursing home for a while.
Since Louise has been home a nurse, a home healthcare aid, and a physical therapist have come by about twice a week. They come at different times in each one comes from about an hour each time they come. After the cortisone shot the physical therapist got Louise to the point where she could get in and out of bed by herself, to the bathroom by herself, and to the kitchen by herself. Louise knew she was ready for the next steps, to have the physical therapist help her develop the skills to get in and out of the shower and to get up and down the three steps to get in and out of the house.
The physical therapist came, along with a charge nurse, and together they explained Louise that getting in and out of the shower or going up and down the stairs was far too dangerous for Louise to try to learn to do and therefore Louise had reached maximum therapeutic benefit. They explained that Medicare was cutting back on services (after all, if it's wrong to increase taxes on the rich, and it is wrong to increase taxes on business, and you must balance the budget, then the only other ways to decrease services and benefits) and since Louise had reached maximum therapeutic benefit, the nurse, the home healthcare aid, and the physical therapist have all been pulled out of the situation. So now Louise is left with me to provide her medical supervision, physical therapy, and to bathe and take care of her other personal needs.
At least for the moment the C diff has been brought under control. The Dr. however is worried about giving her medicine for much longer because he cannot find protocols for help to treat people who have had C diff come back many times.
The Dr. at the pain clinic looked at the pictures of Louise's back and decided that all of Louise's pain came from her arthritic hip and none from pinched nerves in her back. He gave her a shot of cortisone and she had one pain free day. Some of her pain has come back but it is significantly reduced from the way it was before. The Dr. says that Louise must get a hip replacement but the problem is there is this 299 pound weight limit that most joint replacement surgeons have. Louise did find a joint replacement surgeon whose receptionist would not say anything about a weight limit and simply kept repeating it depends on the individual case. Louise is set up an appointment for the end of this month. My fear is that once we get to the appointment the Dr. will look at her and say "well you're too fat", and we will have wasted about a month. Tomorrow I may call up, and since the receptionist is not yet talked to me and therefore may not know that I am connected to Louise Wolfe, I will ask the receptionist what is the heaviest person the Dr. is ever done.
Meanwhile Louise when entered the nursing home last September weighed about 367 pounds. When she left the nursing home at the end of January she was about 387 pounds. Until about two weeks ago she was too weak and too much pain to get to the heavy duty scale we have. Finally, about two weeks ago she was able to stand on it and her weight was 343. Last week her weight was 337. This week her weight is 322. Louise is worrying about what she might have that is causing such a rapid weight loss.
I have told her that about three weeks ago the Dr. allowed her to start taking her fluid pills again. Before she started retaking her fluid pills her legs were so full of fluid that I was worried that fluid blisters would develop, break, and infection would set in. Now, after three weeks of fluid pills her legs are actually quite thin, at least the part below the knee are even thinner than mine.
The 60 days out of the nursing home and without being admitted to the hospital have passed and because of that Louise has another hundred days of eligibility for the nursing home before she has to start paying $11,000 a month. It seems very likely that after she has her hip replacement she will be in a nursing home for a while.
Since Louise has been home a nurse, a home healthcare aid, and a physical therapist have come by about twice a week. They come at different times in each one comes from about an hour each time they come. After the cortisone shot the physical therapist got Louise to the point where she could get in and out of bed by herself, to the bathroom by herself, and to the kitchen by herself. Louise knew she was ready for the next steps, to have the physical therapist help her develop the skills to get in and out of the shower and to get up and down the three steps to get in and out of the house.
The physical therapist came, along with a charge nurse, and together they explained Louise that getting in and out of the shower or going up and down the stairs was far too dangerous for Louise to try to learn to do and therefore Louise had reached maximum therapeutic benefit. They explained that Medicare was cutting back on services (after all, if it's wrong to increase taxes on the rich, and it is wrong to increase taxes on business, and you must balance the budget, then the only other ways to decrease services and benefits) and since Louise had reached maximum therapeutic benefit, the nurse, the home healthcare aid, and the physical therapist have all been pulled out of the situation. So now Louise is left with me to provide her medical supervision, physical therapy, and to bathe and take care of her other personal needs.
