tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093167901730674427.post7765842183221355317..comments2023-08-07T06:27:48.029-05:00Comments on Eternal Sunshine of an Empty Mind: Introducing PopEternal Sunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542922572824046852noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093167901730674427.post-16029478484228094522008-07-25T10:10:00.000-05:002008-07-25T10:10:00.000-05:00I'm sorry about your Pop. It is so hard to wa...I'm sorry about your Pop. It is so hard to watch someone that you love struggle.<BR/><BR/>Just so that you feel better though, my mom had the same symptom your Pop has: lungs filling with fluid. They wait for a while to do anything to see if the problem will resolve itself, to see how often they need to be drained so that they can assess if they need other procedures instead, etc.<BR/><BR/>There are different procedures based on how long you'll need added support. For my mom, since they expect her to live for at least a few years, they did a procedure called a Pleurodesis. It is a procedure where their goal is to keep the lungs open all the time, so that the area around the lung can't fill up with fluid and compress the lung closed. (Fluid doesn't really fill the lung, but instead the fluid pushes the lung closed.) The procedure that she had was very painful, as it scours off the lining of the chest wall so that as it heals the lung will stick to the chest wall and stay open continually. It is very painful, but the only option (other than doing nothing, or just pulling off fluid as needed with the needle).<BR/><BR/>For those who are not expected to live as long, they put in an indwelling cathedar, (acting as a permanent chest tube) that can be drained at home by a caregiver. That way the patient doesn't have to spend as much time in the hospital. It doesn't work for long term (years) because its chance of getting infection is increased.<BR/><BR/>If it makes you feel better, my mom was in one of the best hospitals in our area, with one of the best doctors, and the procedures would have been the same as for Pop.<BR/><BR/>I hate hospitals! I have had to watch my mom struggle with partial amputation of her foot that was supposed to take 10 weeks from start to finish and really it took from July to January instead. And then a year later she had to undergo the Pleurodesis which left her in the hospital a little longer than she expected, not much, but still longer. Some doctors and nurses are so nice and easy to work with, and others make the experience a nightmare!<BR/><BR/>My mom has diabetes & lupus and with those come myriads of problems. She has recently undergone fistula surgery which grafts a vein and artery to prepare for dialysis in the near future.<BR/><BR/>It just stinks to watch a loved one suffer, and my heart goes out to you and Budman. <BR/><BR/>Take care of yourself.Melodyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01335907113967987846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093167901730674427.post-1886578588416465882008-07-25T00:15:00.000-05:002008-07-25T00:15:00.000-05:00I hope things go well. I'm tired as I read this, s...I hope things go well. I'm tired as I read this, so I hope I caught it all. My Dad gets his medical treatment at the VA, and gah, I just hope he never needs terribly invasive care one day. Hope you're all able to get some rest soon.for a different kind of girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04431273646365489225noreply@blogger.com