So yesterday just before lunch time I'm talking to HDT on his cell phone about Poydras. Poydras and the two kitties got their rabies shot and he got the distemper shot as well. They all also received blood work to make sure none of them have heart worms. Our neighbors new dog that they got from the pound had them and since we were lax in giving Poydras his medicine we wanted to make sure all were well.
Within about an hour of being home he seemed like he was hurt. He didn't want to jump up on the couch with me or go up or down the stairs. HDT thought it was his front left leg but I said it was just because he got a shot in each thigh and the muscles were probably just sore; the same as our own muscles get after a shot.
But HDT thought it was more than that, so I told him we should just keep an eye on him for the rest of the night and see how he is in the morning. He still didn't want to go up or down any stairs, I had to coax him to do so but he did do it. And outside he still walked around sniffing the ground as usual before peeing; he just did it a lot more slowly.
So when the vets office called him to let him know that all three tests came up negative for heart worm he asked them about Poydras. They said what I've been saying that he's probably just sore and sometimes dogs will have a negative reaction to the vaccine itself. So they said since he is still moving around and he ate his breakfast without any problems that we should just give him some baby aspirin and let him continue to rest.
So Jess got the medicine for us and went over there around 11:00 to give it to him and stick around a bit to make sure he would keep it down or didn't react to it in any other way. It did wonders for him and so did the resting. By the time I got home after 5:00 he was just as spry as he's always been.
But back to HDT and me on his cell phone.... he was letting me know what Jess had to say about Poydras and while he's talking he stops himself and says, "911 what is your emergency" so when he does that I usually just tune him out cause I know it'll be a bit before he'd be able to come back to me. Next thing I know my phone is dead silent so I didn't know if he hung up or just put me on mute. I wait for a bit and the decide he's gonna be awhile so I hang up.
A little bit later he calls me back and says that the call was from my mom, that Les is having a stroke and he's unresponsive. It's lunchtime now so I tell him I'll give her a call on my way out the door. She answers and says that he's now responsive but that she has to go because the paramedics need to talk to her. She told me to keep in touch with her though.
I get home and a few minutes later my brother Leroy calls and gives me a little more information. Says that Les has been in going back and forth still between wanting to just let it all end and having good days. Tuesday was a bad one, he just didn't want to be around anymore but yesterday was a good one. They were talking about him laying out on the deck watching mom while she worked in the garden and all the birds they have flitting around.
So Dave says when mom called him up from the basement that's what he thought she wanted, his help in getting Les outside. But instead she starts telling him how she thinks he's choking because he's not breathing or making any sounds, just drooling. But he wasn't choking so they figured it was a stroke. She was already on the phone with HDT before she called Leroy upstairs and the paramedics got there in record time. They thought the same thing as well.
But then when they got to the hospital the hospital thought it was a heart attack. But after doing test they realized that it wasn't either one of those. Because he can't breathe very well because of the bleomycin toxicity he takes very shallow breaths. So, because of that, he's not pushing out the carbon dioxide like he needs to and is not getting as much oxygen intake as he needs to. So therefore his co2 numbers were rising within his body, throughout his body. Basically it was like he was in a garage with the car running. So right now he's in ICU with a mask over both his nose and mouth to make sure he gets enough oxygen to counteract the co2.
His numbers at 8:30 when we got there were much better, better than they've been in days the doctors said. Which would explain why the last few days have been so negative with him. He's been feeling like total shit.
But at 5:00 when I talked to mom she said he's feeling awful and can't stand the mask and just wants it taken off. So mom and one of his daughters asked the doctor what the outcome would be if they removed the mask, the doctor said he'd die. Mom says, so what are we talking minutes, hours or days. The doctor says hours. So mom's telling me that they have a very hard decision to make and she doesn't know when they're going to make it one way or the other.
She wants me to go to her house and basically babysit Leroy cause he's all emotional and says he needs to be busy so he was gonna go cut up wood using the wood splitter. He's also an alcoholic so without saying a word we both knew all three of those things are a bad combination. So I head over there after changing and feeding the babies. I take Poydras with me and let HDT know I've taken some clothes with me for him to change into so I'd like him to come out there with me. I've also given a call to all the other brothers to let them know what's going on.
I asked her if she wants me to get Leroy and he and HDT and I go to the hospital. She just responded that she didn't think Leroy would want to go. But she didn't say no and she didn't say yes, so basically it was left up to us.
Leroy says he's fine, he's actually only had one beer so far. HDT comes out and we discuss dinner, Leroy says we don't have to babysit him. There's plenty of food there for him to eat and he has plenty of things to keep him busy so he'll be fine. So HDT and I decide we'll give mom a call and see if she needs anything and while I'm leaving her a message she calls me back. So she says that she would like a long sleeved shirt and her toothbrush and toothpaste. She says Les is doing better, he's not talking about wanting to take the mask off the way he was before.
So I grab those things and we take Poydras home, grab some McDonald's since we're both starving and head to the hospital. So yeah, by the time we got there he was doing even better. We learned they did have to put a stint in because one of the arteries was getting blocked. But that wasn't what was causing any of the issues, it was all the co2 shit.
We stick around for a little while visiting with his kids and then just after 9:00 we're able to get in to see him since they were only allowing 2 people in at a time. Mom goes with us though, she's the exception, and we visit with him a bit. He of course can't talk very well since the air is blowing so hard. It's very difficult to understand him so he tries to lift the mask up but they've got it on him pretty strong and he's so weak right now that he gave up, he even swore once when he gave up trying.
But I gave him a kiss on his cheek and told him I loved him then just stayed there a bit touching my cheek to his. He said he loved me too and said "this is nice, this is nice" as I kept my cheek next to his. Then I told him to get some rest and get better and that I loved him.
We went back to say goodbye to his kids and they asked us to take a picture of them since they haven't all been together like that in a very long time. They were just missing one sibling, a sister, since she lives in southern Illinois. She had just left her house around 8:00 that night so she wouldn't be up here until early morning.
As of now, 10:47am, mom hasn't called to say they've made any decisions so I'm keeping hopeful that that means he's doing even better than before. We can only pray and hope.
Media quote of the day: A portion of Hold On by Sarah McLachlan
Am I in heaven here or am i...
At the crossroads I am standing
So now you’re sleeping peaceful
I lie awake and pray
That you’ll be strong tomorrow and we’ll
See another day and we will praise it
And love the light that brings a smile
Across your face
Oh God if you’re out there won’t you hear me
I know that we’ve never talked before
Oh God the man I love is leaving
Won’t you take him when he comes to your door
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