very fit in the ICU

[ny biker]

As frustrating as it is, he will probably recover faster than people who are less fit going into surgery.

[indysteel]

As frustrating as it is, he will probably recover faster than people who are less fit going into surgery.

This^. I'm sorry it's so frustrating for both of you though. Hopefully, they'll figure out his normal before long so you can both get some rest. Is Don otherwise in much pain?

Thanks for the update, Mimi. I've been thinking of you all day.

[bmccasland]

Hope he's getting to feeling better soon!

[HillSlugger]

Sending you best wishes.

A few years ago I freaked out the pre-op nurses with my 45bpm resting heart rate. I had to convince them that I'm an athlete and that this was normal for me.

[PamNY]

Sending you the best vibes I can generate.

[Biciclista]

yes you guys know what i am talking about. when i complained he needed his rest they said he isn't here to rest and that would have to wait until he is out of ICU!

on the other hand, most of the patients here are too weak to complain.. so I have to remind him of that and it makes him feel lots better.

[Dogmama]

When my DH was in the hospital with cancer, he ended up in ICU for a week. It is so important to have somebody there advocating! They are so understaffed that mistakes are made, some with devastating consequences. They kept trying to give DH breathing treatments with the same substance that landed him in ICU (rapid heartbeat & threw a clot). He would supposed to be IPO for a morning test & they'd bring dinner. Finally, his oncologist threw up his hands (after a test was delayed) saying, "I guess my ORDERS around here are just SUGGESTIONS."

I stayed with him 24/7 or had a trusted family member with him at all times. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to get to the bathroom, get water, kleenex (why do they always put it out of reach of the patient?), etc. I'm not blaming the nurses because they were very helpful AND very stressed.

Then he got MRSA...not a memorable year

[Biciclista]

yes, Dogmama.. he has a table where his stuff is and each time the day nurse comes in she pushes it out of her way.. and out of his reach! =8-0

however, they have 2 patients for each nurse, not understaffed here! can't complain about THAT. we picked our hospital carefully.. but we can't wait to get out of ICU.

[Triskeliongirl]

Wow, Mimi, this is the first I heard about this. I so hope the surgery was successful and that the cancer was eliminated. Sometimes you have to be a bit proactive with hospital staff. If you feel he isn't getting the rest he needs, ask your doctor to issue different orders to the staff appropriate for his physiology. I had to do this last time I was in the hospital.

Also, consider bringing him home cooked meals if he is up for it. I did that when my husband was in the hospital since the food was apalling. They didn't seem to understand how important good nutrition is to healing.

[marni]

Sending you best wishes.

A few years ago I freaked out the pre-op nurses with my 45bpm resting heart rate. I had to convince them that I'm an athlete and that this was normal for me.

I just had my yearly physical and after she had checked my pulse, which at resting heart rate is around 45, the nurse asked me if I was really alive. Then she checked my blood pressure 3 time and finally quite when she got the same low 110 over 47 three times in the row. She shook her head and asked me if I really truly felt ok. At that point I really really did, but then I got their stupid flu shot.

Sometimes you can't win for losing.

marni

[solobiker]

Sending positive vibes to you and your family Mimi.

I tend to have a very low HR, in the mid 40s at rest and one of my Drs was very concerned because he thought I had an aortic stenosis because when he listened to my carotid artery he said he heard a loud "thump". So he sent me out for an MRI. Prio to this I did tell him I was quite active. Well I went for the MRI and the results were negative. I went back to see him he told me that sometimes people that are in great cardiovascular shape that their heart is very strong and will make a similar "thumping" sound. Go figure..

[smilingcat]

Hi Mimi and to all others,

I too have low BP normal for me but low for the sedentary person. After drinking several cups of coffee and working out on a treadmill, my BP might go up to 110/65 maybe 70. My RHR is down in the low 50s even at my age.

Best to do is to tell the attending doctor to contact your regular family physician who may have your husband or (your) base line information. If they did, they would turn off that silly alarm or set it to an appropriate trip point.

Yes I find it bit funny when when some one new takes my BP (like when I go to donate blood). They are bit reluctant because of low BP and low heart rate.

[nscrbug]

Sending positive thoughts and prayers to you and your DH!

On a somewhat related note, when I had a minor procedure done a while back, I was setting off the monitor alarms because my HR kept dropping to 39bpm! The nurses were freaking out over it, but when the doctor came into the room he didn't seem too worried as he simply stated "Wow, you must be an athlete". That made me smile a bit.