Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Care - both sides of the looking glass

Things are a bit better. Heavier antibiotics gradually clearing chest, beginnings of side effects. Thrush (manillia - fungal infection) is fairly inevitable in a number of locations on this level of treatment, treating topically at present but will move to systemic treatment once antibiotic course over. Bowels disrupted - started loose, how getting constipated (again this is usual - but needs dealing with as discomfort can cause more fits). Antibiotics interacting with anti epileptics anticipated any day now - more fits. This is the usual aftermath of a severe chest infection. Bigger issue just now is his exhaustion and deep (almost comatose) sleeping which brings very shallow breathing, sleep apnoeia and sudden drops in O2 saturations as movement of infection/secretions gets moved about. Life gets complicated sometimes.

Re-reading this, it doesn't sound very good, but it's what you come to live with. Hopefully he'll be better in a week or two and back to what passes for normal in our world.

Meanwhile, I tore myself away for a few hours to attend a carers meeting. Where we were told -
  • the service cuts are inevitable as the council has no money - by our cabinet councillor
  • the health service is in disarray locally and no one is sure who's responsible for what - by the PCT
  • all's well with care regulation, except they aren't concerned their changes have lost us a service, they don't regulate day care at all and they'd like to inspect all care providers but they don't have the staff - by CQC (Care Quality Commission)
I went out tired and came back depressed (not clinically - can't afford that.)

At least helping with his care is doing something positive.

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