Thursday, March 10, 2011

March 10, 2011: Terrible night

Jim got started on antibiotics on Tuesday night and was feeling better. The nurse, Mullikat, came in to change out his foley catheter. I was supervising her but I don't know how to do that kind of catheter. She caused Jim a lot of pain. After I went home the CNA noticed that Jim was bleeding into the catheter tube.

Jim had the nurse call me and tell me about it. She called for an ambulance and he was taken to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital's emergency room. I couldn't meet him there. I had just taken a pain pill plus Mom would be alone if I left.

The ER changed his catheter. It turns out that Mullikat had inserted the foley incorrectly. The balloon was supposed to be inflated in his bladder not at the tip. He called me around 3 AM to tell me that he was back at Sharpview. MHSW told him he should see a urologist very soon.

This morning Jim had the CNA phone me. He told me that he hadn't seen Ray yet. He was very upset. I got a hold of Ray. He said that Jim didn't need to see a urologist right away. I asked him to please go reassure Jim. I spoke to Jim later and he was less anxious.

I called the urology department at TIRR and spoke to a very nice and helpful nurse, Margaret. She said the doctors weren't in today. She did move up his appointment to next Friday. I'm going to meet him there so I can learn the correct way to put in a foley catheter.

Margaret also called Ray, the physician assistant and discussed Jim's problem with him. Then she called me back. Then she spoke to Jim. A great nurse!

I have to work tomorrow so I'm not going to visit him after work today. I'm sending Lupita in to give him another massage.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Oh, God. How could she blow up the balloon in the wrong place. She's a NURSE? I cannot believe she's a real nurse. I'm so sorry. This really should never have happened to Jim.