Father has advanced prostate cancer that spread to the bone, but he has been doing well recently and his PSA went up to 2.4 over the last few months from a low of <0.02, but repeated scans have shown that all of his mets were stable.
Rewind 9 days ago he was having stomach issues and vomiting. I was watching him but thought he was settled and went to bed. He got up again and passed out and cracked his body off the side of the wall and door, breaking 3 ribs and C1 vert in his neck.
He goes to the hospital and is just treated as trauma. I explain to him that he is most likely going into septic shock and what precipitated this was his stomach issues and sickness and the breaks were a result of that. They ignored me didn't put him on any antibiotics. 36 hours later he is in the ICU on a ventilator and blood pressure support. They can't find the source of infection or virus and put him on a broad spectrum antibiotic. Over the next 6 days he regains consciousness and all of his numbers start to come back up. They end up downgrading his status. He starts to wake up and move around more but he still has some delirium from the ICU.
He is now in the PCU and the genius trauma team (being seen by them because of the breaks) take him off all of his antibiotics and plan that kept making him better. As soon as they took him off the antibiotics, he starts going back into septic shock. His blood pressure is lowering again, his kidneys are failing, and his mind is going - now they think he might have hydrocephalus. THEY STILL WON'T PUT HIM BACK ON THE ANTIBIOTICS! Because they said they can't find the source of infection, but everything pointed to him having a severe infection or virus. I talked to the PCU nurse and she agrees with me 100 percent that they are royally fucking him up and she is trying to get the "care team" switched and put him back on antibiotics. They are killing my father through gross incompetence. I just can't believe it. I have no idea what to do. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to get through to someone? The nurse is trying her best to get him reevaluated and get a hospitalist on the cast rather than a trauma team.
Written by
BarronS
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
The problem is the medical liability system. If doctors put him on antibiotics and something bad happens..the army of malpractice lawyers will come and destroy the doctors accusing them they did not have enough evidence of infection and still prescribed antibiotics.
I know it can be very frustrating for patient s loved ones.
I the doctors and Nurses see you as too assertive they get even more guarded and afraid so
best way is to work with them in nice and gentle way so they don't feel fear from family members and take some more risks with meds. Sorry..you are experiencing this messed up litigious medical system.
Only zytiga and lupron shots. He is going back into septic shock. All of the tests that show he had septic shock and is going back into it, are positive. As soon as they took him off his antibiotic, everything started to get worse again. His WBC is still 77k.
He also started getting diarrhea again. Fever spiked after not having one. Heart rate went back up. Everything that happened before is happening again. They still won't put him on an antibiotic. All this tarted back up after they took him off it.
What state are you in? NY State releases rankings of hospitals in terms of the # of hospital-acquired infections patients get.
Each time my husband was in the hospital, I made sure the doctors knew that I was aware of those numbers and the ranking of their hospital in particular. I always made sure to have the conversation out in the hallway where other patients and family members could hear me and every time someone would ask me for more information.
Dear BarronS...This is why we fear hospitals...infections are the scourge ..Stay with and fight for him. I’m praying that he is rid of infection.. My brother went thru a month without a proper dx until my other brother suggested to check for strep..He was right ...but drs for a month missed it.. Please get dad well and out of that hospital and back home. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Thank you so much. I responded to Nalk about a minor update if you are curious to read. I think we just gave him the best shot to get out of that hospital tonight by causing a ruckus.
First, I am incredibly sorry to hear about your father's situation.
I am going to share something with you from a master herbalist, an excerpt from "The Herbal Writings of Dr. John R. Christopher ", which is about 800+ pages long. This is about a 45-year old male patient with Sepsis and how he improved with this treatment. Look into the Red Clover Combination, an herbal preparation, mentioned in this excerpt (below). Perhaps if he's out of other options this might be something worth considering. Dr. Christopher ran a school for herbalists that he founded in 1953. He was one of the top herbalists in the country at the time.
Speak with *Rosemary Gladstar*, she is an expert in the field and has written a number of books on the subject of medicinal herbs.
---------
The Herbal Writings of Dr. John R. Christopher
"Soon Ray hoped to team INF with a formula to purify the bloodstream and remove infection that circulated throughout the body. He came up with the famed Red Clover Combination, a purifying formula of red clover blossoms, chaparral, licorice root, peach bark, Oregon grape or barberry root bark, poke, and stillingia or echinacea, cascara sagrada bark, sarsaparilla root, prickly ash bark, burdock root, and buckthorn bark. Ray chose each ingredient carefully, after much herbal study about each herb's characteristics.
He began with red clover blossoms, an alterative herb which gradually purifies and cleanses the bloodstream and corrects any deficiencies in the circulatory system. It also removes obstructions in this system while it nourishes and builds the tissues reducing, any spasms or irritability in the blood vessels.
He added chaparral for its ability to clear up all infections, even stubborn ones. He had seen it heal boils, abscesses, carbuncles and other severe infections by purifying the bloodstream. He had used it to clear up several severe cases of acne within six weeks because of its power to purify the bloodstream.
He chose echinacea because in those days it was famous for clearing blood poisoning. It is now known also for its supreme action to enhance the immune response. Dr. Christopher used echinacea with success in clearing up infection associated with gangrene, ulcers and cancers. He saw it clear staph infections in the bloodstream. To complete the formula, Dr. Christopher added two of nature's most powerful blood purifiers, burdock root and buckthorn bark.
Ray began trying out the Red Clover Combination, and it worked fast and well. One of the most dramatic cases was a forty-five year old man who had developed severe sepsis throughout his system. He had lost his hair and fingernails. His eyes were ulcerated and he had even developed some of the symptoms of leprosy. He had lost so much weight that he looked like a skeleton. Ray gave him the Red Clover Combination, together with nutritional guidelines, and within six weeks he had regained weight and had no signs of infection."
---------
Read up on the use of Polyphenols for treatment of Sepsis:
Polyphenols in the prevention and treatment of sepsis syndromes: rationale and pre-clinical evidence.
The below comes from Dr. Edward Shook’s "Famous Course in Herbology". It's about Garlic. Specifically, raw garlic. If I had sepsis or wanted to prevent it, this would be my go-to alternative to conventional medical care. It must be taken raw.
Raw Garlic can be juiced, and combined with carrot, cucumber, celery so that it's easier to take. When juicing, add organic ginger root to offset any potential nausea from the garlic. Also, I wouldn't juice too many cloves at once. I have juiced 4 garlic cloves at a time without issue. Parsley and Beets / Beet Root are major blood cleansers, which could also be added. In large amounts, parsley is toxic, so I wouldn't juice too much at once.
You can get yourself an Omega Juicer, bring it to the hospital, and juice for your Dad there. If you decide to pursue this, get as much juice into his system as he is able to take. Just watch the garlic and parsley and don't use too much of either.
Excerpt from below:
"The use of garlic in the world war as an antiseptic was most sensational. In 1916 the British government asked for tons of the bulbs, offering one shilling (25¢) a pound for as much as could be produced. A great quantity of it was used for the control of suppuration in wounds. The raw juice was expressed, diluted with water, and put on swabs of sterilized sphagnum moss which was applied to the wounds. Where this treatment was given, it was reported that there has not been one single case of sepsis or septic results. Consequently, the lives of tens of thousands have been saved by this one miraculous Herb."
------------------------
LESSON FOUR AN ADVANCED TREATISE ON HERBS - Dr. Edward Shook
GARLIC has been used from very ancient times, both as a food and as a medicine.
THEOPHRASTUS, the Greek philosopher (372 B.C.) relates that GARLIC was placed by the ancient Greeks on piles of stones at the crossroads as a feast for Hecate. (Literally, a feast for the Gods.)
VIRGIL, the Roman Poet (70 B.C.), in his eclogues states that GARLIC was consumed in large quantities by the ancient Greeks and Romans.
PLINY, (The Elder), Roman Naturalist and writer, states that GARLIC was invoked as a DIETY at the taking of Oaths by the ancient Egyptians; although this plant was known and honored long before that.
HOMER, the Epic Poet of ancient Greece (1,000 B.C.) says that GARLIC was part of the entertainment served up by Nestor to his guest Machaon. He also tells us that it was owing to the virtues of GARLIC that Ulysses owed his escape from being changed, by Circe, into a pig like each of his companions.
GALEN, speaks very highly of it, eulogizing it as the rustics "THERIAC" or
"heal all".
Chaucer calls it "Theriac", as also do several old English Botanists and Herbalists.
Pliny gives an exceedingly long list of complaints in which it was considered beneficial.
The name garlic is of very ancient Anglo-Saxon origin being derived from Gar (a spear) and Lac (a plant) in reference to the shape of its leaves. It is one of the oldest medicinal remedies known to man, which has been cultivated and used from time immemorial in the treatment of many very serious diseases. Both its romantic history and its very remarkable curative virtues are vastly interesting and educational to all earnest and honest physicians and it is notable that it stands out today as one of our very greatest and most important therapeutic agents.
It is alterative, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, antispasmodic, antiasthmatic, stimulant, antiseptic, disinfectant, tonic, norvine, antiphthisic, germicide and vermicide.
Chemical Constituents. Volatile oil (25 percent) mucilage (35 percent albumen, sugar, starch, fibrin and 60 percent water. The oil is a rather complex substance, of a strong, intensely penetrating odor and consists of sulphides and sulphates of
ALLYL (C-3, H-5). In their order, they are (C-6, H-10, S-2) (C-6, H-10, S-3) )C-6, H-10, S-4) and (C-6, H-12, S-2) which is not strictly an Allyl-sulphide.
It will be seen that this remarkable Herb is heavily laden with organic sulphur, but no Oxygen is found in the oil. Yet, it is the action of Oxygen when the skin is taken off the cloves that releases the sulphur by uniting with Allyl to form Allyl-oxid which is also a pungent liquid having a sulphur odor.
Many marvelous effects and healing powers have been acclaimed for garlic. It is probable that none of them are exaggerated. I, myself, have seen it completely overcome tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis, several skin diseases, stomach ulcers, leg ulcers, athlete's foot, furnunculosis, abscesses, epilepsy, worms, and restore health to many broken down constitutions. It has a special affinity for the respiratory tract, lungs, brochi, etc., though it diffuses itself through the whole system; and wherever there is pus it is a certain and safe remedy.
The use of garlic in the world war as an antiseptic was most sensational. In 1916 the British government asked for tons of the bulbs, offering one shilling (25¢) a pound for as much as could be produced. A great quantity of it was used for the control of suppuration in wounds. The raw juice was expressed, diluted with water, and put on swabs of sterilized sphagnum moss which was applied to the wounds. Where this treatment was given, it was reported that there has not been one single case of sepsis or septic results. Consequently, the lives of tens of thousands have been saved by this one miraculous Herb.
That was many years ago, and still we do not find garlic as an official remedy in the American Pharmacopoeia. This is one of the most disgraceful facts connected with the so-called "regular" practice of medicine; and proves beyond all doubt that, their practice is neither ethical, moral, or even humane, or such a miracle of healing power would not have been discarded as it was, nearly 50 years ago.
In olden days, garlic was employed as a specific for Lepra, Psorisssis, and several forms of exanthematous skin diseases. It was also believed to give most beneficial results in small-pox when applied to the soles of the feet, in a linen cloth and renewed daily.
Those unacquainted with garlic might think that this was merely superstition but, as a matter of fact, it is quite true. If chopped or minced fresh garlic is placed on the soles of the feet and allowed to remain there for some time, it will not be long before the odor of garlic can be detected on the breath; and cases of purulent disease in different parts of the body have been reported completely cured by simply keeping an application of garlic to the soles of the feet, and renewing it once or twice a day.
We positively know that organic sulphur is a universal antiseptic, whether taken internally or applied outwardly to any part of the body. It has been authoritatively reported that tuberculosis has been successfully treated by inhalation of the freshly expressed juice of garlic, diluted with equal quantities of water.
Garlic was the principal ingredient in the famous "Four Thieves Vinegar" which was adapted so successfully at Marseilles for protection against the plague when it prevailed there in 1722. This originated, it is said, with four thieves who confessed that, while protected by the liberal use of aromatic garlic vinegar during the plague, they plundered the dead bodies of the victims with complete safety. It is stated that during an outbreak of infectious fever in certain poor quarters of London early in the last century, the French priests who constantly used garlic in all their dishes visited the very worst cases with impunity, while the English clergy caught the infection, and in many instances, fell victims to the disease.
Another instance of the remarkable penetrating power of garlic is the fact that the expressed juice of fresh garlic mixed with lard and rubbed on the chest, throat, and between the shoulder blades gives great relief in whooping cough, asthma, bronchitis and dyspnoea, according to an English physician who has used it with success for many years. It also has a reputation for safely reducing high blood pressure, and in this relation we have an exceedingly valuable formula. Boiling garlic reduces its active virtues considerably. Vinegar and water both extract its curative principles, though vinegar alone seems to be more effective for that purpose. Expressed fresh juice of garlic contains all of its many virtues. The following priceless formulas will cover its therapeutic applications completely for: --- asthma, bronchitis, catarrhal conditions of the mucus membranes, phthisis, tuberculosis, coughs, dyspnoea, heart weakness, internal ulcerations, etc.
Yes. That's what we did. We just got done making a huge stink. I was able to talk to an intelligent, sympathetic nurse who was talking to my father. We talked about my theory how it's coming from the stomach and there is some infection, and she agreed. She ended up making a stink too and calling everyone. Trying to get the team switched from the trauma team to the hospitalist.
They ended up coming in an being extremely intelligently ascended. They ordered him a bunch of things to keep him comfortable, more blood work, found out that he most likely has internal bleeding in his stomach, and ordered an antibiotic that's specifically for what he might have. He was stable when me and my mom left 35 minutes ago and he has really good people on his case now.
Thank you for responding here. Please do keep him in your prayers.
Come on people. stop spouting garbage on those suffering. There is NO NO scientific evidence that any of what you have stated actually works, period.
Sorry about your father, in very very tough. I think I said this before that the worst place to be when you are sick, is in a hospital, which is why I have repeatedly stated to LIVE LARGE, MAKE UP A BUCKET LIST AND DO WHAT YOU LOVE while you are still here and able.
Is a location rotatation feasible. Is he well enough to be transported to another hospital. I think sometimes the leadership at one hospital to the next is like night and day.
If he has diarrhea have they checked him for c-diff colitis?
I was going to suggest what Costarica1961 did. We had a friend who had a simple procedure that went south. Doctor's refused to acknowledge that it appeared he went septic. He demanded he be transferred to another local hospital where they found he was septic and he received the tx he needed.
It seems he has a number of things going on. You mentioned leukemia? Was that ruled out? You also mentioned other things. It would be tough on any hospital staff to prioritize this situation. Making suggestions to the doctors is good. The nurses sometimes get shut down if they question the doctor. There's a pecking order. Try to be supportive and respectful when suggesting ideas. There are many egos involved.
The patient is the customer. I have too many stories that are variations on this theme and if I didn't have a close friend who is an MD as well as MDs in the family, then yes, I would not have hesitated to go legal.
My own strategy was that each time my husband was in the hospital he was never alone. This kept the team on their toes, knowing someone was watching. This strategy was recommended by his onco.
Tough, tough situation. First, best of luck to your dad. Second, who has medical power of attorney/medical directive? If someone other than your dad, then that person needs to be the contact (probably mom). Threaten to take him to another hospital, then do it if things don't look up.
Would you tell us your father's age and what is the name and where is the hospital? Move him to a new hospital asap. If you can't move him then demand to see the CEO NOW if not sooner. Speak LOUD in the hospital. Make scenes.... If it were me I would roll on the floor as I was screaming for my father's health. I can really be a pain in the ass (ask my first wife)....
You should have seen me in Sears paint section one time.... LOL
Don't be shy.... The squeaky wheel get the oil....
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Worried about my father
My father diagnosed with Advanced prostate cancer
My beloved father and best friend has passed away, he will always be my hero.
Update on my father
