I was surprised to discover that the reason my husband was sent home earlier than expected from hospital was because they had been unable to get any blood samples. He came home by ambulance at 8 p.m. 2 weeks ago with a brown envelope for the district nurses. They came Thursday, Friday, Monday with no success but another one came on Thursday and managed to get a small amount. It was for kidney function and routine testing. He is so bruised! They had to use the side of his hand in the end. I assume they really do need to continue to do this? I haven't heard anything yet so don't know any results. Would any results make any difference if he is as they say ' end of life heart failure'. If anyone else has been through this I'd like to read your comments. Thankyou
When is a blood test too much? - British Heart Fou...
When is a blood test too much?
I'm sorry to read your husband is going through this.
My guess would be
If he continues seeking treatment it's probably best to continue to monitor labs to adjust meds.
If he's hospice care then anything can be stopped at patients request.
Speak to the doctors regarding this.
I wish you both well.
Sound advice thankyou. He is still at home so very much in our own hands. The community matron is going to phone today so I can ask her for advice too.
If your husband is now having palliative care are they continuing tests to ensure he's not in any discomfort? You could ask why they're continuing to take blood and as Dolphin14 has said if you feel they're of no benefit then you can ask that they be stopped.
Best wishes to you both.
Thankyou Leaders. No he is not yet in palliative care and that is an issue. His life is being measured in months but no consensus on how many. His Pace maker is running out so it all depends on that. But I believe the g.p. is the one to trigger palliative care but we don't see her often. We also have a visit from the hospice nurse too next week and we have the 'just in case box'. So I know it's just a label but for me it would be reassuring if he was listed under palliative care patients then I don't have to cope with duty doctors who tell me they are too busy to come as they are attending to end of life patients!!!!!!!!
You're doing really well despite the frustration of a bonkers system. When I cared for my father I encountered a fantastic GP who told me I should do as dad asked and I felt comfortable with. One doctor told me on no account let my father have a sip of whisky (his favourite drink) as it would shorten his life - this GP said go ahead give him a sip if it would give him pleasure. Sounds insignificant but it wasn;t. eventually dad declined all treatment and we kept him at home. He took the painkillers only - for us a lack of invasive treatment and procedures in his final months was the right thing to do. SOmehow you get to know when the person has had enough and I was fortunate dad told me to stop everything except things necessary to keep him comfortable. I don;t know if this has helped you any - you will find a resilience in yourself you find surprising. But this was the best advice i was given; do what the person wants and what feels right. My thoughts are with you.
Absolutely spot on! I will know the moment I need to say no more! The hospital doctor said ' take him home give him comfort and keep him safe'. I have a very good family team of carers and a personal care assistant. I know I will need to increase those hours a little but giving him little things that he enjoys make him contented. Each morning he says ' no one coming today is there?' Some days he just doesn't want to shower or wash so a quick cat lick will do. He's hardly eating so I make sure it's something he's going to enjoy. Shame he doesn't like spirits! He loves a beer but just can't get the volume to go down.
Hi Lovecats
Afraid like others can't really help as to why they keep testing, I would try to work on the basis they need to know something !!! Only suggestion is Try to ask Why. With regards to the Pacemaker running, out I know an old lady of 82 who point blank refused to have a battery change she is still going strong 3 years later at 85 !!
one question is the pacemaker with a defibrillator or is it pacing ??
Like Calliope says your doing well to question the whys and wherefores of the treatment keep at girl.
Best Regards Prada { our cats name being a Bengal she is a designer cat )
Take Care and remember Support is on Here and with BHF Nurses.
We had the defib deactivated when he was having a bad bout of dementia. It sounds cruel but he couldn't understand the implications of keeping it. He wants to stay at home but that couldn't happen if he got multiple shocks. Also it's my health. I'm the carer and need to be able cope. He still has the monitor but I don't think it's doing anything!!!! I have just adopted a cat. He is black and white about two I think and his name is Maverick. Why? Don't know! I want something alive that we have shared here when I'm on my own. Makes sense?????
Yes the cat does make sense. I am pleased you knew about the defibrillator, I didn't want to say I was just going to give a gentle reminder that it is a possibility.
Regards
Sorry to hear he is going through it. I have found, in general, phlebotomists are rather better at taking blood than nurses as it is the day job! Kidney function can also be tested by urine testing as well looking at the creatine/albumin ratio. I have this done annually because of long term diabetes.
Monitoring an sometimes go to far. A friend of my father was in palliative car for liver cancer with weeks to live. Each week he was taken by ambulance for a scan which he found uncomfortable and distressing. We all thought - Why?
Please pass my best wishes to him...
Thank you. That is the one question I need to ask. Why? They all say there is no point in finding out where the cancer is or how far the Dementia has progressed or how high his sugar levels are because any further treatment is not appropriate. So why put him through this continuous blood testing???
Has he a BG (blood glucose) meter? Whilst tight control is now not obey important I know from over 50 years experience if it goes to far outside range it can make you feel rough. Too high (feel it about 14 - 15) I start feeling lethargic and thirsty. Too low and I start perspiring and get blurred vision. Both hyper and hypo can ultimately lead to collapse - hypo far faster. Good luck with it all...
Actually our g.p. told us to give up on it as getting blood was too hard and the results awol. I returned stuff to the chemist and we feel less harassed now with one less thing to worry about but the community matron is going to check every month or so for us.
When my father was in end stage renal failure, I arrived to find young doc searching for a vein in his battered arms to replace an IV. I asked why and he said " to hydrate him" " Will that make him better?" " er no" . I then asked him to stop and My Mum and I had a chat with doc.
I know your situation is different and less clear cut but the question is if his blood results are not so good what will they want to do. Would you and your husband want it done ? Palliative care should start as soon as a disease becomes life limiting. Heart / kidney issues are so difficult to prognosticate about.
My mantra when I was working was "just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be done". I feel for you amid all this uncertainty that besets you, you are his advocate and can influence appropriate actions from HCPs
I love your mantra. I will be saying it a lot now I'm sure. X
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