The effect of a cold?

[Cp612]

Hello all

My husband had a cold about 3 weeks ago, not the flu, a small temperature yet no infections. Been visited by paramedics, the on call doctor and his gp twice. Yet he sleeps the majority of the day, really struggling to swallow fluid as well as solids, is disconnected and vague as well as not recognising me nor my son. He cannot hold his head up independently and barely talks and if he does it is incoherent and muddled. He seems to have totally withered away yet is here in body. I have requested a visit by the Hospice Specialist Nurse who is coming tomorrow to assess - we have maintained a link since my husband was a daycare patient during 2015.

I think it is a very quick progression of his PSP with the cold not helping but the care home and medical people say it is the cold and it just takes longer to clear given the illness.

He is taking less than 500ml of fluid per day and is barely eating - the care home prompt and administer as He shows no interest nor requests.

I should imagine that he is chronically dehydrated and needs help with that first and foremost which I am led to believe needs to be a hospital job. This alarms me as much as his condition - the last time he was in A&E he was there for hours not fed or watered and wet through before going onto a ward whereby he wallowed for one month before I found a care home who would take him - he’s been at the home now for 13 months and they are really good with him in my opinion.

He is in stage 3 of PSP or rather he was - formally diagnosed during 2015 but hindsight being a wonderful thing he had first outward signs during 2013.

What do you all think? As above or an aggressive downturn in his PSP symptoms .... he is not in any pain - we are communicating this last week via the thumbs up and down response to questions as I know so do many others of you.

This is probably only my 2nd or 3rd posting which is why I have given a high level history of my husband’s case.

Look forward to receiving feedback please.

Many thanks xx

[honjen43]

Get his bloods checked to see if there is an underlying infection! May have nothing to do with a cold! Increase fluids could also help if it can be arranged intravenously. Feed him jelly as it is easy to slide down and counts as fluid.

With inaction comes an increased risk of infection which does not always seem to be taken into account by medical staff.

Recovery is likely to depend on strength of the patient, and how well medics deal with the circumstances.

Keep fighting for a resolution that feels right for your love! I hope he improves.

Hugs

Jen xxx