flytire 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2020 my dad went into the hospital with some sort of diverticular bleeding he was transported to the emergency room on tuesday morning at about 5AM and there was no diagnosis when he was admitted to his room at 8PM. long day now they think its a diverticular bleed or an internal hemorrhoid thats bleeding. x-rays, ct scan and some kind of nuclear scan. zilch nada nothing! he is still in the hospital and today is drinking some kind of cocktail to prepare him for a colonoscopy tomorrow (think of a gallon jug of water that has to be drunk cup by cup every 15-20 minutes). boy is he gonna have one hell of a bowel movement or maybe more (if you ever had one, you know how it goes before a colonoscopy) the poor guy is on a clear liquid diet to start off with and now he has to clean out his system. i feel really really bad that he has to go through all this medical stuff at 92 years old. i'll admit that i got a litlle misty when i got home last night thinking about what he's about to go through. he's my dad and he's the only one i have. i'm with him from 9AM to 6PM hopefully all goes well tomorrow as there are risks because of his age. he had an ultrasound of his heart this morning and it appears his heart is still strong. he wants his favorite cheeseburger and getting back to the casino i'm not one to broadcast personal problems but i just needed to vent out a little steam. 5+ days of trying to come up with a diagnosis is ridiculous! again sorry for burdening you with our problems Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2020 My sympathies with your dad and you. I sat with my Mom, Dad, oldest Sister and her husband when each one of them went. It's not easy. BUT, your Dad is just going through a 'procedure' ... so it's not too bad. I've only had one of those bleeds once. Scary, when you think you have diarrhea, and see bright red in the toilet. BRIGHT red. I was in a hotel ... immediately called Wife, because I was convinced it was arterial blood. Fortunately, she's medically informed, and knew what was going on. Like I said, scary. Good luck, to your Dad, on his procedure. Take care of yourself ... worrying about others also affects your health. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2020 I totally understand the frustration of not knowing a proper diagnosis. My Sister was in the ICU for 6 weeks last year before they had an actual diagnosis. It just all depends on exactly how rare an illness is. Plus some doctors want all the tests and exams back before jumping to a conclusion. Which can be hard for some wanting to know what is going on with our loved one. But it's the right thing to do though. Too many times with the recent issues with my bro-in-law they jumped the gun and said it was one thing only to change that a couple days later. Hang in there. Sounds like his attitude is positive though so thats good. I wish him the best so he can get back to doing things he enjoys Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chugbug27 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2020 Sorry to hear it. I went through something similar with my son, and then my mother. (They attend to 7 year olds with a lot more vigor than the 70 year olds, btw). All worked out well enough in the end, but man those days of not knowing are rough. Wishing you and your father the best Norm. Steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HookedOnFTF 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2020 I understand your frustration and truly wish your Dad the best possible treatment and recovery. My youngest daughter worked 3 years in the Gastric Oncology Dept at BIDMC Harvard. She was involved in clinical trial administration reviewing diagnostic and treatment protocols for regulatory compliance. HOWEVER; she spent half her time acting as a patient/family liaison because doctors wouldn’t take the time to explain anything to the families. Wasn’t her job but she was a Southern gal with immense compassion. Not her job but she couldn’t stand to see families so distressed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ggmiller 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2020 Norm, Best of luck to your Dad! Hopefully, the Doctors are just being careful, wanting all tests in before a solid diagnosis. Take care of your self, as well! This type of stuff is hard on all parties. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vicrider 0 Report post Posted January 14, 2020 Good luck to you and your Dad Norm. I have shot blood out of the front end on and off for 30+ years and when it does happen they've run their bunch of tests from the outside and the inside and have yet to come up with a reason for it. It stops and it's years before it happens again and I keep on ticking so not knowing why is aggravating but I can live with it. Mike, better red blood then black bm. One is easier reachable and the other is not. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rocco 0 Report post Posted January 14, 2020 Been there, done that. and got the t-shirts -- 2 of them. The usual course of treatment is to clear him out , wait for the bleed to stop, and then the colonoscopy. Then they will know what they are dealing with. By far most of the time there is no surgery needed -- it heals itself. Post hospital, it is just a matter of watching the diet -- no nuts , popcorn or other hard to digest foods. Here's hoping your Dad by now is well on his way to that outcome. Taking care of yourself is also good advice. Rocco Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites