Pneumonia - outlook for my diabetic Grandad?

[Bexybiker]

Hi all.

4 days ago my 66 year old grandad was admitted to hospital with suspected Pneumonia after he had fallen and laid on the floor all night and didn't want to wake my nan for help.
She had been suffering from a bad cold/flu and he had then caught it too.

He has been very overweight for a long time - Since I can remember and I'm 29 - and has Type 2 Diabetes. He is on injections for that and recently they doubled his dose. He is not good on his feet either as they go or are numb.

He was admitted talking and alert but clearly unwell. They have put him in a room on his own. Over the next 2 days my nan said he seemed to be getting worse. Me and my mum went to see him Yesterday and he was in and out of sleep very often, only speaking for a couple mins a time. He was opening his eyes.

He kept having these twitches/spasms in his arms quite a a lot and was moving his legs and feet quite restlessly.

This evening my nan phoned up in tears saying the doctor had called her asking for the permission to recuccertate if necessary - This really upset her - I feel this was quite insensitive of them and they should have actually spoke to her properly at the Hospital about it all.

Mum and nan went down to the Hospital tonight - They say he seemed even less alert today, speaking even less and not opening his eyes.

They were told his Kidneys and heart are not good. He has elevated levels of Creatinine of around/over 300 my mum has relayed to me. I'm assuming that's quite bad?

He has fluid on drip and a catheter. He is coughing up Deep brown phlegm.

They have also said to my nan they are not certain it is pneumonia now and he is going for a full scan tomorrow.

I just wondered if there is anyone that might have any info or been through a similar experience?

Many Thanks in advance.

 

[HOBIE]

Hello & welcome Bexybiker. Sorry to here. Keep him hydrated & I had that once & drank 7 jugs on water in a day. Lemon juice is what I would recommend. The hosp will give him the right antibiotics. Really good luck to all 😉

 

[Amigo]

Hi all.

4 days ago my 66 year old grandad was admitted to hospital with suspected Pneumonia after he had fallen and laid on the floor all night and didn't want to wake my nan for help.
She had been suffering from a bad cold/flu and he had then caught it too.

He has been very overweight for a long time - Since I can remember and I'm 29 - and has Type 2 Diabetes. He is on injections for that and recently they doubled his dose. He is not good on his feet either as they go or are numb.

He was admitted talking and alert but clearly unwell. They have put him in a room on his own. Over the next 2 days my nan said he seemed to be getting worse. Me and my mum went to see him Yesterday and he was in and out of sleep very often, only speaking for a couple mins a time. He was opening his eyes.

He kept having these twitches/spasms in his arms quite a a lot and was moving his legs and feet quite restlessly.

This evening my nan phoned up in tears saying the doctor had called her asking for the permission to recuccertate if necessary - This really upset her - I feel this was quite insensitive of them and they should have actually spoke to her properly at the Hospital about it all.

Mum and nan went down to the Hospital tonight - They say he seemed even less alert today, speaking even less and not opening his eyes.

They were told his Kidneys and heart are not good. He has elevated levels of Creatinine of around/over 300 my mum has relayed to me. I'm assuming that's quite bad?

He has fluid on drip and a catheter. He is coughing up Deep brown phlegm.

They have also said to my nan they are not certain it is pneumonia now and he is going for a full scan tomorrow.

I just wondered if there is anyone that might have any info or been through a similar experience?

Many Thanks in advance.

I’m so sorry to hear this Bexybiker because my elderly mum is presently in hospital having been admitted by the paramedics as an emergency a fortnight tomorrow. She also has pneumonia and is type 2 diabetic. She also has sepsis and I’m wondering if they’d been any suggestion that your grandad has or had too. It tends to affect the kidneys and with you mentioning an increase in his creatinine level made me wonder.
My mum is obviously older than your grandad but her presentation is similar with little wakefulness. She wakes for very short periods of time, is quite confused and has also been on IV antibiotics and fluid.
Interestingly she’s also awaiting a scan and I suspect they’d looking at the possibility of Sepsis Associated Encephalopathy in her case.

Medically they need to establish whether there’s any advance directives on resuscitation because some people don’t wish that to happen and at 66, your grandad is young elderly. It would have been better to ask your gran personally though as it’s a scary, upsetting conversation.

Sometimes people can be very unwell and sleep constantly after a serious illness. It sounds promising that he’s actually clearing his chest of phlegm. The worry seems to be his kidneys and they’ll be working on that. It’s amazing how people can recover from really serious events like this but it’s frightening to watch. His creatinine level is very high but they’ll be monitoring and treating him where possible. Strangely enough, a high creatinine level can cause Restless Leg Syndrome which could be why he’s twitching but the doctors will advise on that.

I really hope he starts to rally soon and I’m sure the scan will give the doctors a much clearer picture of what’s wrong. I don’t know if he’s had sepsis but if he has, the recovery can be quite a long one and much depends on what kind of damage has been done. In my mum’s case, she suffered what’s called a AKI (Acute Kidney Injury).

It’s a difficult time and like you we can only hope and pray that they come through this. Sending best wishes.

 

[Martin Canty]

Sorry to hear that, Bexybiker, wishing him all the best for a speedy recovery