Day + 33 -- orthostatic hypotension

Spaulding Rehab

The appetite stimulator drug that Doug has been on is not working, so now he is on a different one -- Marinol. It is a pill, and the active ingredient is a synthetic form of THC. Hope it works! He lost another pound and now weighs 155.

Doug did great with physical therapy today -- he walked with the cane on a long ramp and longer than he has walked before. He did the arm exercises with OT.

In the early afternoon, Doug got dizzy while standing up after doing some exercises. The OT gal had him sit on the bed and she took his blood pressure -- it was way low. Sitting the BP was 91/65, standing 69/48, lying in bed 90/60. This is called "orthostatic hypotension": excessive decrease in blood pressure when a person stands up, resulting in reduced blood flow to brain and dizzyness or fainting. Some of the risk factors are dehydration, meds, prolonged bed rest, and anemia; Doug has all of those.
It is worrying to me that his pressure was low even lying down. The nurse checked it several times -- later it changed to 104/65 in bed and 75/52 when standing.
Doug is already wearing compression stockings. The PA ordered a liter of fluid to be given via his Hickman chest catheter, and one of his drugs has been lowered in dose. He was told to remain lying down for the rest of the day, and he is supposed to wear a velcro 'girdle' when up.

Doug's Hickman catheter was scheduled to be removed tomorrow; now it looks like that might not happen. He was really looking forward to getting rid of it.

According to the heart doc and the occupational and physical therapists, Doug could be discharged at the end of the week. However, the malnutrition/weight loss will probably keep him hospitalized longer. I can't bring him home when he is losing so much weight.

Both of us are getting dispirited -- we sure didn't bargain for all this to happen. I just pray for God to keep me strong (and for Doug's anti-depressant to work!). We want to go home; we've been in Denver since March 4, and our two little dogs have been at the boarding kennel.