Chat With Reyn

Catching up on the recent news - hurrah for the cats! It is important that Vivienne get up and walk, so I hope she can manage it. I know that you or a staff member will be there to help her.

Good morning, Kris!

I'll be checking in with her just after lunch to see what kind of night she's had.

She's in what is called here a "ward". A room that holds 4 beds. Unfortunately, hers is next to the room bathroom. So, lots of traffic from the other 3 patients. She's a light sleeper anyways, so doesn't do well in a hospital setting.

Thanks for the update and looking for the next one, Reyn. Crossing all fingers for you both.

Despite the difficulties, it seems all will be better, as time progresses.

if you can get a two-bed (single might even be better) , vivienne will probably improve much faster .
have you been able to speak to a doctor and voice your concerns ?
if you can get her a private single even for a few days - i know it costs money - , vivienne may recuperate much more quickly - getting more rest .
thanks for your update , reyn !
wishing you both - and the kitties - the very best !
hbg(two hot days on eastern lake ontario - 28 c - 35 humidex )

Hi H! Thanks for the comments.

Unfortunately, we have an old hospital here that is always full. There are no semi-private (2 person room) or private rooms even available, even if I wanted to. Already checked. I actually have extended health insurance that covers such things.

The cats continue to do well. The appetites seem good, although the male cat seems rather quite and mopey.


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Well, today Vivienne actually managed to get out of her hospital bed and do a short trip in the hall. They had given her a special extra dose of pain meds though. Earlier her pain level was not good at all. This stuff really worked well.

Also, she's off her oxygen tube and the blood draining out of her stomach is very little now. All good news.

There's still a possibility that she may be discharged on Monday, although I feel that still may be a wee bit soon. We'll see, I guess.

<following along - sending good thoughts to Vivienne and the Cat Whisperer>

missed this news of hospitals and cat sitting

glad to hear that all is well

evening , reyn !
glad to hear that vivienne is making progress - that's great news . i'm sure you are all happy about that .
kitty's also doing better - things are looking up , i guess !

i was truly astonished to read that your hospital does not have any private room !
our hospital was originally the seat of the legislature of canada before it was moved to ottawa (1860's ? before even my time !) .
of course it has been enlarged , modified and upgraded many times , but the original stone front is still in evidence .
(stone front + lime stone = kingston , limestone capital of canada .
the claim is that anybody born in that hospital has a limestone chip on their shoulder :wink: )
hbg
:wink:

Hello Beth and dj! Thanks for posting and your well wishes.


H, they have semi-private and private room alright. There just aren't any vacant ones to be had!

There currently is a new hospital being built here which (hopefully) will be open next summer.

Well, it looks like, as of now, Vivienne will be coming home tomorrow morning.

Lots of progress. More mobile, less pain control, better breathing, etc, etc. So, looking good.

She says she hardly gets any sleep, as it's so noisy. Plus, the fact that they wake her up at night to check vitals, etc. She'll be grateful to be in her own bed.

I sure have missed her....

I knew that she would be all right, Reyn, but nonetheless, I am delighted for you both.

Great news. There is nothing like sleeping in your own bed, is there? I'll bet the cats will be happier, too, once she is home.

reyn :
that's great news indeed !
they say that the best place to recuperate is IN YOUR OWN HOME !
so take it nice and easy - both of you - and things should turn out allright !
i'm sure you'll be taking good care of vivienne !
all the best !
hbg

Letty, John, H, and Edgar. Thanks for your posts. Time is short here, as I'm off to visit again (I go twice a day).

Looking forward to tomorrow!

That's good news. I'm sure Vivienne's going to do much better in her own bed, with her own dedicated attendant, and kittens.

Up and at 'em, Orderly Reyn!

If your cats are anything like mine, Reyn, they'll be very attentive to Vivienne. They always seem to know when we need extra comforting.

Smiling at the good news...

Hello Mame, Beth, and Eva! Nice to see the ladies tonight!

Yes, indeed, I think I can do a better job at home with some aspects of her care than the hospital can. While the nurses we were dealing with were all very nice and all, I think they can only do so much, with the workload that they're saddled with.

They do an excellent job with checking the vitals and making sure you've got the right stuff hooked up to you, but when it comes to helping out with personal hygiene, it's quite lacking.

I've been going twice a day since Friday and I'm glad I did. For example, tonight I washed Vivienne down with a warm washcloth, as she was getting some red areas (bordering on rashes) developing in some places. This can become bad if left unattended, turning into infected spots before you know it.

So, that's going to be one of my first jobs as soon as I have her home and do a much more thorough job. I've got some Stanhexidine and Cortate that will get rid of those reddy areas in no time.

Now, she'll be sent home with Tylenol #3, which is typical, but it has mixed blessings. It can tend to constipate the user, so I got some nice prune juice in, too, along with other goodies.

What she really needs is some good sleep. That will work wonders. Also, something decent to put into her stomach.

I think I'm prepared for the first few days anyways.

If anyone else has some suggestions, please pass them along. Any help is appreciated.

Bye for now.....