Texasstyle's husband "almost died" tonight

[texasstyle]

I am home now going through all my vcbinets trying to figure out what has K that we don't know about. Hiis diet got much better the past couple months. This afternoon he started with weakness and muscle paralysis. He started breathiong real heavy just for a minute and collaped onto floor. I thought he went into immediete cardiac arrest and never doing it, CPR was in my mind PLUS calling 911 at the same time, PLUS going to front of bldg. to hold locked secured door for amubulance, PLUS.. all at the time time. Well, he wasn't but I screamed for my daughter while he was in a fetal postion type vomiting all over the bedroom floor. Paramedics and fire company came. I never rode so fast in an ambulance. Geez Louise..Yikes. They wouldn't let me back at first. Apparently he didn't quite "code", but the nurse said it's like it, V-Tac?  he did this twice. His Potassium came back at 9. Yes, that is correct, you don't need glasses, 9! Theyshot him up with Insulin & Dextrose 2x also that I know of. Amiogen? (a small vial of liquid for injection) I think he got and who knows what else. He is hooked to a moniter on a crash cart. He was being dialized earlier as I left and was quickly starting to come around. His lowest heart rate was 27, and that was coming up to 53 or so ish. His BP better though that wasn't too overly bad anyway. The area where the sauturation shows on the moniter, well there wasn't such nearly flat looking blue line anymore. It looked wavy. After a short time on D, he was "coming around". Talking, apolpgizing to all the nurses from earlier  lol, thanking the nurses as well. I fel confident to go be with my nervous teenager at home until early am. Now I know he has a ways to go yet. I hme scared as hell. I;m glad to see improvement an the dr. said D would hlelp quite a bit.  I got to watch the D machine in action! lol.  I guess what some of the labels represensted and I was right lol. I'm so tired right now. Ihave a fear I'll get a bad call , but I'm glad I saw some major improvement before.

[Darthvadar]

Oh you poor thing...

You must be exhausted!....

Hope it all works out, and you've your beloved hubby safely home VERY soon...

Love and 

Darth...

[Kitty Cat]

I'm so sorry TS, I hope everything improves very fast, so that he can come home to you quickly. 

[Alisa]

Thinking of you and sending warm thoughts and prayers.

[RichardMEL]

*hugs for TS*

oh my.

9.

I thought my bad eye was playing up when I read that.

9.

Can you go over his diet for the past few days? Maybe there's a hint there. At least since his last D anyway.

That is crazy scary for you and your daughter. He thanked the nurses which is nice.. but did he thank YOU?!

Sorry I guess this seems inappropriate to say and I don't mean it in a bad way but I really wonder what's going on there. It doesn't quite make sense given what you've said unless there's stuff you don't know about.... and if there is that's a concern on several levels.

I do not think you will get a bad call. He seems to be recovering and is in good hands now.

another disaster hopefully averted.. but how many does he need?! How many can you and your poor daughter take emotionally?

I'm so sorry you have to go through all this countless times it seems

 

[okarol]

  very scary, take care

[aharris2]

9?
How does that happen? You two aren't alone in this. He has docs and goes to dialysis
9?
He should be on a 1K bath at dialysis. Some units say they won't do it, but under a doctor's order they will.
9?
Your guy should be getting weekly lab draw for potassium, again, ordered by his doc.

How has his potassium been running? I don't think it is easy to go from a "good" level on Friday to a nearly fatal level on Sunday. As you said, you do need to identify that hidden source of potassium! (Has he been going to dialysis 3x a week?)

Texasstyle,
 
I know the terror that comes with having a loved one with ESRD, we all do and you have certainly been put through the wringer by your hub. Don't worry, your husband is in the right place and in good hands.
 
That's for you and your daughter for saving your husband's life!

Calm down, relax, let the hub get better then get home. And then,
 
Kick ass! Get that 1K bath at dialysis and get the weekly potassium monitoring. Or kick hub's ass and let him do it. Find that hidden source of potassium. As Richard suggested, maybe your hub already knows what it was.

TS, you're not alone. We're all here for you!

[willowtreewren]

 

I'm so glad you called the ambulance. 

I was so worried last night. 

I'll be rooting for both of you and your daughter. Stay strong, and come here for all the loving support you need. 

Aleta

[galvo]

Scary stuff! I hope his recovery continues.

[texasstyle]

His last labs were May 11th, which showed in good range. Good in month before. I agree. weekly labs. They say they want to put a pace maker in . 3x a week,  Just got into CCU an hour ago. Don't know K level yet or if they'll dialize again. Dr. is there right now. The dr. and CCU nurses  joked they want his autograph. Oh, and my mistake, they've never known anyone to live through a 9.2, not 9 potassium, level. If he wasn't there right then when he wouldn't have made it. Question: There are other words that menan potassium right? I think citrate is one of them. I want to know so I can look through all my food packages here. Maybe that's what happened. Not actually saying potassium but another word in place of it threw us off. Richard, yes he did thank me. He is horrible when is is ill like that.geesh.. after he gets all funny. But does apologize. He has been trying to be very vigilant about the potassium especially. He even did the rice and soy milk. Gross...He's been taking the diet more seriously. He sound good on phone today. Wants to get out today of ocourse lol.. Haven't slept but hopefully will sleep good tonight. I think so. THANKS everyone for their loving support!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If i could I would express it with a big banner hanging on the back of the worlds biggest airplane for you. Or carve it into MT. Rushmore.

[Poppylicious]

Oh Texie, how horrid.  I'm so glad he's on the mend ... it must have been (and presumably still is) so worrying for you.  Especially as he seems to have been taking care of himself more just recently. 

*huggles* for a speedy recovery (for him, and for you too because your stress levels must have taken quite a pounding)

[Zach]

Always be careful when buying food items that have on the front label "Low Salt" or "Low Sodium" because in many cases, the company may just use potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride to flavor their food product.

The same is true with most salt substitutes -- many use potassium chloride.

 

[jbeany]

 

Lots of hugs to all of 3 of you - and get him out of the hospital as quick as you can! 
(I was offered OJ while I was in for surgery while still a D patient.  The nurses know less about the D diet than you do....  )

[billybags]

Tex I am so sorry to hear what you are going through, they will sort him out. I just wish I was living near to you so we could have a discussion about our husbands. We are 3 months down the line and my husband is not right yet. It really wears you down. I am thinking about you both.Make sure you get plenty of rest before he comes home from hospital because it will be full on caring. Can you get me this can you pass me that I have a brush stuck up my behind, only kidding.You take care.

[kellyt]

Very scary!  I cannot imagine what you were going through!  I hope you find the source of the K quickly.  I'm sure the hospital will send him home on a very specific diet.  Hugs to you, my friend.  Hang in there.   

[del]

Must have given you quite a scare!!  Glad he is feeling better.  Hope you find the source of the potassium!! 

[sullidog]

Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers! Yes, with dr. orders they will put him on a special bath, I have to have a 3 k bath because I'm so careful that my k can get on the low side.

[texasstyle]

I haven't slept yet  and it's 9 pm the next night. I think I'm so over tired that I have so much energy. I cleaned every nook and cranny of my house today. It's started hitting tonight what really happend. HIs K is down to 5.9-6. Dialized 2x today. the second time cut short because the machine clotted or clogged. Which ever one it does lol.  He is in better spirts . He hoping to come home Wed late afternoon. Dr. said if they can bring K down by then, he probably will. I'm in such a wierd head space right now. I'm sure that's expected. Thanks everyone for being there for me because I've pretty much gone through alone. Even atthe hosp. when wouldn't let me back. I knew in my heart something was going on. I was so scared. I was shaking. Well, I'm finally getting tired. Have a good night guys!

[lmunchkin]

Oh my Goodness, T.Style.  Reading the events of your husband situation, sounds exactly what my husband had while in the hospital for amputation of his toes.  Was he lathargic or having trouble communicating with you?  Let me tell you about my husband's situation and see if this helps.  He had a couple toes amputated and it was probably couple days after the surgery. He was taking all kinds of medicines while there. 

Phy. Therapy came by to get him up to walk around a bit as was the norm, but He didnt have the energy for it. So they made him walk to room door and back to bed.  Hour or so later, he started vomiting and his energy was zapped! I asked nurse to take B/p and it was pretty low, but not drastic!  30min. later hubby was like he was paralized and barely spoke, but looked up in my eyes like he was wanting help.  I immediately had nurse to have his neph come see him.

She was there in 10 minutes. I said something was not right with him and would she take a look. She did and agreed. She said for me to wait that she would check his chart. She came back within minutes and wanted to know what they prescribed Baclophen for.  I told her for hic-cups.  She asked me to come to the nurses station with her and I did.  She showed me the side effects of this drug, and that is exactly what his symptoms were.

While I was reading up on this with her, the nurse in Husbands room called a code Blue on him and I lost it.  They were trying to revive him.  They admitted him to CCU.  It was a week before he gained conscousness. It was the worst time for me cause I almost lost him then.  Iam tearing up just thinking about it. Final termination was he is allergic to Baclaphen. It damn near took his life.

They too thought it might be K, but his labs were good. Thank God, Neph came when she did and investigated immediately. She saved his life and I'm forever greatful to her for that.  It might be some new medicines he may have taken like my husband.  But his symptoms sound just like hubby's.

Good to hear he is doing so well right now!  God bless you during this time.  It is hard enough on you I know.  We love ya T.Style and hang in there!  Keep us posted!


lmunchkin     

[RichardMEL]

I agree with the suggestion for a 1K bath during dialysis. I found when I was on one (briefly) it really helped. I went from like 5.5 to 4.6 very quickly. Something like that anyway.

The thing that I find odd is why it could climb so sharply so quickly. I'm no dietician or neph but I don't think simple diet could have caused such a massive spike in K alone - I mean he'd have to be eating some kind of pretty pure form I would imagine. Has anything changed like meds etc?

I definitely think more regular labs would be almost mandated. This isn't the first episode, and it needs to be tracked down what's causing it - even more so if he's being so vigilant about his diet (rice & soy? EW!)

The other thing to watch is that he may feel with all his efforts to be good and it still happens then what's the point of being good, so may figure to go back to drinking those large bottles of coke etc - just something to keep in mind (not tryint to suggest anything about your husband and how he thinks just a thought that came to mind).

I hope he'll be ok.

[Chris]

Sorry to hear what has happened to you and your husband texasstyle.

[kristina]

Texasstyle, I am so sorry what you and your husband go through.

I am assuming you have already obtained from the Internet
or elsewhere a list of foods/fruits/vegetables and their Potassium content.

These lists show high/medium/or low content of Potassium.

I control my Potassium level in the normal range purely through my diet.
This requires a little time to fine-tune to get it right.

On-line you will find the daily allowance of Potassium per kg of body-weight.
When I did my calculation I found the daily allowance of Potassium
in my being pre-Dialysis is 1mmol/kg daily.
In my case that means: 39.1g x 53.5 (my own body-weight in kg) = 2091.85
Therefore my daily intake of Potassium is 2092.

You can select the fruit and vegetables which have a low-Potassium content.
You will find on-line information about how much Potassium is contained
in a certain weight of fruit and vegetables/salads.

Make sure the vegetables are fresh, good quality, and not tinned,
and check-out whether they mention types of preparation of the vegetables.
From this you can weigh your selected fruit and vegetables
to obtain roughly your daily requirement of Potassium.

I boil my fresh low-Potassium vegetablse (greens, broccoli, carrots & green lentils etc)
in a large amount of water with three spoonful of lemon-juice for nice taste,
for about 40 minutes to leach-out much of the Potassium.
The water-level must be topped-up regularly as it boils.
After about 4o minutes I immediately drain-off the water.

All this information you can find on-line.

It is a great shame that doctors and  nutritionists cannot educate patients
in this way to look after very important aspects of their health
when the patient is in desperate need.

I went through many similar experiences with dieticians and doctors.
They were unable to tell me what I  needed to eat to protect my kidneys,
and I had to research myself on the Internet to find the information,
and only then after lots of fine-tuning
was I able to control with my diet & my Potassium-intake
within the normal range without any problems.

I wish you good luck and I know how hard it is and I hope you find your way.

Best wishes from Kristina.

[texasstyle]

lmunchkin, I don't even know what to say with what happened to you excpet that I know how scary that must have been. That's unbelieveable that came as a side effect. You must have been beside yourself. How is your husband doing now? My husband definetly had the potassium issue. I just started another thread about it today. Seems they think it's fistula. It never ends does it?...(sigh)

[texasstyle]

darling Richard, King of all coffee! lol. I think you are confused about the soda thing thinking that Mike drank a 2 liter bottle once. He had the heart surgery last year and I said that they drained nears liters. I said that amount was like a soda bottle size.  Iused to love soda. Don't drink it near as much anymore. I likey my coffee. How are you feeling?

[Alisa]

Kristina, you mentioned to only eat fresh veggies and not canned, but my dietitian told me that canned was better because they were less nutritious if you don`t eat the liquid they are stored in, just wondering if I`v been misled according to your research.