u/Pigeonofthesea8

Hey guys. My elderly dad with dementia has a pacemaker the docs think might be infected. They can’t do the more precise ultrasound to visualize it so they’re treating him empirically with oral antibiotics for two weeks

If he shows signs of infection, he’s to come back and they’ll do blood cultures again, and do the full 6 weeks of IV antibiotic treatment.

He has a bloodstream infection with a species of enterococcus, and a UTI with a different bacteria. They don’t think the UTI is causing the bloodstream infection.

Has anyone been through this?

I’ve been taking care of him full time for eight years. He’s quite old. He’s pulled through a lot of medical crises but I’m not sure he can this time. He has a bloodstream infection and a UTI. He’s been in hospital since Friday on IV antibiotics. It was a long weekend and the doctors have changed a few times.

They haven’t communicated with me in two days to even let me know the plan, what’s going on, results from multiple imaging tests…

I’m the POA. If I were the patient it would be explained to me. I should be told! I keep leaving messages with the nurses to tell the doctors to call me and nothing.

I’m sure I’ve been told sooner than this before?

He’s sleeping a lot, not wanting to eat or drink. I’m losing my mind here. How many days is this treatment supposed to run? Why is he not seeming to improve? Do I need to get ready to lose him? wtf?

For me exercise (or just sweating! Even just working in the kitchen) can cause an itchy scalp even with prophylactic antihistamines.

I want to start exercising, ideally by swimming. But what do I do about the epi pen? My pool is crowded and there are frequently thefts. So I’d like to keep them on my body somehow (along with my phone, keys and glasses). Any recommendations for a super waterproof pouch I can wear?

Our dad has the DTC for dementia. The tax credit will be transferred to my brother. Do we need to show receipts or is the claimable amount always the same on the assumption support costs at least that much?