Posted by Sylvia_FL on 4/14/09 6:48am
Msg #284827

OT: Update on Bruce

This is continued from the RELS thread.
They did admit Bruce to the hospital last night for observation - after 9 hours in the ER! But hoping he will be home today. He does have 13 stitches in his head, his nose doesn't appear to be broken. Thanks for the thoughts you sent his way.

Reply by Cari on 4/14/09 6:56am
Msg #284828

what happened? n/m

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 4/14/09 7:15am
Msg #284830

Re: what happened?

He came home from work yesterday afternoon, took a short nap, got up and he walked into the kitchen, felt dizzy and grabbed hold of the refrigerator. I asked if he was OK and he said he would be fine. But then he walked towards the kitchen sink and "hit the deck". Neither I nor the housekeeper could pick him up. I went across the street for my neighbour - she's a nurse - she came over and by then he was up. But there was blood all over the kitchen floor. I think his glasses slipped and cut into his head, it was bleeding and his nose was also bleeding. He's on blood thinners so that didn't help.
Brenda (my neighbour) checked him over and took him to the community hospital to get stitches in his head, it is pretty deep gash
About 4pm he called from the hospital to say they had done a Cat scan and taken some exrays, said he may have broken his nose too. They hadn't stitched his head at that time.
I didn't hear any more so I called the hospital around 8pm and they said he was fine, they were doing some more tests and it would probably be another hour.
10pm I called him on the cell phone and he didn't know what was happening. Said he was in a wheelchair in the ER (they wouldn't let him walk around) and he had 13 stitches. His blood pressure was 72/59.
I called the hospital again at 11pm, and they said they were admitting him overnight for observation as he had passed out. I told them he didn't pass out, he was dizzy and fell, he never lost consciousness.
So he is still in the hospital, hopefully he will be home this morning sometime.

Reply by Cari on 4/14/09 10:12am
Msg #284859

you and bruce are in my prayers.... n/m

Reply by MistarellaFL on 4/14/09 7:16am
Msg #284831

Was the culprit orthostatic hypotension? n/m

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 4/14/09 7:21am
Msg #284832

Re: Was the culprit orthostatic hypotension?

Don't use big words this early in the morning, Misty - especially medical terms <g>

That is a possibility. He does take medication to keep his blood pressure down. I am wondering if it is too strong. I think he should check his BP more before he takes his BP medicine.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 4/14/09 7:34am
Msg #284833

Sorry....

Orthostatic hypotension:

A temporary lowering of blood pressure (hypotension) due usually to suddenly standing up (orthostatic). Orthostatic hypotension may be experienced by healthy people -- it is more common in older people -- who rise quickly from a chair, especially after a meal, and have a few seconds of disorientation.

The change in position causes a temporary reduction in blood flow and therefore a shortage of oxygen to the brain. This leads to lightheadedness and, sometimes, a "black out" episode, a loss of consciousness.

Symptoms include dizziness, feeling about to black out, and tunnel vision (all due to insufficient bloodflow to the brain). The symptoms are typically worse when standing and improve with lying down.

Reply by Stamper_WI on 4/14/09 7:56am
Msg #284837

Re: Sorry....

Low blood pressure can be a problem. One of my kids has had this happen to her. Once fell down the stairs when she jumped out of bed all excited about the day. Fainted and down she came. She was 11 at the time. I had forgotten what they called it.
Hopefully all Bruce needs is a med adjustment and is home safe and sound soon.

Reply by trnsa_IL on 4/14/09 9:36am
Msg #284849

Re: Sorry....

My 14 yr old son was diagnosed with this over the winter. He would be fine one minute and stand suddenly, feel dizzy, and faint. The first time this happened it scared me to death!

Sylvia,

You and Bruce are both in my prayers for strengh and a speedy recovery!

Tonya

Reply by Gary_CA on 4/15/09 12:25pm
Msg #285127

Cool!!

To be 14 and be able to just faint and fall over... and scare mom half to death... that would be a neat trick.

Not to mention that mom would be all "Oh, Honey are you okay" all over you and probably forget whatever a 14 year old needs her to forget on a given day.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 4/14/09 7:35am
Msg #284834

Actually, it was occipital arboreal syndrome

A baseball bat upside the head - but Sylvia won't tell you that..<G>

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 4/14/09 7:54am
Msg #284836

Re: Actually, it was occipital arboreal syndrome

Linda!! You weren't supposed to tell anyone!!!!

I am wondering how he is going to explain the black eyes he thinks he will have.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 4/14/09 8:04am
Msg #284838

Re: Actually, it was occipital arboreal syndrome

Hope he recovers quickly and gets home today - you'll both be in my thoughts..

Reply by Jim/AL on 4/14/09 10:10am
Msg #284858

Definitely in thoughts and prayers here, quick recovery! n/m

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 4/14/09 12:27pm
Msg #284886

Re: Actually, it was occipital arboreal syndrome

No, not coming home today They are keeping him in another day, they want his BP back up before they turn him loose.
Had I known it would have meant a hospital stay I would have had Brenda drive him to our "regular" hospital instead of the local community one. He is still in the ER, they didn't admit him to a regular room, so he doesn't have a phone where I can call and talk to him. And it took me 4 tries to get through to the ER and find out what was happening. This community hospital is affiliated with Holmes Regional in Melbourne, and the last time he was in that hospital they had him in the ER 4 days on one of those gurney's and then "lost" him.

Reply by Stamper_WI on 4/14/09 1:26pm
Msg #284900

Re: Actually, it was occipital arboreal syndrome

Are they short of beds? What's up with that?

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 4/14/09 1:32pm
Msg #284902

Seems to be SOP down here....they did the

same thing to my mother last year - she stayed in the ER for the first 36 hours..THEN got moved to a bed..even though they knew after about 8 hours that she wasn't going home...

Reply by Stamper_WI on 4/14/09 1:37pm
Msg #284908

Re: Seems to be SOP down here....they did the

My Dad suffered stroke symptoms in Yuma AZ a few yrs ago and was in ER 8 hrs, 4 hrs before he was seen. I thought that was bad! It was explained that they had so many snowbirds in the winter there, that the medical facilities couldn't keep up with their needs.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 4/14/09 1:44pm
Msg #284912

Re: Actually, it was occipital arboreal syndrome

The community hospital is just a small hospital. Usually in an emergency we go to Wuesthoff, which IMHO, is the best hospital. When they decide to admit you they move you to a room fairly quickly.
When they told me they were admitting him I expected him to be in a regular room and not still in the ER.

Reply by Pat/IL on 4/14/09 8:33pm
Msg #285012

Best wishes to you and Bruce, Sylvia. n/m