The First Infection

Infections that begin in warm, damp places spread like wildfire. Just ask any parent who has changed a baby's diaper only to discover fiery, angry redness where a happy, healthy bottom had been just an hour before. What starts out as a rash or a mild urinary tract infection in a person who is incontinent and spends a lot of time sitting can suddenly become a life threatening event.

Last Saturday, I had just returned from shopping for birthday celebration supplies for my husband's Big 7-0 the next day. I was getting ready to make my daily visit to him* when I got a phone call from the facility letting me know that he had collapsed, his blood pressure was dangerously low, and he was being taken to the nearest hospital via ambulance. I rushed to his side.

I haven't spent a lot of time in emergency rooms, thankfully. The doctors and nurses and techs and aides were rushing to and fro, and the whole experience quite took my breath away, to be frank. I was in shock, and I was being asked to make on-the-spot decisions about my husband's care that I just wasn't emotionally ready for.

Noting his DNR (do not resuscitate) status, the staff bombarded me with questions. Did I want them to continue pumping fluids into him to bring his blood pressure up? Was it okay if a course of antibiotics was started for the sepsis? If he needed help breathing, was it okay to administer oxygen? If he "crashed," what did I want done? My head was spinning. What to do? Treat? Not treat?

We had talked about this. We had talked about the fact that he doesn't want heroic action taken, doesn't want to be intubated, doesn't want to be resuscitated. We had talked about at what point to decide whether or not to treat illnesses and infections. When to "let nature take its course." It's important to have these discussions sooner rather than later, and we did that. I'm okay with the DNR and the DNI (do not intubate). But I just couldn't bring myself to forego treatment for an infection. Not this one, anyway. Weak and shaky, he returned to the facility today. He had given the hospital staff a run for their money, but he had come through it.
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Did I do the wrong thing? I can't tell you. All I can say is that I wasn't ready to make a monumental decision that I might regret for the rest of my life. We'll see how it goes from here. From past experiences of others, I know that the first infection like this is a milestone of sorts. It will no doubt happen again, and probably sooner rather than later. I'm hoping for later. I need time to think.

*What started as a respite stay at one place has become long-term placement at a third place. Long story. I'm working on some posts about this, but I thought it was important to go ahead and post this one instead of waiting.