Mom home from hospital. Seems to be getting better?
My mom was discharged from the hospital yesterday. She is dying. Her kidneys are shutting down, evidenced by her low albumin levels and edema. She has lost 25% of her body weight in two months. At the hospital, she was almost unresponsive, eating very little and on IV hydration.
Now that she is home, it's like she is recovering. She is sitting up, talking and laughing. Although, I'd have to say it's almost like she is high (even though she is on no medications). I am so confused. Could she actually be getting better or could this be a result of the IV hydration (even though it's obvious that all the fluid is being retained)?
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It could be a few things. Anyone is going to feel better in their own home vs a hospital. It may not be that she is recovering as much as it is she is just feeling better. We brought my grandpa home from the hospital in September with Hospice. He was doing very poorly and Hospice didn't think he had more than a few weeks. He ended up living for another 7 months. I think Hospice actually had a big part with that- we were able to have him at home, stop many of the medications that truly weren't needed and the focus became not on curing his illness but keeping him comfortable and happy.
The truth is, we never know how long any of us has. Try to not focus on "is she better, is she worse" and take each day as it comes. Enjoy the time, however long it may be, that you have with her.
