Sometimes you may feel like you're over reacting, but you're not UPDATEDerer

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/01/2019 at 17:38 • Filed to: Wellness check

This afternoon my father in law called. He’s been fighting a nasty cold, and said he has having pain in his abdomen. My wife told him to go to urgent care, and he said he would.

Then we never heard back from him. After the girls went to bed, we started trying to get ahold of him, but he wasn’t picking up either his cell phone or his landline.

I decided to go check on him. I figured I would likely find him asleep in front of the TV. Instead I found his car running in the driveway with its tracks snowed over, his front door closed, but not latched. He woke up startled when I went inside, he had been “asleep” in the bathroom. I dialed 911.

Apparently he had tried to go to urgent care. It’s about a mile and three turns away, but he couldn’t find it. So, he went home. Next thing he knew, I showed up.

They’re still trying to figure out what exactly is happening, but he has a really bad infection. I’m damn glad I went to check on him.

Update: He has a perforation in his colon, thus causing a massive infection.

Second update: They’re going to do surgery this afternoon. I guess this could either be diverticulitis, or polyps. They’re going to go in and see what the cause is, and fix it either way.

This morning my wife said, “You know, you probably saved his life. Thank you.”

Honestly, that hadn’t occurred to me. I was so wrapped up in the moment of figuring out what was going on, and getting him the help he needed, that there wasn’t time to think of any what-ifs. What if he just laid there all night sweating to death (he was sweating like crazy and very dehydrated), with his insides trying to fight a septic infection? That was way too close of a call for comfort.

I’m running on 3-1/2 hours sleep. Just trying to plow through the day and shoot home, so my wife can go visit him at the hospital. Kids aren’t allowed in the ICU, so she’s stuck at home with them. My bosses have told me I can leave whenever, if anything urgent pops up.

Update #3:

The surgery went well. They cut out a small piece of his small intestine that had a small hole and reconnected the rest. Doc thinks he’ll be able to go home early this week.

I’m home now with the kids, and my wife is on the way to the hospital to see him finally.

Thanks for all the well wishes and such. It’s great to have you all to talk to. It was especially cathartic to have a place to spill it in the middle of the night, when all my non-internet friends and the rest of my family wer e sleeping. Oppo rules :)

DISCUSSION (79)

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 01:50

Guy who works for me went off to the medical c entre this morning with chest pains. They saw “something funny” on his ecg, but a whole battery of tests came back clean so they sent him home. I’ve gotta admit, a pessimistic little part of my mind is wondering if I’ll see him at work on Monday. “Chest pains” and “sent him home” make me nervous.

For Sweden > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
02/01/2019 at 02:04

That reads like the introduction to a med school case study.

shop-teacher > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
02/01/2019 at 02:19

That happened to me once ... Indigestion

TheRealBicycleBuck > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
02/01/2019 at 06:56

My father-in-law went in for some tests, they noticed his heart rate was low, so they gave him an EKG. The results were bad, so they sent him to the hospital.

Long story short, he got a pacemaker last week. He now says he feels better than he has for years.

TheRealBicycleBuck > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 07:00

My great-aunt didn’t show up for work on a Monday. They found her unconscious by her bed. She had a stroke at least two days before. She died shortly after.

A co-worker didn’t show up for work (again) on a Monday. The guy was an alcoholic. My boss found him at home, dead on his couch, surrounded by empty bottles of liquor.

Pay attention to those odd feelings. They often mean something is up.

shop-teacher > TheRealBicycleBuck
02/01/2019 at 07:09

Yep. You never know. He was in really rough shape when I found him.

He's got a perforation in his colon. That has caused a massive infection.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 07:45

Sometimes...all it takes is a good fart. And a good cleaner.

Every other time...call in the professionals.

WilliamsSW > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 08:16

Oof- so glad you checked on him! Hope he is doing okay and makes a speedy recovery!

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 08:44

holy shit, glad you checked on him

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 09:37

I worry about my parents in their 70's now.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 09:54

Best wishes to your father-in-law.

TheRealBicycleBuck > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 10:25

Oh, crap!

Do they know how it happened?

shop-teacher > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
02/01/2019 at 10:28

Thank you. They're going to do surgery this afternoon.

shop-teacher > TheRealBicycleBuck
02/01/2019 at 10:31

Either diverticulitis, or polyps. They're doing surgery to see which, and fix it either way.

shop-teacher > WilliamsSW
02/01/2019 at 10:31

My too! Thanks :)

They're doing surgery this afternoon.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 10:53

Wow. Scary...

shop-teacher > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/01/2019 at 11:08

Yeah, this is the first time anything really scary has happened, but this was way too close of a call for comfort. We’ve been trying to get him to move closer to us anyways. Hopefully this will be the wake- up call he needs to do that.

shop-teacher > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
02/01/2019 at 11:08

Yeah, me too. That was ugly, but it would have been so much worse if I hadn’t gone.

shop-teacher > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
02/01/2019 at 11:09

Way too close of a call for comfort.

boredalways > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 11:31

“My bosses have told me I can leave whenever, if anything urgent pops up.”

Dude, it’s Friday. Leave. Go be with your kids so your wife can be with Dad!

Also, I tip my hat to you.

someassemblyrequired > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 11:32

Cannot endorse this advice enough. One of my buddies wasn’t feeling that great a few weeks ago, complaining of indigestion the last couple times before that. I told him he should go get it checked out - as I knew my Dad complained of heartburn when he went to the doctor but was actually having a heart attack.

Unfortunately he didn’t go to the doctor, and he was dead of a massive heart attack five days later, at 45 - with two kids under 10. I feel pretty guilty about not chasing him harder on it.

WilliamsSW > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 11:33

Your wife is right - best wishes for successful surgery and recovery!

facw > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 11:39

Hope he recovers well. We had a somewhat similar scare with my grandfather, we couldn’t reach him, and had to get the police to do a wellness check (7 hour drive to get to him). Turns out he had fainted due to a bad drug interaction, the call attempts roused him shortly before the police arrived. Good news was that he had a few years of significant improvement after he got his drugs sorted out.

Cash Rewards > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 11:41

Yeah, you saved a life. They're lucky to have you

shop-teacher > Cash Rewards
02/01/2019 at 11:48

Thanks :)

shop-teacher > WilliamsSW
02/01/2019 at 11:49

Thanks. I will keep you all posted.

shop-teacher > someassemblyrequired
02/01/2019 at 11:50

Oh man, that’s horrible. My condolences to his family, and to you.

Try not to blame yourself, but that’s easier said than done.

shop-teacher > facw
02/01/2019 at 11:51

Thanks. If he was much farther away, I would have called the police for a wellness check. I’m glad your grandfather got to enjoy some better years.

shop-teacher > boredalways
02/01/2019 at 11:53

If my wife wanted me to, I would. There really isn’t anything she can do right now anyways. I’m getting my students prepped to not be here Monday if need be.

And thanks.

MattHurting > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 12:01

Wow, good job. Sometimes it takes courage to act on a feeling. And your wife is right; you saved his life.

someassemblyrequired > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 12:11

Thanks man. Yeah it’s kinda a big regret, but at the time I wasn’t super concerned - he was relatively young and in good shape, so I felt kinda silly even telling him that he should go to the doctor and get checked out. Just sucks, luckily the family is doing ok for now but it’s a bit of a team lift at the moment.

I’m really glad your father-in-law is doing better though, it’s a great blessing that you headed over there to check things out just on a hunch and it saved his life.

$kaycog > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 12:19

That is so scary. Best wishes to all.

Mid Engine > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 12:23

You’re a hero sir, your family will forever look up to you. Out of curiosity, what car does your FIL drive?

RallyWrench > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 12:30

Jesus, man, good on you for getting on it. Hope he improves quickly, and that you guys can get some rest.

HammerheadFistpunch > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 12:30

My dad had this happen to him on vacation at Lake Havasu with the family. Got super sick all the sudden, went to the tiny local hospital and had surgery then had to stay there for 10 days or so for recovery. My mom stayed which meant it was just kids driving the boat back home to Utah. I think the oldest at the time was 22? That was a weird trip.

Also, nice work and hoping for a speedy recovery. Hopefully you don’t end up with a colostomy bag...it aint fun.

CTSenVy > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 12:42

If you hadn’t checked on him, he probably wouldn’t have made it to the morning.

shop-teacher > someassemblyrequired
02/01/2019 at 12:53

That's an understandable regret, but you couldn't know how serious it was at the time.

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch
02/01/2019 at 12:56

You strike me as someone who would have been responsible enough to tow a boat at a very young age.

Thanks. And yeah, he's had catheters and pee bags in the past (prostate issues), and those were bad enough.

shop-teacher > Mid Engine
02/01/2019 at 12:58

Thank you. I certainly don’t feel like a hero, but I’m damn happy I listened to that little voice in the back of my head.

He's got an '11 Chevy Equinox, which he is quite fond of.

HammerheadFistpunch > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 12:58

I did do some of the trip, I would have been 18. It was an easy tow though, the vehicle was the 97 k2500 burb with supercharged 454 and the boat weighed probably 4500 soaking wet. The only trouble was crosswind. good times.

Best of luck going forward.

shop-teacher > RallyWrench
02/01/2019 at 12:58

Yeah, thanks :)

I will keep y'all posted.

shop-teacher > CTSenVy
02/01/2019 at 12:59

I understand that intellectually, but have not wrapped my mind around it at all. It doesn't seem real.

shop-teacher > $kaycog
02/01/2019 at 13:00

Thank you.

shop-teacher > MattHurting
02/01/2019 at 13:01

Well, it didn’t feel courageous, but thank you :)

I’m very happy I listened to the voice in the back of my head.

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch
02/01/2019 at 13:01

Thanks. I will keep you all posted.

CTSenVy > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 13:05

I have been in spots like that with my mother and grandfather unfortunately. Even looking back at them years later it seems like a giant blur.

Fingers crosssed for you and your bunch!

shop-teacher > CTSenVy
02/01/2019 at 13:29

Thanks!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 14:34

Good job mate :)

Props for you for keeping another one of us here on Earth!

shop-teacher > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
02/01/2019 at 14:48

Thanks :)

I’m a big fan of my father in law, so I’m glad he gets to stick around with us for hopefully a lot longer.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 17:44

good to hear everythings gone well

alls well that ends well right

shop-teacher > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
02/01/2019 at 17:46

That's right!

Chariotoflove > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 17:48

Oh man. It’s like his guardian angel sent for you. Thank goodness.

shop-teacher > Chariotoflove
02/01/2019 at 17:50

Yeah, I am very happy I listened to the little voice in the back of my head last night!

CaptDale - is secretly British > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 17:50

Glad to hear things went well, That was a scary read

shop-teacher > CaptDale - is secretly British
02/01/2019 at 17:51

We're very relieved!

vondon302 > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 17:54

Whew! Glad that all worked out.

Talk about earning husband points. Triple digits easily.

;)

shop-teacher > vondon302
02/01/2019 at 17:55

Haha, I need those points!

Brickman > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 17:59

Wow! glad you were there. Also glad he couldnt find an urgent care, at least where I live, all they do is give you pain killers and would just of covered up the serious issue.

WilliamsSW > shop-teacher
02/01/2019 at 17:59

Yay! That’s pretty quick to go home - I was worried he would be stuck there while the antibiotics worked their course - but the earlier he goes home the better!!