89 yr old mother - PEG placement

[JulieWise]

My mother has been in amazingly good health all of her life. She was evacuated from Orange during Hurricane Rita last fall, after losing her oldest son to cancer a month before. Since then, she started experiencing symptoms that were diagnosed as Progressive Bulbar Palsy a couple of months ago. She can no longer speak and agreed to go for the PEG placement today - trying to eat a small meal has been taking over an hour recently.

My brother just sent an e-mail to say that she was admitted to the hospital after the procedure, which no one expected. They warned him that they may keep her there 2 or 3 days. He also said they gave her demerol this afternoon, and more tonight around 8:00pm.

I was so proud of her for agreeing to the procedure - I know it scared her to think about it. I'm a little frustrated and scared to hear that they are keeping her there and giving her pain medication. Leaving her home for several weeks after the hurricane nearly drove her crazy - her home is her strength. She is NOT going to be happy to find out she has to stay in the hospital longer. (I wish I wasn't 1,000 miles away).

I'm going to call her primary doctor tomorrow to find out what's going on - but does anyone have experience with someone of her advanced age having to go through this?

Thanks all!
Julie

 

[Al]

For someone her age having a PEG installed a couple of extra days in hospital I wouldn't think is a big deal. I am sure it is disturbing to her but I would think it was a good thing that they want to make sure she is ok with it. It's not a big thing to manage if you have a good health care system in place but you do need help with it at first. Maybe they are erring on the side of caution. Which I think is a good idea given her age.

 

[Granny]

Hi Julie,
I think Al is right, they are erring on the side of caution. I had my PEG done in day surgery, but I know of a person in another province who is younger, and was told that she would be in hospital for three days until they made sure she understood the tube, and that things were going ok. I don't think that your mother's longer stay in hospital should in itself be something to worry about.
I will be thinking about her, and hope she makes out ok. How sad for someone of her age having to go through the ALS thing. I am 63.
Hugs and prayers,
Leah