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Doctors Lounge - Cardiology Answers
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| Casey26
- Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:53 am |
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Hello. I'm desperate to find out what I can do for my grandmother.She had heart valve replacement surgery this past December. The hospital was absolutely incompetent, her wound became infected, pacemaker was defaulty and had to be replaced twice, the doctors just didn't seem to care(my mother and I had to literally beg doctors to pay attention to her). Anyway, now that she is home, she is increasingly worrying all of us. She calls us hysterical because she says that somebody is coming into her house and moving papers/taking jewelry/stealing from her. My grandfather says her new favorite phrase is "I don't know". She has lost a lot of weight since she had surgery (she wouldn't eat at home, at my home, or at the hospital facility she went to post op) Pre surgery, she was as alert and aware as I am, always cooking. My completely independant grandmother has become needy and scared. She never had any of these symptoms, or indications. I know that heart surgery can be a rough recovery, but she won't even go to church now, something she used to enjoy doing and made a habit of going at least twice a week. She's slowing down, she's aged about 20 years since this sugery.
She is 74 with diabetes, fiber myalga, heart murmer.. I know she is taking medicine for her thyroid. I can't be exactly sure what else she is taking.
The worst part of all of this is the fact that I know that she is terrified of being in her own home and there is nothing we can do. Please tell me, could the surgery have caused this? Can this be reveresed? What can we do to get her back or to help her feel safe? What should we do to help her? I'm willing to try anything I can in my power to help her.
Thank you in advance, please help me help her.
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| Theresa Jones, RN
- Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:37 am |
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 Hi Casey26,
The surgery that your grandmother had is not a minor one indeed. Multiple factors play a part in recovery during a post op phase. Sometimes, especially in older generations, anesthesia, post op infections, oxygen deprivation, may have different effects and present a more delayed recovery than in the younger population. Keep in mind that prolonged episodes of illness may also trigger the onset of dementia. My questions for you are, has her oxygen levels been checked, labwork to identify electrolyte imbalances, etc. been done to attempt to identify the cause of changes in her behavior? Alterations in either of these will cause a paranoia type behavior. For example, electrolytes such as sodium deficiencies trigger confusion, paranoia etc. Insufficient oxygen levels trigger the same. I would strongly urge a physical evaluation to identify if an underlying disorder is present.
Sincerely,
Theresa Jones, RN
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