My uncle is on a ventilator.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Yup.

You may remember my uncle from such threads in the vein of...
"My uncle married a gold digger"
"My uncle's Z06"
"How to get videos to my uncle"
"What car magazines to get to my uncle"

He was a bedridden sitting target in a nursing home.

I've watched the rona cross the globe just to beat a path to his door. Just got the call from his new "wife" 1/2 his age.

I'm not feeling too optimistic. I'm more feeling helpless. I'd go don my PPE and see him right now, but I know his hospital won't allow it. So he will die alone (probably). I wish I could be there.

He's a curmudgeon from hell. It would suck (and be fitting at the same time) if my last conversation was along these lines...

Me:"Hey, how you doing?"
Him:"I'm eating... can't talk right now"


Call your loved ones folks!

[astrochex]

Sorry to hear this.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Yeah, thanks. He went from okay to downhill fast.

[Zeke]

Well, I guess he can read so jet off a note and/or have some staff allow you to face time him on their phone. Might be a one-way conversation but it doesn't have to be long. Just tell him some nice things and the staff can say they need their phone ASAP.

You know we are all very sorry.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Well, I guess he can read so jet off a note and/or have some staff allow you to face time him on their phone. Might be a one-way conversation but it doesn't have to be long. Just tell him some nice things and the staff can say they need their phone ASAP.

You know we are all very sorry.

Excellent suggestion. Thanks.
Ron

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Called new wife with suggestions. Waiting for update from hospital, where she will enquire about lines of communication. I specifically mentioned Zeke's suggestions, or to see if hospital had other avenues.
Thanks again.

[Sooner or later]

Sorry to hear. Best to you all.

[rfuerst911sc]

Wishing your uncle the best , tough situation . Hang in there .

[Aurel]

Is he getting some hydrochloraquin and Azithromycin? If not, worth a try.
My best wishes for him to pull through.

[greglepore]

my son's fil is as well, along with kidney failure and liver issues. Luckily he's tolerating dialysis and the drugs. Was given a 20% chance, but he's hanging in. 58, volunteer firefighter.

[rusnak]

When I go, I hope it's quick. A wife half my age with a sportscar in the garage is not the worst way to check out. And being alone is probably better than with a bunch of people watching and crying.

[vash]

Best wishes Uncle!

[sc_rufctr]

Oh that's awful... I hope he makes it.

My uncle is 92 and still living at home with his wife of more than 65 years! He's OK right now (touch wood)
My mum is 82 and I'm dong my best to help her stay isolated but she getting lonely and upset. She misses her friends.

This thing really sucks a fat one.

[DonDavis]

If he's on a ventilator, it's highly likely he's sedated a great deal.
Far too much for casual visitation.

Before you try and visit, call and see who is allowed entry.

And verify if he's on a ventilator or a respirator.

Significant differences.

Peace and Strength to you.

[fanaudical]

I'm sorry to hear about your uncle.

[pmax]

Sorry to hear about this. All the best.

The hospitals probably don't want any visitors now for fear of contagion. From what you said, I bet your uncle will give you an earful if you risk it !

[KFC911]

That just sucks...best to you and your uncle Ron.

[wdfifteen]

I hope your uncle does well. I also hope the gold digger gave him happiness.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Sorry buddy, hope he makes it out ok.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Update - and this is right in line with him, at least for entertainment!
Got to talk to him today! (In fact-twice- for the second time, I just got off the phone)

He's not on the ventilator at the moment, and I didn't ask for specifics, but his voice is raspy as hell. Perhaps they tubed him earlier. I don't know. I didn't ask. For the moment, he's not on ventilator, and just holding off of it. (from what I could translate from the wife, they were considering traching him, but I don't know, she was hard to understand last night)

Anyway- Conversation one:

Me- "Hey, what's up? Hear you are not doing well..."
Him-"I'm eating dinner- can't talk right now"

humor intact- he must be doing okay...

So evidently he's hanging in there, but, this was really confirmed from the previous conversation I had with the front desk of the hospital. Not his nurse, not the floor, but the hospital! By the time I called, the information desk was "well aware" of his presence, as well as his "wifes" presence. The fact the two of them could make such an impression on the concierge desk of a big hospital to be on a first name basis within the first 24 was right in line with both of their personalities, and let me know, that at least for the short term, he's as good as ever! I made some comment to the information desk like "uh oh..." and she was laughing her ass off.:

Basically, he is in isolation until covid results come in. His wife states "he cannot hold a phone without help" and I (by her instruction) was to instruct the "inept" staff to go hold the phone for him. Being in healthcare, I was not about to ask a busy staff to go gown up and stand there holding a phone for a covid isolation patient if not necessary.

Anyway, he (or the staff) had disconnected his phone, and the nurse had to reconnect it. I asked the staff to NOT go in specifically to reconnect the phone, but when they needed to go in for something else, to please hook it back up. No special trips. At some point, connections were re-established, and my family got to talk to him. He immediately answered, and we were all genuinely happy about it(well- the second time, once he had dinner).

Whether he had disconnected the phone and claimed not to be able to hold it to ward off his wife, or the hospital had disconnected it to shut him up, it didn't really matter, we got to talk, and if that's the end of the line, it is, but he sounded really good-

I am a lot more hopeful tonight. He got to talk to my daughter, and he's in good spirits.
I'll take that good news.