Aa
Husband in intensive care
This is not so much a question as just letting you guys know the latest. I have just returned from hospital, my hubby (Gixerboy) was taken by ambulance there about midnight.
He was on Oxycontin 8 80mgs a day for almost 3 years due to a severe back problem. Anyway, he has been tapering over two months (got down to about half that) due to pressure from the doc and the fact that it was beginning to affect him badly etc
When the doc and pain clinic started telling him that rapid detox and drug rehab were options he got really scared. He didn’t want to leave our daughter and me, instead he wanted to stay here. Hence the decision to go cold turkey on Wednesday night (his last dose).
It all started at around 5pm Friday night when he lost the ability to speak verbally, and instead we were communicating on paper. He told me that he kept going into massive spasms, hot, cold etc. He was in soooo much pain and just wanted it to end. But he didn’t want a tablet, and kept telling me not to panic and not to call an ambulance, he would be fine!
This went on and on for hours, until about 9ish when I went to get our daughter from youth club. He wanted me to get tablets downstairs that we had that would help him to sleep, and hence combat the withdrawals. I did this and had to dash off for our daughter…. When I came home he was suddenly speaking again and told me that he taken several sleeping tablets as he needed to ensure sleep. About half hour after this, he started having massive involuntary movement in his arms and legs. These got worse and worse, and we now had no communication at all, as he could not speak and could not write as his arms wouldn’t stay still. I tried for about 2 more hours to help him but it did not stop and just got worse….. he kept falling off the bed, banged his head etc…. It got to a stage where he was endangering himself and everyone around him. At this point, despite his wishes, I had no choice, I called an ambulance.
Sorry for the ramblings guys, I just need to talk to someone, I am so scared, keep thinking that I am going to lose the guy that I love sooooo much. Been so strong all night so our daughter didn’t get any more upset than she already was, now I can’t help it. I am supposed to be getting a few hours sleep as they have sedated him now and will let him sleep until 9ish when they intend to wake him up and see how he is. Daughter is asleep but I just can’t. The hospital seems to think that this has been caused, not by withdrawals, but an overdose of sleeping pills. Will not really know anything else until later this morning but will keep u posted.
Thanks for listening guys.
Karen (Gixerboy’s wife)
He was on Oxycontin 8 80mgs a day for almost 3 years due to a severe back problem. Anyway, he has been tapering over two months (got down to about half that) due to pressure from the doc and the fact that it was beginning to affect him badly etc
When the doc and pain clinic started telling him that rapid detox and drug rehab were options he got really scared. He didn’t want to leave our daughter and me, instead he wanted to stay here. Hence the decision to go cold turkey on Wednesday night (his last dose).
It all started at around 5pm Friday night when he lost the ability to speak verbally, and instead we were communicating on paper. He told me that he kept going into massive spasms, hot, cold etc. He was in soooo much pain and just wanted it to end. But he didn’t want a tablet, and kept telling me not to panic and not to call an ambulance, he would be fine!
This went on and on for hours, until about 9ish when I went to get our daughter from youth club. He wanted me to get tablets downstairs that we had that would help him to sleep, and hence combat the withdrawals. I did this and had to dash off for our daughter…. When I came home he was suddenly speaking again and told me that he taken several sleeping tablets as he needed to ensure sleep. About half hour after this, he started having massive involuntary movement in his arms and legs. These got worse and worse, and we now had no communication at all, as he could not speak and could not write as his arms wouldn’t stay still. I tried for about 2 more hours to help him but it did not stop and just got worse….. he kept falling off the bed, banged his head etc…. It got to a stage where he was endangering himself and everyone around him. At this point, despite his wishes, I had no choice, I called an ambulance.
Sorry for the ramblings guys, I just need to talk to someone, I am so scared, keep thinking that I am going to lose the guy that I love sooooo much. Been so strong all night so our daughter didn’t get any more upset than she already was, now I can’t help it. I am supposed to be getting a few hours sleep as they have sedated him now and will let him sleep until 9ish when they intend to wake him up and see how he is. Daughter is asleep but I just can’t. The hospital seems to think that this has been caused, not by withdrawals, but an overdose of sleeping pills. Will not really know anything else until later this morning but will keep u posted.
Thanks for listening guys.
Karen (Gixerboy’s wife)
oops sorry guys, that last post was from me (KAG71) not Gixerboy!!!! Forgot to sign out!!
Well, there's nothing really that I can add to that, except to say thank you to you all for supporting us through this. Also, to anyone wanting to take Oxycontin, don't do it!!!!!!
Well I guess I've been to hell and back, and it was the kind of hell to be honest I thought i would never return from. It's not a nice place to visit and to be honest I am stunned at the intensity of sheer pain and terror that gripped me so tightly that night. But somehow someway I was dragged back from the darkest place I have ever known and awoke to find a tube down my thoat and a dozen lines in my veins keeping me alive. I then walked among angels because the ITU staff were amazing, I am completely lost for words when trying to explain how incredible they all are.
Guys I had to do it, the life I was living at that time was no life at all for either me or my wonderful amazing and beautiful family. I took a leap of faith and trusted God to bring me back, and I guess he did. I'm certainly not out of the woods yet but there is light at the end of a very long tunnel. I just feel so utterly rotten to have dragged my family through this awful experience. My daughter hasn't slept for a week and my wife looks like death warmed up. I feel rotten to the core, the guilt I feel is eating me alive but I just had to do it. I am now racked with pain and I can't walk more than a few paces now without having to stop, but deep down inside I feel free. I must say a huge thank you for all the responses that my wife recieved, it quite literally kept her going, I cannot thank you all enough. I am so tired now so I'll sign off, but I just thought I'd say hi.
Guys I had to do it, the life I was living at that time was no life at all for either me or my wonderful amazing and beautiful family. I took a leap of faith and trusted God to bring me back, and I guess he did. I'm certainly not out of the woods yet but there is light at the end of a very long tunnel. I just feel so utterly rotten to have dragged my family through this awful experience. My daughter hasn't slept for a week and my wife looks like death warmed up. I feel rotten to the core, the guilt I feel is eating me alive but I just had to do it. I am now racked with pain and I can't walk more than a few paces now without having to stop, but deep down inside I feel free. I must say a huge thank you for all the responses that my wife recieved, it quite literally kept her going, I cannot thank you all enough. I am so tired now so I'll sign off, but I just thought I'd say hi.
Well it sounds like he is doing good. I feel bad for his back, I know thats going to be hard to deal with. Maybe get a walker for the home might help him get around better. Can't really chat now kids are hungry why???? LMAO Law says I have to go feed them. lol TTYL
Hi Ronnie152 and everyone else that is watching this thread!
He is now looking so much better, back to his old self. They are gradually reducing the Oramorph and he has now started the Lofexidine, which he says is helping a lot. Only trouble now is that with no oxycontin his back is killing him and he's finding it hard to walk. The physio team are helping him regularly with walking him, they took him up some stairs today as we have stairs in our house and an upstairs toilet. I think he is really going to struggle with walking now, unless they can give him something else for the pain. Before on the oxycontin he could walk unaided, at the mo he can only walk with the assistance of two other people.
He is now nagging the nurses and doctors constantly to let him home, and they agreed he was proabably ready for home. However, they don't like discharging patients from intensive care or high dependency, but the only reason he is still there is because there are no beds on the wards! However, they did say today that he should be okay to come home tomorrow. To be honest I think if they don't let him home tomorrow he will create so much noise they'll be pleased to let him go lol
He will still need to visit pain clinic weekly to assess things though. Also, I would guess that his wrist would need a eye kept on it as well.
Thats about it for now.
Karen
He is now looking so much better, back to his old self. They are gradually reducing the Oramorph and he has now started the Lofexidine, which he says is helping a lot. Only trouble now is that with no oxycontin his back is killing him and he's finding it hard to walk. The physio team are helping him regularly with walking him, they took him up some stairs today as we have stairs in our house and an upstairs toilet. I think he is really going to struggle with walking now, unless they can give him something else for the pain. Before on the oxycontin he could walk unaided, at the mo he can only walk with the assistance of two other people.
He is now nagging the nurses and doctors constantly to let him home, and they agreed he was proabably ready for home. However, they don't like discharging patients from intensive care or high dependency, but the only reason he is still there is because there are no beds on the wards! However, they did say today that he should be okay to come home tomorrow. To be honest I think if they don't let him home tomorrow he will create so much noise they'll be pleased to let him go lol
He will still need to visit pain clinic weekly to assess things though. Also, I would guess that his wrist would need a eye kept on it as well.
Thats about it for now.
Karen
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