VANurse or Six-Five or any other *medical types*

[BahamaMama]

... while shopping tonight, my dad went to the floor COLD, pulling a shopping cart right down with him..... to any *observers*, it appeared that his defibulator was going off (but he doesn't think it was, because of having it described to him that it felt like being kicked in the chest by a mule)

my concern on this was: if you were to lose consciousness prior to it activating, would you feel it or at least have after effect of feeling it??

after about 2 minutes on the floor, he was sitting and then standing up saying he was fine and had just passed out. (but many of us saw the convulsion type movements in the chest area as if he was being shocked.)

100% against my better judgement (but he is still my dad), he insisted on driving his own car home as we were in 2 cars and happened to meet up there) he made it home fine, but while walking into the house, grabbed my arm and said he was feeling the faintness again.... i held him up, and he didn't fully pass out this time..... when he wasn't dizzy, he walked into his chair...

I called his heart specialists office to explain everything that had happened and they said if the defib goes off AGAIN tonight, he should go to emergency, and if not, i should schedule an appointment for him the first thing in the morning with them.

i called the guy that normally picks him up to take him to his shop in the AM, and told him i was gonna turn off his alarm so not to pick him up.

anything else i'm not thinking of that i should do rather than keep one of us awake all night watching him to see if his chest starts bouncing (since he doesn't feel it)?

 

[dr. freeze]

if it was my dad we would be in the ER right now getting this worked up immediately

 

[BahamaMama]

i fully agree with you freeze, but he is as well as *refusing* to go, saying he is FINE.......ugh, and now i come to find out it was THREE and not TWO dizzy spells within 2 hours!!


guess when he is feeling better he is going to have to understand that the *you live under MY roof you live by MY rules* is no longer in effect, and he is going to have to live by MY rules!!

 

[dr. freeze]

seems very suspicious for a heart attack...obviously, something is not working right cardiovascularly and you do not screw around with these symptoms (especially given that he has a history)

he should be getting worked up

there should be no questions asked, i would call an ambulance if he refused to go if this were my dad

 

[BahamaMama]

tried that AT wal*mart, and he refused to accept one!!!!! UGH.....MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[danmurphy jr]

Some people who have had surgeries who are in their 60's just do not want to go through it again. The thought of dying as an option is not disturbing compared to re-hospitalization. Dr. is right on though except in Calif., hospitalizing one against their will could cause a legal issue.
The first part of the thread sounded similar to a "Gran Mal Seizure" caused by a malfunction in the Brain's circuitry. It's usually preceded by a dizzying aura then loss of consciousness. Convulsions and chest movements are the result of breathing out of control. Hope this helps. PS: Not an MD

 

[BahamaMama]

dan.... dad had his pacemaker replaced with a pace/defib about 2 years ago.... not sure if it would be something from the surgery that has him so f*cking stubborn or not (as i wasn't in the state when he had it done) but he was at work the same day as he had it put in...UGH!!! (told ya he was a stubborn 'ol coot) and ummm......he isn't in his 60's any more. I DO have power of attorney, but only in the event he can't make his own decisions...when would i be able to exercise that right if i think his decisions SUCK??

 

[lawtchan]

BahamaMama,

I worked in cardiology/respiratory for eight years and sounds like he could be hypotensive if its not his defibrillator.

low blood pressure can cause dizziness and passing out spells as well as heart attacks.

If it was me, I'd 'drag' him to the emergency room.

Also, make sure he isn't showing any symptoms of TIA or 'mini-strokes',
Make sure no slurring speech, blurred vision, arm tingling, etc.
not likely, if low blood pressure.

Either way, I would get him check out.

GOOD LUCK and GOD BLESS!!!!

 

[BahamaMama]

Christ!!!! maybe it is the lawyer types i am looking for here rather than the medical types!!!! i fully agree with what all of you are saying...he should go TONIGHT, but he WON'T, what would give me the authority to MAKE him go?????

and law...his speach is fine, and assuming his vision is fine considering he is online right now. he would never tell me if his arms were tingling. (i do know however that he feels constant mild pulses from his defib) i just need to know when i can overrule his decision NOT to go in tonight?? does he need to be unconcious before i can make the decicion for him?

 

[danmurphy jr]

Power of Attorney laws provide you with authorization to make decisions for him when he is physically or mentally unable to make them for himself. If he's working, driving and using a computer, he must feel in control. If he is having equipment malfunctions, he must know where to have it checked out and he should not drive. The fainting spell may have been unrelated.

 

[BahamaMama]

Dan...i'm finally making a bit of progress with him (i think) he isn't fighting the fact that i told him that Ron wasn't going to pick him up in the morning to go to work!!!! told that @ss that thinks he can freeload on dads shop that it will be CLOSED tomorrow (but as it turns out the @ss hole himself will open it up, but just not to haircuts) ..... gonna call at 8 for an appointment for a defib readout to determine why it actived..... so far so good since 6:30 central...no more dizzy spells.

 

[Agent 0659]

You gonna pull an all nighter? Im playin the Party Poker 40,000 guaranteed. Hope to be up with ya for awhile

 

[SixFive]

BM, how's your pop today? Definitely sounded like he went into a bad arryhthmia to me.

Also, you can't make a sane person go to the doctor or hospital. If he doesn't want to, you can't make him, even if you have power of attorney.

 

[BahamaMama]

6-5, he/we were hever given any answers as to WHY it went off, but it was confirmed that it did. He didn't give me any grief about going into the heart clinic this morning to have it read (probably because he was swearing up and down that he just fainted and that the defib. didn't shock him at all) He probably wanted to prove me wrong, since i was telling him that it looked for sure as if he was being jolted while taking a nap at wal*mart..... guess it backfired on him since i WAS the one that was right, and it actually had given him a kick.... he didn't even see a doctor, just the person that reads the pacer/defib..... no indication at all was given as to if it was a malfunction or if it went off because it needed to... so far he hasn't had any dizzy spells today (that he will admit to) he went to work right after the clinic appointment, and right now he's out running around and shopping.....UGH!!! FATHERS!!!! all they told him was if he starts receiving a series of shocks to get to the ER.