Knowing When It's Real

Yesterday I became suspicious that perhaps Daughter really did have a UTI. She'd first complained Saturday, but my drugstore test was negative for UTI's that day. I began pushing fluid and giving her additional cranberry. She wasn't happy, but I thought better safe than sorry.

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Then it became clear that she was severely constipated. I attributed the high blood sugars and back pain to the constipation. Then the constipation cleared. Yesterday morning she told me I needed to talk to staff and tell them to make her do yoga, because she'd pretend she wasn't feeling good so she could sleep through yoga. By yesterday evening, though, I could tell the back pain was real. Her blood sugars were still sky high. She had no appetite (unheard of). So I retested her urine. The result was the maximum for leukocytes. I took her to urgent care. The doctor there freaked out when he looked at her urine results. He sent us straight to the ER.

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They didn't freak out about the ketones and high blood sugars, because she's a diabetic with a massive kidney infection. They did consider admitting her, and finally settled for giving her IV fluids and antibiotics. She's to drink lots of fluids and do nothing for the next couple of days. It was almost 1:00 when we got home, 7 hours after I took her to urgent care. At 4:00 she came and asked to get in bed with me. She was shivering so badly her teeth were chattering. I made her go to the bathroom, and then let her get in bed with me. I suspect the tylenol had worn off and the fever was back.

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I had the presence of mind to call Administrative Assistant on the way to the ER, so she arranged for someone to open up the church for Daughter's program this morning. I slept in, and Daughter is still in bed. I have prescriptions for pain pills, anti-nausea meds, and antibiotics. She needs another antibiotic tonight. I need to call the family doctor and make an appointment. She has an appointment with a new psychiatrist this afternoon. It took 4 months to get this appointment. I want to keep it.

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We may go into the church for a while. She can sleep on the love seat in my study. I will have Administrative Assistant reschedule my evening appointments for today. Her case manager called today about her appointment with the psychiatrist. I explained what was going on, and we're going to write it into Daughter's plan that they have to get her to drink fluids at her program. She's more cooperative with them than she is with me.

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Hopefully there won't be any permanent damage to her kidneys this time. This is my ongoing fear-- that because of her lies I will delay medical treatment at some point until it is too late. Right now she's remorseful and swearing she's learned her lesson. It will be forgotten within a month. The question is, have I learned? Will I provide closer supervision to her fluid intake? Will I recognize that a complaint is real earlier? I hope so. Her life depends on it.