Hospitalization Woes

This weekend has unfortunately been difficult.  I have a lot of anger and a lot of fear as well from this past weekend.  Probably the best way to get through what I am hoping to write would be to use bullets:

• Even though Friday seemed a great deal better in terms of my gastrointestinal issues, I found that on Saturday morning, when I awoke, I had a return of some discomfort in my abdomen.  Fortunately, it was SIGNIFICANTLY more mild than it was on Thursday.
• When I mentioned the slight discomfort to my wife after she woke up Saturday morning (I was up a good hour or so earlier than she was.), she told me that SHE too had feelings of discomfort.  Even though I DO NOT want my wife to have feelings of discomfort in her abdomen..... when she told me she did.... I was OVERJOYED!!!!  That I experienced some mild discomfort after the very difficult time I had Thursday, I was worried my discomfort was potentially something far more serious than just constipation from cake.  But, with my WIFE having the same exact symptoms, it reassured me that at worst, perhaps I had gotten a GI "bug".  
• Sunday started up ok, with my wife and I working on making all sorts of food for the week in the kitchen.  Usually, we have a great time with the general cooking we often do on Sunday.  This time we started early at 7:00am.  A few highlights.... we made a dish of "Pecan Chicken" which was delicious.  It is baked, skinless chicken that is then covered with a soy sauce/brown sugar glaze and topped with crushed, roasted pecans. We also made some stuffed acorn squash, I made a batch of my Chickpea/Chard cold salad that I can have throughout the week.  We also prepared a lot of broccoli and cauliflower as well to make it easier in the week.  
• Unfortunately, though, then the really difficult stuff started to occur.  My wife's older sister (of course, she is also my SIL) called.  I had mentioned before that she was having some health issues.  But, I do not have enough time to try to sort back to see what I had written before, so I will just kind of summarize:

1. Unfortunately, she has diabetes (like my wife), and has had it for several years longer than my wife.  She has not really been very compliant with her taking care of this condition.  
2. She has been diagnosed (sometime in early Spring of this year) with some level of kidney disease.  I am not sure if an exact stage has been established, or if she is just uncomfortably trying to "sidestep" the issue (in other words, ignore it).  
3. Several days ago, but I think less than two weeks ago.... my SIL went to the doctor because she had displayed fairly chronic ankle and leg swelling for at least a month.  Unfortunately, at that point, the doctor diagnosed her as having CHF (congestive heart failure).  NOW.... even though CHF SOUNDS horrific.... and it IS quite bad.... it simply means a decline/weakening of the strength of the muscle of the heart.  It does NOT mean that the heart would STOP BEATING in the near future.  It means the heart will struggle to pump blood sufficiently, resulting in edema.... pooling of fluids. BUT, CHF can be treated, and CAN sometimes repair if the underlying cause is something other than heart damage.  
4. She was given Lasix (a diuretic) and told to monitor herself during the next several days.  
5. On Thursday of last week my wife was visiting her and there was really no change in her edema, so my wife encouraged her to call the clinician, who had my SIL increase the dosage of Lasix she was taking.  
6. Even though we did not hear from my SIL until mid afternoon on Sunday, apparently starting in the middle of the night Saturday and continuing until she called us, she began to become MORE edemic (even noticeable in her neck), and was becoming VERY short of breath.  When she called us, she was nearly gasping for air.  
7. We told her she needed to go to the emergency room.  But, she did not want to go.  So we convinced her to at least call her doctor's 24 hour service line so that the doctor could call her back to advice her.  
8. Fortunately, the service relayed the call to her doctor, and the doctor called my SIL back within ~15 minutes, telling her she needed to get to the hospital (like my wife and I said).  
9. So, my wife rushed to the hospital to meet her sister (and her husband).  I went for a while too, but due to bed shortages, they did not have a room for my SIL, and she was stuck in the emergency room where the spaces are truly too tiny for more than one (maybe two) visitors.  I ended up going back home because I was thinking it was too crowded and that my wife and my SIL's husband (BIL) were the most important people to stay for support.  
10. My wife came home at ~10 pm, my SIL was still stuck in the ER.
11. My SIL eventually received intravenous Lasix and is much less edemic at the moment.... which is wonderful news.  She also finally was moved into a room ~1pm today, so that too, is good.  My wife has been there twice so far, in-between work commitments she has.   We still have no idea of future treatment plans or goals or prognoses.  I really do not know what to expect the ultimate diagnoses will be.  From a theoretical perspective of the physiological manifestation of diabetes/kidney disease/CHF there are a few potentially POSITIVE outcomes, couple of marginally average outcomes, and and also a whole array of many potentially very NEGATIVE outcomes. I am praying for us to be provided a positive prognosis and outcome.   

• I, am also more worried and stressed and upset than ever about my wife's own non-compliance.  I fear that she is headed down the exact same path and is simply lagging by a few years because she IS younger.  But, when I compare where my SIL was at when she was my wife's age..... conditions are damn near identical.  It has me scared, and worried about the future.  Add my MIL’s dementia into that mix, and I cannot express how much worry I feel.  
• I actually get very angry inside, because my wife does not seem to even want to try, even though she knows what she needs to do.  It hurts.  I really do not know what else to say.  It adds a huge amount of stress to me.  And, it sometimes leads to us having a disagreement too.  
  
• Ran 11 miles (~16 km) this morning.  Needed to tire myself out from the stress and worry.
• PCS = 6.  Feeling generally hungry for the flavor and pleasant potency of my pipes.  I have a trip where I have to fly to Chicago in December. It has me thinking. 

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