My grandma just spent 10 days in the hospital and after receiving blood and having a right colectomy she is having serious mental status changes. No one at the hospital seemed worried and no one at the assisted living facility does either. She is 81 and tiny maybe 85 pounds. I am very worried. Suggestions?
You see, by captain posting his (always very honest & descriptive) comment about colonoscopies, we have ferreted out even more reasons for what maybe (hopefully) only confusion at this stage.
We now know that your grandmother had sedation/anesthesia twice in a short period of time. Just google "elders (or seniors) anesthesia surgery" and you will find plenty of information about how late life surgery/anesthetic can contribute to or bring on dementia. As in your g/m's case, this was life-saving rather than elective surgery so you don't always have a choice. If they had it removed her ascending colon because of a mass, she may have had a bowel blockage anyway which would either lead to a necessary surgery or death.
Now we come to the matter of the transfusions. These are just averages, round numbers, given for purposes of comparison. An average woman will have 6 to 7 pints of blood in her body (blood volume is based on body mass, not height) but a 110 pound woman will have only about 5 pints. So g/m had one pint before surgery and two pints afterward. This is more than half of her blood volume. Basic biology or physiology 101 will tell you that the hemoglobin (iron) in the blood is what carries oxygen to all the cells of the body. Oxygen is critical for the brain. Once the anemia is discovered, it takes a reasonable amount of infusion time to drip in the new blood. So there is a period of time where there could be ongoing clinical anemia, with less oxygen being supplied to the brain. No one can say for sure (unless later brain scans so indicate that part of her brain may have been starved for oxygen).
I'm not saying this DID happen I'm saying it's a POSSIBILITY. Several years ago, the brother of one of my dearest friends had a heart attack and survived. But, in the process of getting him going again, part of his brain was oxygen starved for a short amount of time. He was later diagnosed with "infarct dementia", as the lack of blood to his brain during the heart attack had allowed certain brain cells to die. His dementia was a stable type, in other words he didn't continue deteriorating as a dementia patient often does. The damage that was done was isolated to the cells that died during the oxygen starvation. He lost short term memory but other than that he was a very congenial guy, even though he needed 24/7 supervision.
It's rather pitiful that doctors don't spend a lot of time explaining these kinds of things to patients & their families. I personally would rather know the POSSIBILITIES then have to flounder in the dark, go on websites to research and ask questions, basically reinvent the wheel on a case by case basis. It's almost like they're afraid to tell you in case it comes true.
You can question the doctor and if it does turn out to be the case that this MAY be the problem, your g/m still may have it in her power to recover some or all of her prior self. The body has incredible and remarkable healing powers on its own. As I said before, diligent observation/care and fortified nutrition are about the only things from the outside that could help her body heal. Your energy age by her side, belief in the healing power of the mind and body, energy healing or prayer if you are into that, can all day off aid & assistance to her in regaining her wellness.
Please keep us informed on her progress! And take care of yourself in the process!!
But, this is GREAT news, it sounds like she's a fighter, a "tough old bird" as they used to call my mom! That may make all the difference in her recovery. Keep up your positive support!!!
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