Lasix - Don't leave the Nursing Home With it!!

I called the VA home yesterday afternoon and reminded them that I was coming and not to give Bill his Lasix. They give him Lasix to keep his leg swelling down, but it makes him pee all the time. So, when I go up, I ask them to delay giving it to him until after we have been out. 

Apparently, the person who took the message didn't get it to the medication nurse. She had already given it to Bill when I got there. I decided to go ahead and take him out because he LOVES to go for car rides. 

I decided to take him to a new-for-us, Tex-Mex restaurant in downtown Houston called, Ninfa's. His joints weren't working real well, but we managed to get him in my RAV4 and off we went. 

Bill enjoyed the cityscape. We were talking about how big Houston is when he said he thought he saw the Twin Towers. "The Twin Towers are gone," I said. He looked at me in disbelief. He has no memory of that. I guess that is a good thing. 

We lucked out with parking and got a spot right in the front. It is a beautiful restaurant in a nice area. 

We ordered chicken and shrimp fajitas for our meal. They came out steaming hot! The chicken and shrimp were both cooked to perfection. Sides included salsa, rice, beans, sour cream, avocado, and pico de Gallo. 

It was delicious! But before we got too far into our meal, the Lasix kicked into high gear. Bill had to go to the bathroom. I took him to the men's room and turned on my timer for 15 minutes - the usual amount of time it takes him to finish. Some nice guest in the restaurant brought him back in ten minutes! 

He ate one of the fajitas and then he had to go again! So, back he went for another 15 minutes. This time our server helped him back out to the table.

He finished up his fajita just in time for key lime pie. He ate his pie and then, you guessed it, he had to go again! So back he went for another 15 minutes.

I paid the bill and, this time, I went in the bathroom myself and rescued him. I had barely gotten him in the car when he said he had to go again! He started shaking his arms and banging the car door. I told him to go ahead and go in his underwear (he has depends on). That seemed to do it. After that he settled down and enjoyed the ride home. The nurse later told me he doesn't go that often when he's at the VA. I'd never seen him go that much either. So who knows, but I will make sure that next time he gets no Lasix on the days I go if I have to call two or three times ahead! 

We had a good time in spite of the Lasix. He enjoyed the ride and the food. When he got back to the VA, the aide put him in the shower and I left. A fairly good day.