blizzard77

I'm a nurse and have been taking care of a 31 yr old man for the past two weeks, things were looking good. Now he's in a fight for his life for the second time in 6months.
He's an IV drug abuser, and back in Feb 2006 came into the hospital so sick, almost in a coma. He devloped an infection on his aortic valve directly R/T IV drug abuse. He underwent a successful aortic valve replacement with an artifical valve after extensive open heart surgery.
He returned to the hospital again very sick, with a high fever earlier this month. His drug tox screen revealed cocaine in his system although he denied IV drug abuse. He was noted to have track marks on both ankles. Blood cultures came back positive for a bad staph infection but his new aortic valve seemed uneffected so he was on my floor for long term IV antibiotic therapy. He also has a dX of bipolar disorder and has a g/f who is due to have a baby in the begining of Sept. (no prenatal care, social worker tried to help but she wa no receptive.
Yesterday, a nurse came to me and said she was scared of him. He was acting weird and she thought he might be having a bipolar episode. I went into his room and he was not right ( I thought psychological as well). He was restless, seemed to loose his ability to speak and could only say "Wrong" and pointing to his IV pole. My prescence seemed to make him anxious, so I asked if I should leave, he shook his head no. After about 20min he was able to speak to me. He said he felt like he had lost oxygen to his brain and said he couldn't see peripherially. He had been running a temp on and off for a couple of days but blood cultures were all negative. I called his Doctor, who was not very professional and I will not repeat what he said but it was evident he thought it was an "act" to get some pain meds. Also mentioned he belonged locked up somewhere. Thank GOD the infectious disease doctor was more receptive. Tests were ordered. He had a stroke ( that's why he couldn't speak and felt he has lost oxygen to his brain. They also found his artifical valve vegitated ( full of infection) which probably caused a clot that went to his brain causing his stroke. He was sent to a larger hospital where his condition could be dealt with. He will have to have a second open heart surgery and one of his doctors ( the good one) don't think he's going to make it. I recently moved from the North to the South and find people so judgemental here. " He did it to himself, he has no insurance, we are the ones footing the bill for something he chose to do to himself."
I don't know the why of it as I've thankfully never been addicted to drugs but I do know he is human. His life is as precious as mine or anyone else's. All he has is his g/f. Family have abandoned him. He needs prayers. Please pray for him. Thank You.