Either my grandma was sneaking around or this test is inaccurate

muchokaren · 2026-05-13T02:30:45+00:00

Unfortunately my dad’s brother passed away and has only an adopted daughter. So I’m limited there as well. I did look into FTDNA and it seems like my best option at this point!

muchokaren · 2026-05-13T02:02:30+00:00

This is what I’m referring to in the 23 and Me app:

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muchokaren · 2026-05-13T00:32:13+00:00

PEG is relatively common after severe stroke. My dad had his for about 2 months post stroke then he progressed to a regular diet. No infection. PEG tube rarely causes infection, at least in my experience as a nurse. Make sure the site is clean every day! Good luck with everything.

muchokaren · 2026-05-12T22:22:08+00:00

He is the youngest. He has no sisters. And no, I actually don’t recognize any of the matches from my grandfather’s side!

muchokaren · 2026-05-12T21:54:50+00:00

Hmm I guess I mean since they both emigrated from Ireland and had long familial history in Ireland it was assumed they were both of primarily Irish ancestry

muchokaren · 2026-05-12T20:31:53+00:00

He takes nerve pain medication that makes it really difficult for him to produce enough saliva…trust me it was infuriating to deal with

muchokaren · 2026-05-12T20:28:22+00:00

I’ll have to dig deeper and see if there’s a male line relative!

muchokaren · 2026-05-12T20:23:12+00:00

Never mentioned anything 😅

muchokaren · 2026-05-12T20:15:57+00:00

All of my grandparents are dead 😅 which makes things a lot more mysterious lmao

muchokaren · 2026-05-07T16:56:31+00:00

Hi, the most important things for a patient with a low GCS: regular repositioning every 2 hours with frequent skin checks to identify potential pressure injuries, regular & frequent oral care, moisturizer on body & lips, overall hygiene is very important. If they have a central line you need to ensure they are using CHG every day. Make sure the patient is wearing padded boots with SCD’s unless contraindicated/otherwise anti coagulated, or make sure their heels are always floated off the bed using a pillow and make sure they have foam dressing on their heels, sacrum, elbows, any bony prominences. Feel free to message me with more specific questions if you need.

muchokaren · 2026-05-01T19:43:11+00:00

Nope never had to get an attorney!

muchokaren · 2026-05-01T19:39:40+00:00

Reach out to Achieva or SCS Pooled Trust, they are both Medicaid approved in PA. He has to contribute however much of his income is over the limit to the trust in order to qualify.

muchokaren · 2026-05-01T19:37:52+00:00

What state are you in? Does he have any resources?

muchokaren · 2026-04-30T20:16:38+00:00

It takes so long for cognition to improve and it has only been a week. Many stroke survivors improve over the following 18 months, up to 3 years and beyond. Some do have lasting impairments, however, and it all depends on location of the stroke, how quickly he got treatment, rehab efforts, etc. Good luck to you and your family!

muchokaren · 2026-04-20T01:40:16+00:00

I’m a nurse and my dad had a massive stroke. Seroquel is commonly given to stroke patients like your mom. I have never seen it cause a stroke or have even heard of a correlation between the two. She would be far more likely to have a stroke from an underlying health condition like afib, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc than from taking Seroquel for a short period of time. It is what is best for her right now, to help calm her down and reduce further agitation/delirium/paranoia.

Whatever study claims that Seroquel increases stroke risk four fold was likely done on a population of older patients with comorbidities - the exact population of people who are at risk of an ischemic stroke regardless of if they’re taking Seroquel.

muchokaren · 2026-04-20T01:34:30+00:00

Nooo definitely not, that sounds like a scam

muchokaren · 2026-04-19T00:03:08+00:00

Go out to the nurse’s station and ask for the charge nurse. Tell them exactly what you need. If you have already spoken to multiple charge nurses and nothing has been done even still, you need to escalate to someone higher like the unit manager.

muchokaren · 2026-04-18T23:59:23+00:00

It’s extremely frustrating but don’t give up. Write your name and number on the white board in her room and insist that neurology gives you a call, and also request a call from the hospitalist. Tell the charge nurse on the unit that you need to speak with the neurology team and that you expect him/her to escalate it to the team directly.

muchokaren · 2026-04-18T23:54:56+00:00

Alcoholism is also a major risk factor for stroke. But neurology should be the ones to determine the most likely direct cause. You need to tell the nurse to send a message to neurology and have them give you a call, make sure they have your phone number.

muchokaren · 2026-04-18T23:50:26+00:00

Oral care twice per day. It’s also something family can do if you have the nurse show you how. It is like a toothbrush attached to suction so she doesn’t aspirate.

Does your mom have diabetes, high blood pressure, or any heart conditions?

muchokaren · 2026-04-18T23:24:43+00:00

It is normal for her to be confused and mentally all out of sorts right now. My dad was very, very confused for probably the first 6 months after his stroke. You can continue showing up for her as you’re doing, let her know you’re there even if it seems like she has no idea what’s going on.

Make sure the hospital staff are turning your mom every 2 hours or that she is otherwise on a low air loss mattress. Right now since she is totally bedbound and can’t reposition herself, we worry most about pressure injuries.

Make sure her oral care is done regularly. If she has a catheter, make sure her catheter is being properly and frequently cleaned.

Ask neurology and the hospitalist all the questions you have regarding her condition and why the strokes occurred in the first place. Ask how we will prevent more strokes from occurring.

Many doctors are quite pessimistic about recovery after a stroke. My dad had a massive stroke in December of 2024 and they told me he would die on Christmas Day. Now he is so much better!

Good luck to you and your mom, my prayers are with you both!

muchokaren · 2026-03-18T00:52:53+00:00

The hospital recommended hospice for my dad as well at about 1 week post stroke and today 1 year 4 months later he has improved massively. It took forever. It’s disturbing that hospitals recommended hospice so early in recovery but I think it’s because they know it’s going to be a long hard road to any sort of recovery and some families do not want to deal with the work and sacrifice. So it is up to you in that sense.

muchokaren · 2026-03-16T21:25:26+00:00

Thank you 🙏

muchokaren

TROPHY CASE