Tena and Wesley Pickles - A Life to Live For

Hi, my name is Tamara-Jolene Nielsen and Im fundraising for a better, easier life for my parents.

Before this makes any sense let me begin on telling you what happened.

Nearly 1 year ago on July 14th 2022, my mother was brought to the QEII Emergency Room, they were able to determine that her problem was "just a kidney stone" and she was "stable" and will be able to have surgery "tomorrow at the VG". Fifteen minutes later my moms BP raised to 230/110, she became delirious, and combative. Not long after she was swiftly wisked of to the VG Hospital for emergency surgery. After surgery my mom landed in the ICU for a couple days as her breathing because irregular during surgery, she was then put on the Urology floor for about four day. The floor doctors discharged my mom as the floor got a COVID outbreak and they didnt want her to catch it before her next surgery (in five days) to have the stent removed and the stone blasted. Mom went home in pain but able to move around and was hopeful that the next surgery would fix all her issues.

The day of the next surgery came, she went to the Dartmouth General Hospital, had her surgery and went home. I talked to her in the car, she sounded great. By 8am the next day I recieved a frantic call from my father saying he found my mom unconscious and unresponsive on the floor beside her bed, the ambualnce was on its way. The kicker is, my father, five minutes after calling 911 for my mom got a call himself from his Internal Medicine Specialiast that he was septic and needed to go to the Dartmouth General Hospital right away to recieve treatment.

I rushed to the QEII Emergency but unfortuatnly was told I couldnt see her because she was in the hallway under paramedic supervision, I was lucky to have known the nurse that was helping my mom, she told me to "go home, I promise Ill call you when your moms in a room". I went to my and dads house as their closer to the hospital and waited. An hour later I got a call saying come to the hospital now your mom isnt doing good, shes in trauma room 14".

I rush back to the QEII to find my mom filled with cords, tubes, and monitors. We found out her heart and her kidneys werent doing well. They couldnt put her on a temorary dialysis because her heart couldnt handle it and they couldnt do anything about her heart because her kidneys wouldnt handle it.... So we wait.

My sister and I stayed with mom that night, watching her fail, calling our families and getting updates on dad from our brothers. The hospital asked all the usual questions, "what are your moms wishes, how far do we go, would she want this or that". All questions we couldnt answer because we didnt know, so, while my dad is in another hospital with a serious blood infection we're calling him asking all the questions ones a person shouldnt have to answer over the phone.

Mom made it through the next day and night, she fought to stay. She was eventually transferred to the 6th floor of the QEII for further help, we were told the Cardiologist are the "cowboys of the medical world".

She continued to fight through all the pain she was going through, at one point we told her "you just have to push past the pain". She did, she worked so hard to be transferred to the Nova Scotia Rehabilitaion Centre because for some reason she lost the use of both of her legs.

At this point, mom has already spent her 25th wedding aniversary (August 29th) and her 64th birthday (October 2nd) in hosptial so our family was going to do everything in our power to get her home on Christmas.

The rehab centre through us so many curves balls to ensure moms safty, all in which we passed. SHE WAS COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!

The morning was wonderful, she wheeled herself in my house using her motorized wheelchair, she was bright, happy, and content. It felt like a true Christmas Mircle to us all. Unfortuatnly, later that day, mom started to act funny, her dextarity was waining, she wasnt as alert, she looked at me and asked "can I go home", I asked "home the hospital" she said "yes". Those four words broke my heart, what could we have done differently to make her want to stay? We did as she liked and called the taxi to come get her.

On December 28th, I went to see my mom and found her being wisked away for an MRI. She was talking nonsense but at this time she knew she was, she would say something and say "oh thats not right, must of had a dream".

January 1st, I went in again to see my mom, she didnt know how I was. She was in a serious delirium, pain getting worse.

The MRI showed she had a stroke a couple days prior, probably what we seen on Christmas Day, there was also evidense of two other strokes.

Mom was dellirous for three more days, BUT yet again she came back to us, she fought, she was amazing!

Then her hips, remember me saying, she lost the use of her legs for some reason, well thats becuase they found necrotic bone on her left hip, the rehab was amazing, they listened to us, the listened to mom. This hip pain wasnt a "push past it" kind of pain, this was serious.

The surgeon did a Girdle Procedure and removed the affect part of her hip. She recovered, BUT wait theres more, her right hip started to hurt, and yet again after more tests, they found the right had necrotic bone as well, so another Girdle Procedure was in my moms furture.

After all this, mom continured to fight, she learned how to use her chair (kindof), she learned how to deal with her health, and was taught the skills to deal with having her whole life be changed in a blink.

The Time had come, my mom was going home.

My dad did everything to get ready for her, hospital bed, lift, repainted, changed their whole apartment around making it accessible for her, he even went so far as in having the floors redone so it was smoother for her.

She was home! Three days later, she was rushed back... Uroseptic and confused again. Four days in emergency, and sent back home.

Mom made it home for about a month, but yet again was rushed to the hospital a week ago to recieve treatment, where she remains today. To add the Cherry on the cake a day after mom was rushed in so was dad (again).

Im not writing this to recieve pitty from anyone, but my parents need help. Their expenses are piling up, theyre both turning 65 soon and niether is able to work cutting their finances in half.

They have to rent my moms wheelchair for over $500 a month, and pay for all her medications.

Outings are no longer simple as they have to use an accessible service (not cheap), they also require homecare nursing that is only partially covered.

Anyone that knows either of my parents know they are the first to help, theyre the first in line. They just need a helping hand now

Thank you

Sincerly

Tamara-Jolene Nielsen