Trays of Food Were Brought in Each Day and Full Trays Left Each Night

He died the following morning after 15 days without food

January 16 – first sign of cold symptoms but wants to get tested for COVID-19 so as not to affect others

January 17 – COVID-19 test taken

January 18 – COVID-19 test shows positive

January 27 – Admitted to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital-Oakland with COVID-19 complications.  During the ER examination, he specifically states he does not want to be put on a ventilator.  The doctor then asks if he should suffer a heart attack or other catastrophic event, how far should they go to revive him, at which time I state to do everything they can.  At no time is a DNR executed.

January 28 – Alert, talking and using bathroom

January 29 – Alert, talking, using bathroom and ate few bites of mashed potatoes and one bite of meatloaf

January 30  – Call received at 4:30 a.m. indicating Renny pulled foley [catheter] and they were concerned with bleeding.  When I arrived at hospital he is hallucinating, talking gibberish and pretty out of it.

Doctors come into room and ask when he last ate.  I indicated with the exception of a few bites, it has been since last Sunday, January 23.

Everyday thereafter, the doctors come in and indicates he must start eating.  I agree, but tell them he is non-responsive to eating and refuses any food.  The doctors do not express any concern.

Each day, three full trays of food come in and three full trays of food go out.  Again, nothing is noted that he is not eating.

February  6 – Internal Medical doctor comes in and asks when did he last eat.  I said it has now been 14 days.  She asks if anyone has talked to me about NPR Tube to which I answer, no.   She also states he cannot heal without nutrition, to which I agree.

We never signed or agreed to a DNR, yet the doctor lied which stated on the records that the family agreed to it.

February 7 – I call patient concierge, Janet Cressy, and express my concern that the doctors are not listening to me, that it has been over 14 days since he had nutrition and ask about an NPR tube. I also express my concern that he is starving to death which could be a cause for his hallucinations and gibberish talk. Janet replies that she will talk to his doctor and meet me when I arrive at the hospital, which she did.  At that time, she explains they cannot do an NPR tube because of the oxygen in his nose but will put in a PICC line to provide nutrition.  Late in the day the PICC line is put in and he begins to receive nutrition.

February 8 – I am told they may take him to ICU for constant monitoring and would like to get a CT scan of his chest since the kidneys are now fully functional and the dye should not affect them.  In the meantime, the nurse lessens the oxygen he is getting to see if he will tolerate it, which he does.  I wait all afternoon and finally ask what is happening and am told he will not be going to ICU because they can monitor him on the floor just as well.

I indicate to our son that his oxygen was lowered which was good and he seemed more comfortable.  When I get home an hour and a half later, the doctor calls and indicates we need to get down there ASAP because his BP is dangerously low.  Upon arrival, numerous people are working on him and the doctor indicates they have given him some medicine which has increased his BP, and his is now stable.

Trays of food were brought in each day and the full trays left each night. Each day, doctors would ask when the last time he ate, and I would respond it's been 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, etc. They would say, "Well, he needs to eat". I would respond, "Look at him. He will not and cannot eat." After 14 days, an internal medicine doctor stated to me that he could not heal without nutrition, and she asked if I had been consulted about an NG tube. I asked what that was, and she explained it would provide nutrition. After that conversation, I insisted he be given a feeding tube. He died the following morning.

As the night goes on, a nurse indicates he is not producing urine so urology is called after the nurse removes the initial Foley so a new Foley can be inserted.  After several attempts, the urology doctor indicates he will need surgery because there appears to be a blockage, possibly a blood clot.  Our son indicates his pulmonary status is not good and he would not survive surgery.  The doctor apologies because he didn’t know the pulmonary status but agrees surgery was not an option.  At this point, we were left with no choice but to provide comfort care.

My biggest concern with Renny’s treatment is why was he not given nutrition after I told them it had been a week since he had eaten?  Everyday a doctor would come in and ask about his eating to which I would add another day that he had not eaten.

Why was I not kept informed by the doctors of his status?

Why were we not provided with a family meeting with his doctor to advise of his status?

Why did they consider him a DNR (which my son and I both heard near the end)?  I never, ever said he was a DNR and neither Renny nor I signed a DNR.

To this day, I don’t even know who his primary doctor was.

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