Hello. My grandfather is currently residing in the hospital due to a recent fall which has brought about (or came from) several issues. The doctors have not given me much to go on and I feel that they may be overlooking something very important. I was hoping that you may be able to offer a different perspective on the issue.

Here is what I know so far:

Age: 78

Sex: Male

Medical History: Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, Diabetes (Type 2)

Lifestyle: Alcohol, 4 per day; Cigarettes, 2-3 packs per day; Diet, does not eat much, but foods are typically not healthy; Obese, yes; Activity level, low; Diabetes info, Checks daily at good levels; etc

Current Conditions and Testing:

Paralyzed from the lower abdomen down:
This began after the fall, initially making it hard for him to stand on his own. Shortly afterward, he was unable to bear any weight on his legs -not because of pain, but because his legs would simply collapse beneath him. The loss of sensation gradually increased over a week and he is now at the point where he cannot move his lower body all. He has also lost control of his bodily functions.

Loss of bodily functions:
Upon admission to the hospital, he was able to use the portable urinal without problems. As time increased, he began to "dribble" as he calls it. They began putting a catheter in and removing it (approx 3 times), then they eventually left it in. He has also been constipated for nearly a week and a half. They've given him laxatives, enemas, etc with no progress.

Loss of appetite:
He will eat occasionally, but not much at all.

Abdominal Distention:
His abdomen is so distended that a tube has been placed through his nose and into his stomach in an attempt reduce the bloating.

Breathing:
He is on oxygen and also receives breathing treatments every four hours. His breathing is wheezy but not struggling. On occasion, he will stifle / suppress a cough because it causes excruciating pain in the side of his ribs.

CT scan: Nothing found

Chest x-ray:
Fairly clear in regard to fluids; although the doctor did mention that their may have been a slight case of pneumonia (that was a week ago).

MRI:
An MRI on his back has been scheduled for the past 4 days, but they have not yet gotten him in for it because they say the bloating is causing too much discomfort for him.

I know I'm not a doctor, but I've been reading up on the internet and found something that concerned me... I was reading about "cauda equina syndrome" and it had mentioned the loss of sensation in the lower extremities and in worse cases, loss of bodily functions. My main concern comes from the fact that it also implies surgical emergency... That the longer a patient goes without decompression, the more likely these symptoms will become permanent. I was hoping that you would be able to tell me whether or not this might be the case; because if so, their procrastination may need a kick in the butt. Thank you so much for your time and concern. I really appreciate your help!

PS - I know that the MRI results would be imperative for any conclusive response, but I would really appreciate any general information, opinions, or suggestions that you may have.

Thank you