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Oh, Riverdale, I'm so sorry that your mom is in distress.

Clarify with the DON how mom's pain meds are ordered by the Doctor.

Are they scheduled (like every 3 hours) OR PRN (at patient's request.

After many, many, MANY months of going round and round with both my mom's pain and anxiety meds, I discovered they were both "PRN". Meaning that the nurse would come in and ask my mom "Flo, are you in pain/anxious?". Being a good girl, my mom would say "no, I'm fine".

My poor SIL would show up 15 minutes later and find mom writhing in pain or wringing her hands in panic.

It took a LOT of time to figure this out. So ask to talk to the DON and look at the orders.

We got mom on scheduled pain AND anxity meds with PRN extras if she had breakthough of either.

Don't take anyone's word for it. Ask to see the orders. I got shined on a lot at the beginning

NH's live in fear of getting accused of over-medicating their patients.
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I think the pain medication is under control a bit. They have done both with giving medication as needed and requested as well as keeping her on a schedule for it. She now has a UTI. Was put on a strong course of antibiotics. Yesterday she was in total LA LA land. Told me whan I came in that a long time friend who is somewhat on her last legs was there at the facility and was clearing out her house which was there at the facility. At least her UTI is not making her mean and or aggressive. My daughter from Utah has flown in to see her. They are having a long visit today. My husband has been a saint. He reads to her from a book and as he is an actor he does the various accents involved.
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Good news about the pain getting under control, Riverdale.

Thanks for the update!
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LA LA land is a good place for her to be when the pain is under control and there's not too much thinking to do. Not being mean or aggressive is also a good thing, meaning mom is not in pain and lashing out. Thank God for this good news in the face of mostly bad news, RD. Continuing to keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

I laughed out loud @ your DH using accents when reading to your mom! How fun is that? :)
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So glad her pain is under control! (((((Hugs)))))))
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A PICC line has been put in and are starting antibiotics for it today. This is for the osteomyelitis in bone of bedsore.In 2 weeks they will do cultures again to determine what road to take. Very different from my experience 2 years ago. I had the line in for 6 weeks and drug was erdeptem(not sure of spelling) and blood was drawn weekly to be sent to lab to be sure infection levels were improving. They have removed the catheter(UTI) so I hope urine from protective underwear will not further endanger the bedsore area. Her frame of mind changes drastically daily. Upbeat one day and seeming on her last legs other days. Definitely alot of cognitive decline since this all happened now 2 months ago.
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Riverdale, I sure hope the IV antibiotics do the trick. ((((((((Hugs)))))) to you all.
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My mother was finally seen by an infectious disease doctor. The news was all bad. He cannot treat the wound. It is too massive. I saw it and nearly fainted.

Tomorrow I will go to SN and do my best to explain what I can. My mother has this tremendous desire to live no matter the physical circumstances. However she does not want to be hospitalized again and the doctor discussed how futile this will be. She does not like the catheter. If she goes off it the wound will grow worse. If she stays on it she will encounter UTI's.

I guess I am asking if anyone has advice for me. She has been put on palliative care twice in the past year only to be removed from it as she was doing well. However that was before she had this serious a bedsore. I don't know how to tell her she is close to dying. I appreciate any advice.
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Riverdale, my heart hurts for you and for your dear mom to hear this awful news. I think you have no other choice now but to tell mom the truth and then tell her that hospice is the best course of action to take now, that they will keep her comfortable since she does not want to go back to the hospital. The human spirit, I think, has a tremendous desire to live, but not in pain and suffering, is the bottom line.

When I took my father to the ER back in 2015, they told me his brain tumor had grown and they could do nothing for him at that point; no drugs, no surgery; that hospice was the only 'answer' for him. It was up to me to talk to him. I took a deep breath and went into the room; he knew he had a brain tumor; same as your mom knows she has a very bad infection going on in her body. I told dad his tumor grew & worsened, and that there wasn't any medication or surgery that could help him at his advanced age. He said "Nothing at all?" I said no and my eyes welled up. His did too. I told him that we could call hospice in to help him stay comfortable, but that it did NOT mean he'd pass away immediately; that he could easily live another year or MORE under their care. He was pretty stoic about the whole thing, and agreed to hospice care at the ALF. But I felt that he gave up then, after fighting very hard for 11 months prior (after breaking his hip and having a lot of PT/OT etc). He got a UTI a short while later, got into his bed and passed away 19 days later, which I felt was God being very merciful to all of us.

I did the best I could telling him the truth of what was happening with his health; what else could I do? I think you are in the same position, and I'm sorry you are faced with this RD. After I broke the news to dad, he thanked me for all I'd done for him, and told me I was a good daughter, which was the first & only time I'd heard such words in 58 years of life.

Sending you a big hug and many prayers for you and your mom that you can find acceptance for the unfortunate turn of events.
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Riverdale, I'm so sorry about this sad turn of events.

Do you think the doctor should explain this to mom, not you?

I don't think I could do this.
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Oh Riverdale, I am so sorry.

May The Lord be merciful.
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I’m so sorry for all the negative news and your mom’s struggles. I hope her doctors will talk with her in a better moment and help her understand. I wish you both peace
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Riverdale, I am so sorry.
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Dear Riverdale. I pray that Mom is still ok. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving Day, and I wish you Happy Holidays. God Bless you and your family.
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Thanks so much for such heartfelt messages. Some positive news at least for now: my mother had her 3 month follow up with the orthopedic surgeon and her femurs are fully healed. Secondly the SN facility has started using a wound vac on the bedsore. It was my understanding that there had to be some evidence of improvement before they could. Her nurse told me a few days ago that the more serious sore had grown smaller. Just taking their word. We must have seen the most negative infectious disease doctor. There were business cards for around 8 at the office so that was our misfortune. I don't know that it will necessarily fully heal but at least some steps forward rather than spiraling downwards.
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Riverdale, I'm so glad for this good news!! I hope that your mom's healing continues apace. (((((hugs))))))
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RD, good news!

Continued prayers for her and you.
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