Ouch moments intermittently dominated this past week. While Patti can
never actually tell me where or what hurts, I observed each ouch always somehow
involved the use of her left arm either removing her coat or transferring her
from wheelchair to bed. I say intermittent because out of 8 coat removals only
3 were ouch moments while two out of four transfers to bed involved an ouch. Looking
for common denominators, each transfer ouch was preceded by a coat removal ouch,
yet each coat removal ouch was not followed by a transfer ouch.
Ouch by deduction might even frustrate Sherlock Holmes. No it’s
never “quite elementary” when asking Patti is unfortunately confounded by her
Multiple Sclerosis symptoms of short term memory loss and cognitive impairment.
With anywhere between half to two-thirds of those diagnosed with MS
reporting pain as a symptom it would be easy to assume this is about MS. Except
that Patti has never in 25 years reported pain associated with MS.
In this situation the care facility era is a godsend. While Patti
fell off to sleep I stopped to discuss my observations with the nursing staff.
They ordered an x-ray of her left shoulder for the next day. X-ray machines
come to you in the care facility era easier than delivery pizza in the home
care era. The next afternoon I was looking at the radiologist’s report as I
stopped by to pick Patti up for an outing.
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On the good side the x-ray found no fracture or break, on the
negative it did reveal 'mild degenerative bone disease'.
Degenerative bone disease is commonly known as degenerative osteoarthritis. Allegedly this affects more than 20 million Americans. It’s
about the breakdown and loss of the cartilage of the joints which when working
properly acts like a shock absorber helping the bones glide over one another. When
bones begin to rub each other – ‘ouch’ may be an understatement.
Tylenol for pain and application/massage of a bengay type ointment
will be the immediate treatment. Outings and such need not be compromised just adjusted
to ouchless by minimizing left shoulder rotation.
Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer
videos: www.youtube.com/daddyleer
Ouch!! I'm glad it wasn't bone fracture, and that she can be treated with Tylenol and BenGay. You are ever the attentive care-giver, Patti is in good hands whether she is at home or at the care facility. Have a good week, Patrick!
ReplyDeleteThanks Bea and yes at least for now Tylenol, "smelly" ointment (as Patti calls it) and adaptations are showing some improvement.
DeletePatrick, it doesn't have to be the smelly Bengay -- there's an aspirin cream that has no smell. Good luck finding what helps.
ReplyDeletePeace,
Muff
Hi Muffie! You are right there are soooo many ointments these days. I guess it's kind of like Kleenex. While there are gazillion facial tissues their all 'Kleenex' when I ask for one. :) "Smelly" was Patti's choice of words, and regardless of brand at least I know it's being applied regularly if she can smell it. :)
DeleteOh I feel for Patti....I've had a lot of "ouch" moments with my bad joints. Hope the Tylenol and rub do the trick.
ReplyDeleteSo far so good! Ouch free outings are increasing dramatically.
DeleteI've just been referred to your site by one of your facebook friends. I'm going through many of these same experiences caring for my mom and after a number of new "ouch" incidents in the last week and a half I'll have to look into this as a possibility. It's so hard to know how to interpret these things when your loved one can't really give you much in the way of specific information! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. It really does help me immensely to learn from the trials and errors of others.
ReplyDelete