Back on April 1st, 2014, actually late March 31, 2014 mom accidentally slipped on a Thompson’s Seedless Green Grape (details are important) and subsequently completely broke her femur in two. The fall placed her 16′-20′ away from her phone and the Life Alert, you’ll know what this is from, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” button which she just received a week prior was sitting on the table between her and the phone, charged and online, just not on her neck. She was only in the hospital for two days after the surgery in which they had to put in a plate the length of her femur with seven pins and one larger screw which held the two bone pieces together. It was then determined that mom would be transferred to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) that was closer to the house at which they would perform the needed occupational and physical therapies. Mom was to be in the SNF for a total of two months, which one month was for recovery with non-weight bearing therapies and the second month minimal weight bearing and the for actually learning to walk again after being in a full length leg brace since the accident.
Three weeks prior to mom leaving, they had her in the shower standing on towels, when trying to dry her leg or something mom twisted her leg and knee because one of the towels shifted on her. For the first hew day mom kept telling the nurses and the doctor that her knee all the way to her foot was hurting bad, to the point she couldn’t put any weight on it without almost crying in pain. This went on for another week (two total), the doctors requested x-rays and could find nothing. I went as far as to contact mom’s orthopedic surgeon who performed her three knee surgeries several years ago to make sure her false knee was not tweaked and needed surgery. He was more than happy to look at them just for a second opinion, he also could not find anything wrong with her knee. It was decided to put a walking boot on mom to keep her (L) foot stable until the sprain healed. Mom was then released from the SNF, still in pain and before leaving an appointment was set to follow up with both her primary care physician and the orthopedic surgeon who performed the femur surgery. A week went by with mom in more pain than that from the femur surgery itself. Then one night after trying to get up to use the facilities and she couldn’t she decided to lay there for 5-1/2 hours because she didn’t want to wake anyone up at 4 am. When I arrived mom could not even stand up to get into the wheelchair so I could roll her around, so I decided she needed to go to the emergency room (ER) via ambulance because I could not get her out of the house myself. She kept screaming, “Wait, Wait, get me my brush, teeth, change of cloth’s so I can get ready before they get here.” You know the luxuries, who cares you can’t stand up but hey let’s look good.
Fire Department, Paramedics and EMT’s (9 total) Moms on the bed to the left.
After waiting in the ER for several hours, we heard the same thing, “they could not see anything in the x-rays and MRI that they did and that it sounds as if she badly sprained it.” They did put her (R) foot into a walking boot also to keep it steady why the sprain heals. They did suggest mom keep the upcoming appointment with her orthopedic surgeon. Now here’s mom with two fake knees, a femur that’s recently been plated and screwed back together with two booted, badly sprained feet being sent home.
Mom’s New Shoes
After a ten days we went to mom’s follow up with her orthopedic surgeon, when she began explaining what was happening and where the pain was the doctor said, “Oh, your pains right here then?” and as he touched moms knee she came flying up to attention with a tear in her eye and about laid him out. He proceeded to explain that he was 95% positive that the head of the one and only screw they put in (with seven pins) was most likely hitting on a nerve or muscle that runs from her knee down to her foot and if she be willing he could semi prove it by applying pressure on the spot and if both her knee and foot hurt, then we’ve proved it. She agreed and he semi proved it. Mom was eager to go through with the minor out-patient surgery to have the screw removed, asap. That term is such a show stopper, “ASAP.” To do this we will need to get a letter from moms coumadin clinic stating how they want her to switch off her coumadin and then how to go back on the medicine. We would also need to obtain a letter from her cardiac specialist stating that mom is able to go through with the surgery due to her heart issues. Wow, you just put in a 9″ plate, seven pins and a 4″ screw without all this, but okay. This was no easy task and two weeks later we were ready to go. It has now been “four” months since mom walked, lets hope this surgery is the correct all. Long story shorter, the day after the surgery mom was up on her feet with no pain in her knee or in either foot, the surgeon was right. Still not walking yet but the pain is gone, now we move into the home therapy part which should be in about a week.
Throughout this entire process moms biggest question every time we meet with a doctor, therapist, etc. “When will I be able to drive?” She feels like she a burden on us, because we are having to drive her to doctor appointments, some 90 minutes away (retired military), lab work, physical therapy, sitting with her when she was in the SNF, picking up meds, grocery shopping for her and more. So when she was told that the driving decision will be placed in the hands of her in home physical therapist, guess what the first question was she asked. “When will I be able to drive?” of course. Mom bubble was burst when the therapist responded with, “Oh Carol, you’er looking at 3-4 more months before you can drive.” Just under a year, a year of her life is spent in either a bed, seat or wheelchair with walking consisting of a walker and for only very short distances before she tires out. Who would have thought that a Thompson Seedless Green Grape could take away a year of your independence.
Thanks Mom
TO BE CLEAR: Mom you are not a burden, a hardship, a problem, a hassle or anything else. With everything us three boys put you through, the worry, concern, up late night with us when we were sick and oh so much more, I am more than happy to try and pay you back for hanging in there with us and helping mold us into the men we are today. A year’s time is just a drop in a bucket. I have cherished each and every mile, appointment and therapy session we have gone to because it has allowed me to get to know more about you, my mom. Love you mom.
Thank you, Richard K. PickYourPain@att.net http://www.PickYourPain.org
Richard is a Tri-Fecta caregiver, along with his wife he cares for himself, with Chronic Back Pain which he’s had for 21 years. He cares for his brother in-law, Robert who lives with him and who has been dealing with Epilepsy his entire life. He also advocates for his mother who has various cardiac related issues, severe hearing loss and other medical issues. You can read about his experiences with chronic pain and how he deals with his mothers and brother in-law’s issues on PickYourPain.org or at Caregiving.com. He is also involved in several of Caregiving.com’s support groups and chat rooms, he is co-host of an internet based radio show pertaining to caregiving. Richard is also a patient adviser, board member for Intake.me which is working to improve the intake process at medical facilities. Richard has three adult children who despite them having to deal with his medical issues, he says, “They have turned out better than I’d hoped for.”
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