Hello, My mom is 84 and handicapped from a horrific car accident in 2008 where every bone in both legs were shattered, broken, smashed, or gone, thigh muscle ripped out, broken back, broken ribs, broken wrists, feet deformed, feet on fire. Died 17 times, coma 6 weeks, in hospitals and rehabs 6 months. Came home unable to stand or walk. It was a lot of work to keep get her standing and walking. We did it. I write this background to describe how tough she is.
She has fell a few times over the past 13 years but nothing very bad. Some bruises and aches.
She is now 84 and fell Monday afternoon. This was a bad one because she hurt her back. She says she twisted her back falling to save her legs. We went to the ER, waited 4 hours in waiting room, then 4 hours inside the ER and they did all xrays everything CT scans too. Nothing was broken. They released her with no prescription for pain meds, no Anti-inflammatory pills. She cannot barely move. She cant get up to go to the bathroom, so the bed is wet last 2 nights. Takes an hour to psyche herself up for the pain to stand so we can get her wet pants off and get up again to put dry pants on.
In other words she is in terrible excruciating pain. This is a very tough women who toughed it out with no pain meds except Tylenol everyday the past 13 years.
Doctors won't call us back. We can't get Anti-inflammatory or pain meds. We live in a township with a giant hospital and doctors parks everywhere. Must be that 10,000 doctors come here to work it seems like.
Yet it is so hard to get simple meds for an 84 year old woman. The ER said she probably needed them but would not write the prescriptions.
Now my mom says she is coming to and end and stuff like that. Over dramatic maybe , but that is how she feels.
I have been taking care of her 24/7 the past 13 years and have no problem doing everything.
But if there is a simple way to stop the suffering with simple anti-inflammatory pills for her back and 5 mg percocet , for a few days, don't was deserve to get them on the basis of moral humanity alone?
I know what its like for every muscle in the back to stiffen up and you feel like you cannot move. You feel paralyzed, like you can't even move your legs. The pain is excruciating. And I took muscle relaxer and it helped RIGHT AWAY., and in a few days I was fine. But I was in my 40's and not handicapped.
My mom is 84 and severely handicapped and the medical industry here in Freehold Township, Monmouth County NJ should be ashamed of themselves.
Nothing really gets to me more than this 'opioid epidemic' crap. Trust me, the folks who are addicted are still getting their meds.
Just came back from a visit with my son & family. His wife is an anesthesiologist. We talked about this EXACT THING. She said that the dirty truth is that MANY Drs are abusing narcotics, and at a staggering rate. She employs one anesthesiologist who has to come by her office everyday he works, takes only the meds he needs for the actual day and has to account for every millimeter of ANYTHING he uses. He has an addiction problem and she said he is probably getting his drugs from another source, not from her supply. She said that this dynamic was SO COMMON it was almost a joke.
People in real and actual constant, unrelenting pain (like I am) need to be able to function. I have to see my PCP every 3 months to get Tylenol 3 for the arthritis that makes my life hell. Ibuprofen helps, but it isn't enough to get me through the day.
(She actually said codeine is about the least abused, as it is really not that strong and I take the smallest dose. I will need to 'up my game' so to speak, eventually, and I have to have the option of stronger meds as the years roll by.) I HATE HATE HATE that I need these meds, but without them, I cannot even get out of bed, much less function through a day. I worry far more about the amount of Tylenol I get.
My family gives me hell for it. I cannot listen to them. Until THEY start in with the arthritis and constant, unrelenting pain that can come with it--they will continue to be judgmental. I have been dxed with moderate to severe arthritis throughout my whole body.
I can only think that the original poster's mom may have had an abuse issue--IDK and I won't judge her. But to put an 80+ yo woman in pain and not acknowledge the fact that they can certainly control the amounts she takes--that's horrid.
My SIL and DIL are both Drs. They both have said, multiple times, many, many healthcare professionals are often the main abusers---and that the pendulum for 'opiate control' has swung far, far, far to the side of actually hurting patients.
Sorry for the rant. I remember begging, literally BEGGING my mother's PCP to let her have 10 Tylenol #3's. She was awaiting back surgery and was in incredible pain. She made those 10 pills last for the 2 weeks before her surgery.
If there was something that actually worked for my pain that was non-narcotic, I would take it. So far, nothing really helps.
Sorry for the rant. I just see the ridiculousness of Drs withholding medication that can make someone's life LIVEABLE and relatively pain free. All b/c the AMA or whomever is breathing down their necks.
Does she have a primary care physician that you/ she can call? Her primary would be more familiar with her history and the back story (no pun intended) and may be more willing to prescribe a medication that would help.
Ibuprofen is about the best anti-inflammatory you can get, but it is tough on the stomach and not easy to tolerate. There may be some spinal compression that is now causing some nerve pinching; xrays may be needed. With a back most now believe that in two weeks time it "will go away" and that is certainly not always the case.
Do ask for a pain management consult. Be the squeaky wheel with constant calls to say there is no pain control and your Mom is in agony. Go to the ER if you must.
This is a problem right now in our country. Whereas a pulled tooth would get you 30 percocet in the past, you cannot get two now for a major surgery, so I surely do wish you good luck.
I have two discs that were pretty bad. All else fails, a good old fashioned chiropractor. I had a lady Chiropractor who was small in statute. I didn't think she would be strong enough to handle me. Boy, was I wrong! This lady knew her trade. I went for treatments and I haven't had issues since. I may have an occasional pain here and there but nothing like the excruciating pain I had almost over twenty five years ago.
You are right though, the doctor at the ER should have written a prescription for her before she was released to come home. Shame on them.
I would be calling everyone and anyone to get mom some help for her pain including hospice. And even though it sounds like your mom is one tough cookie, everyone has a breaking point when it comes to pain and she may now just be ready to be done with it all. And who can blame her? She's been through a lot.
Hospice will try their best to keep her pain free and comfortable until she's ready to leave this world for the next. And just because she goes under hospice care doesn't mean that she will die soon. My husband was under their care for the last 22 months of his life.
I'm praying that your mom will get the relief she needs and deserves.
Sometimes the fastest way to get information with something like this is go to the pharmacy and ask the pharmacist what they suggest. This would be even more helpful if you go to the pharmacy that you usually go to when mom has any prescriptions that need to be filled.
So while you call the doctors office, and do not give up on that make a visit to the pharmacy.
Try telling the ortho to refer her to pain management cause this is rediculous, or have her family dr recommend hospice.
I can call my PCP and ask for non-opioid meds at any time. I take 1 Tramadol a day for chronic arthritis pain in my back and I signed a contract to get a 28 day supply each month. I can get no more than that supply, even if I stand on my head on the roof. Which is what I said I understood when I signed a contract.
I suggest you contact your mother's PCP and, in a calm & relaxed fashion, ask if your mom can sign some sort of a contract to be put on a pain med regimen monthly. Something like I'm on; the 28 pill per month program of Tramadol or something equivalent.
I agree that chronic paralyzing pain is a horrible thing to endure, and your poor mom should not have to do so. Find out WHY she's being refused all manner of meds that would help her, and go from there. Then appeal to her PCP for a pain management plan if such a thing is available to her, that's my suggestion. B/c pain meds these days are VERY hard to come by.
Good luck to you and to your mom. I hope she feels better soon.
James, you’ve mentioned that mom really has not been into pt or medical intervention. In your case, I’d see it as an immediate comfort and safety measure so mom can get not only the necessary painkillers but things like lifts and hospital beds.
You can always discontinue it.
And I think acupuncture or massage might a better alternative therapies than chiropractic for someone her age with possibly fragile bones .
Accupressure is really good too.
Someone that knows what they are doing, can make you feel like a cloud. Oh so good!