She is having severe pain in her shoulders due to a fall. She saw a doctor who prescribed pain pills for tendonitis. No X-rays. She got better then worse and now is sleeping in her lounge chair because of the pain. She allowed me to call her doctor to say the pain pills weren't working and she was worse, but the doctor did not return the call. Now mom just wants to wait and see. She has always been stoic about pain. I worry about the quality of her life now. She has bad knees too that give her a lot of pain when she walks, a favorite pastime. She is 88 and said recently to me she is going downhill. I think the quality of her life could be better with some pain management, but I don't think the doctor she sees now is helpful or sympathetic. We don't have a geriatric doctor in the area who might be able to look at her overall condition and give some advice.
My mom seems passive in all of this as if there is nothing to be done. Should I just step back as she seems to want and not push anymore? It is distressing to hear about her pain and problems and then even more distressing when she doesn't seem to want to do anything to help herself.
Or am I just a worrier?
Thanks
3 Answers
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My mother complained for years about a shoulder and did not go to rehab. I know where you are coming from.
Heck, last month I took a fall and was x-rayed within an hour, yep broke my shoulder. The fact that your Mom is more comfortable sleeping in a recliner tells me she might had broken her shoulder/upper arm as doctors will recommend sleeping in a recliner.
Maybe your Mom is afraid she will be put into a cast or have to have surgery.... now a days the doctors rather have the shoulder/arm heal using just a sling, it works just as well [unless the bones are so badly broken that surgery is the only means of fixing it].
I still can't believe a doctor never ordered x-rays for your Mom. How foolish of him. Time to change doctors.
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