My mother-in-law had been staying with us for a few weeks after a long year in and out of the hospital. She has a compression fracture in her back and had a hip replacement this year due to a hip fracture. Last night she fell on the way to the bathroom and broke her femur right above the knee (Distal Femur Fracture). They will be doing surgery to repair once she is stable, but she is currently in the ICU with a pulmonary embolism and infection of some sort.
What does recovery look like for an injury this significant? She is already weak and was barely able to get around by herself and now this.
PE are also life changing, she will probably have a challenge for a while, like months, with being short of breath and needing some medication to help her get through.
I hope that your experience is better than mine, but her age and that she has blood clots and infection sounds very trying to her system. May God's will be done in her life.
The problem I see is the Dementia. Being in and out of hospitals and rehabs may cause further decline. People suffering from a Dementia don't do well with change. Then throw in C19 and they are also isolated.
No one can really tell you how things will turn out. If she is weak and with the other two problems, not sure if they can operate. Anesthesia is not good for a Dementia patient either.
First things first, If she has sepsis and a pulmonary embolism, those diagnoses must be addressed first. Expect her to have IV's, anticoagulants for the embolism, some respiratory treatments, supplemental oxygen therapy, and lots of monitors. She will be closely monitored (1:1 care or 2 patients to 1 RN care) until her infection and embolism are not putting her life at risk. Though it sounds cruel, expect that they may have her leg in traction for the fracture and not "fix it" with surgery until her other problems resolve.
When she is more stable, as in moves from ICU to a regular hospital bed, an orthopedic surgeon can do more permanent work on the leg fracture. Depending on the injury, she may have metal on the outside of her leg with "pins" called an external fixator or a long incision with metal rod inside her leg and screws called an internal fixator. She will get pain medication and will need to stay off the leg - probably in the hospital, or more likely in a rehab facility, until the break heals. Expect her to stay in a rehab facility until she is walking well enough per physical therapy to return home. Please do not consider having her do physical therapy at home; she will get more work in a rehab facility than at home.
It does sound as if she already has some health challenges. How old is she?
By any chance was she taking Fosamax?
I can only relate my experiences, if that helps. My father fractured his hip, first one, then the other the next year. I don't remember the dates now but I believe he was 94 for the first fracture, then 95 for the second. He had surgery, I found a very good rehab center, called out the troops from his church, visited him regularly (like every other day), and he healed well, eventually walking w/o assistance after each surgery.
He also stopped taking Fosamax, which he had taken before the first fall.
He was a strong person, walked until a few months before he died at 99.5. He did have co-morbidities but he wouldn't allow them to affect his outlook.
Your MIL may have a harder time if she's already weak, so you may have to give her more support. You don't mention how old she is. I would get the family together and discuss how and when you can visit so that she's not alone, doesn't get depressed, but also has ample time to rest up.
One of my cousins came to visit and brought a large, maybe 3.5' by 2.5', card holder, plus push pins. We put all his cards on the board and placed it close to his bed so he could see them regularly. Knowing that that many people were rooting for him helped him heal.
And I would begin right now looking for, interviewing and touring rehab facilities. If you need suggestions on this, just ask. Many of us have been through the rehab facility routine, sometimes many times.
Those kinds of people with strong wills fare better than those w/o that tenacity. For someone who's had some real challenges, as your MIL seems to have had, you often have to extend yourself and provide the extra support that's needed.
Another thing you can do is review the household situation and consider what might be needed for her return home, assuming she'll be coming home to stay with you after discharge from rehab.
E.g., do you have grab bars along the walls, or furniture that she can fall into if she becomes weak or loses her balance? Grab bars in the bathroom? No throw rugs? Walker or rollator? Another thing to consider is a hospital bed.
Before my father was discharged from rehab after the first fracture, the PT and OT insisted on coming to the house to do an evaluation, and made suggestions on what to move, what to get, etc. These evals can really make a difference.
Do some research on foods that aid healing as well as contribute to stronger bones; it may be too late for that, but it doesn't hurt to eat good foods anyway.
Something you can get for her to use after in facility rehab is a little hand/foot pedaled "bike", like this:
https://www.target.com/p/wakeman-fitness-folding-pedal-exerciser-with-electronic-display/-/A-52269725?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Sports%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Sports&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9016939&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwbzU8IeS7AIVEfDACh2VPgR6EAQYBCABEgIt3_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Rehabs have larger, more stable ones, but the lightweight one can be used at home. It'll help her exercise and build strength in her arms and legs. Dad put on a favorite CD, then worked out right in his chair.
I hope your MIL is able to get past the current complications, have her surgery, and heal well once in rehab.
Good luck and best wishes to you and your family.
The latest "test" results prompted new doc to recommend that drug. I was able to get TWO previous test results from the old provider and despite it being 10+ years, my numbers either haven't changed OR became better, without taking that stuff.
Knowing about it and how it needs to be taken, it also allowed me to decline it for a cat who had ideopathic hypercalcemia (unknown cause, we tested the known ones.) I was actually able to cure him by eliminating DRY food (I offered both canned and dry to my cats. After that, I eliminated dry food for all of them, and managed to clear up some "intestinal" issues too! Given that it should be taken first thing in the morning, with a full glass of water, and you remain upright for at least 1/2 hour, how do you accomplish THAT with a cat??? Esp one who is VERY hard to handle, never got the memo on "scruffing" and would probably have scratched my face off before we were done!! (scruffing here is generally just grasping the scruff area and it sort of makes them immobile, just not him!)
NEVER will that stuff (or the other brands) cross my lips! Best you can do for osteoporosis is get walking, exercise, etc., and eat right (I added D3 daily for myself.)
See All Answers