|
|
QUESTION: The nurse that comes to check on my mother came by today with new
supplies and to check also on my wound care of the bed sores. I was
told they look good. The nurse also did something I never thought of
mentioning, the measurement of the more serious bed sore (there is
just two now). The serious bed sore is on my mothers left thigh where
the leg makes that crease between the ass and the leg. It is 1 1/2
inchs long by 1 3/4 inchs wide and 2 inchs DEEP (For you metric types
out there, thats 4 cm by 4.5 cm by 5.2 cm). And the nurse says things
are looking better....
The nurse also used a term to describe the dead flesh that hangs in
'strands' and 'chunks' to the wound. I've been obsessing over the
term. She called it *Necrotic Tissue*. It creeps me out. My mother
has an appointment on Monday to see a surgical clinic and have them
cut the tissue out - so that I don't have to do it.
The nurse made mention of other pleasantries such as using maggots in
wound care to 'eat' the dead flesh, and leechs in use to keep swelling
down naturally - Not that she recommended this, just commented in
passing. Joy.
Lastly, she gave her professional opinion that my mother belongs in a
skilled nursing facility. She even explained how to get in to one
with limited income - and let the state cover it. Nifty loop holes.
The problem is that my family wants her to move to one of these SNF's
in Michigan (were all my family lives - I am in California), and they
are all trying to convince me that I should move back too. I don't
want to, but my mother is playing up the guilt trip that if she moves
and I don't, she is afraid she'll never see me again. She also wants
me to move back. I've had enough...I just want to crawl under rock
and try to believe I sprung from the Earth and that I don't have a
mother.
ANSWER: Well, look at it from her point of view. She's helpless. You're the
only one she's been able to depend on. What if she went to a nursing
home and they were mean to her, and nobody came to visit her? Limited
income patients don't have nearly the leverage they would if they had
money. Of _course_ she's afraid to give you up.
You could probably make the transition easier for her with an extended
visit. Of course, things might not work out for her there, and it's
plain she can't move home again. It's hard to move to a different
nursing home if you don't like the first one. This could turn out very
well for her, and yet it must seem risky and scary.
She has property where you are that needs to be looked after, right?
Would you want to live where you are now and go to school and work, or
something? I got the impression she owned the house, if it's rented
then that's irrelevant. Anyway, things are starting to get sorted out.
There's a reasonable chance that she'll get better care than you could
provide, and you'll get a lot of freedom. If you're up to easing her
transition that would be nice but she probably can't demand it of you.
|
|
|
|
