I’m in Montreal for the week to give my sister a much-needed break. In addition to her full-time job, she’s been taking care of my mother whose back issues have worsened. The pain is apparently so great that she can barely move and, when she does move, it’s a struggle. Things got so bad that she was in the hospital for a week as the doctors attempted to figure out he rpain management. I flew in on Monday fully expecting to spend 11-hour-days at the hospital – so Akemi packed me two bento boxes large enough to feed a family of four for days. BUT, the day before my arrival, my mother chose to discharge herself. In retrospect, perhaps not the right call since the pain management has still to be worked out.
Back home, I have a standing desk and do most of my writing – hell, even all of my zoom calls – standing. We take Sharky out for four walks and we hit the gym every night where I hit the treadmill for an hour. Obviously no standing desk here and, given my mother’s situation, I can’t really even go out for a walk. So I’ve been doing a lot of sitting since I got into town. Also, my diet has been…somewhat lacking. Back home, I do a lot of kefir. Akemi always pushes 2-3 veggies on me at lunch. And dinner is usually a couple of free-range eggs and some yogurt with fruit, all before 6:00 p.m. Here it’s late lunches and late big dinners. I dread weighing myself when I get back home.
Well, here’s hoping mom sees some improvement as she adjusts to her latest medley of meds.
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Gentle hugs to Mrs. Mallozzi, as adjunct therapy to her meds and warm /cold packs. Tried a TENS unit (Google it) yet?
Hoping your mom finds the best cocktail of pain meds. My mom stayed on her one pain medication until she died. It worked for her and she didn’t have trouble with dizziness or upset stomach. She died from an unrelated swallowing problem. So she managed well enough. She had a doctor specifically for the pain drug. That was always interesting going to that clinic. Lots of people out there in chronic pain for various reasons.
Having you in town will make her feel better too! Glad Andria is getting a break. Praying for good results. Hang in there Andria and Joe!
(You got a nearby Walmart or any grocery store? Maybe you could order on line and have it delivered pretty quickly?)
Hey, get her a wheelchair and you can both go out for a walk…
My Dad has degenerative disc disease, along with a couple other chronic spine issues. He’s had at least 5 separate surgeries to fuse, insert metal cages, & remove ruptured discs that ended up resting on his spinal cord. He’s 77 now, & his doctor told him last year that there’ll be no more surgeries… he’s too old & won’t do well under anesthesia… so it’s been all about managing his constant pain. It’d gotten so bad that Dad couldn’t even function (he’s STILL working as a school psychologist, although part time), so he & his doc discussed next measures.
Dad had an outpatient procedure where his doctor implanted a device that produces an electrical signal directly to the nerve constantly broadcasting agony, & the signal essentially blocks the nerve from broadcasting to the brain. The device has a super-thin wire threaded directly into the affected nerve, & the device is located under Dad’s skin. It has a battery life of 10 years, & he has a remote to be able to adjust the strength of the electrical impulse.
He’s now 99% pain-free, thank goodness. I don’t know if this implant would be a good option for your Mom, but it’s been an absolute blessing for my Dad… especially since he was adamant that he will not take opioids, as he’s a recovering alcoholic.
I hope your Mom & her doctor(s) find a pain solution for her soon. Gentle hugs from down here in Baltimore.
Wow, that’s really interesting. Will look into this. Thanks!
My SIL has that implant! It works great but she had to find a dr on her insurance plan to replace the battery last year. The implant helped her reduce her morphine level.
Your Dad must be a tough to keep working!
Heh… I wouldn’t say that my Dad’s a tough anything… more like he’s a stubborn bugger who tries to deny the problem until it smacks him dead-on the face. 😉
I hope your sister-in-law’s been having the same kind f pain relief as. my Dad. He never really looked & definitely never acted his age until a year & a half ago. It’s been really distressing for me to see him age so rapidly… constant pain does such horrible things to us.
Much love and prayers to mama Angela.
Very much hope she feels some relief soon.
I’m sorry you’re mom isn’t feeling well. I hope they can find a medication that will help. Are you keeping her supplied with hot/cold packs? Those really help me.
Is your mom up to a Twilight Zone review?
Good luck keeping up with everything and you’re a good son for being there!
🤞🏻🍀🙏🏻
Alas, my mom is not a TZ fan.
BTW, I’m heading to my mom’s house tomorrow. Her foot is swelling up and she’s been laughing it off. “Mom, you have diabetes and this could be serious.” She is slowly changing from parent to child. She’s worked hard all of her life, so maybe she deserves the break.
When my MIL got cancer, my hubby had to take over her medical decisions (I took over her finances) . The medications made her …. childlike. My hubby would literally have to tell his mom that she couldn’t get married until she was better. She went around saying her dad was keeping her from her boyfriend. (she reconnected with an ex) The child/parent relationship morphed in her mind to a parent/child one. That was very rough on him.
My hubby was the only child she had that was stable enough to help. It’s a blessing you have a sibling you can rely.
Please let your Mom know that she has fans out here! I would love to see her make another cooking video, when she’s able.
Thanks, Tam.
This is my sister–child-like. I have to talk to her like she is a child sometimes but when I saw her in 2023, you know I wasn’t sure if she was going to make it at all, and then she had hallucinations. It was like she was truly talking to someone or somethings and at some point, I thought to myself–maybe they aren’t hallucinations. Maybe she sees angels. She was very close to having died from exposure to the cold for an unknown amount of time.
Good luck and beat wishes to your mother
Oh Joe–I’m sorry to hear of this. I’m glad Andria is getting a break. Akemi has you eating some awesome stuff there. Just know that when you get back, you’ll be able to get back into a groove. I guess there are always some exercise moves you could do just standing up close to her. Please let your mom know I send prayers to her and hope her pain gets under control. For a woman who is so used to doing lots of things, I can say with experience when one cannot do that, one becomes miserable–and takes it out on everything and everybody. (I speak from experience). Hugs to all.
Not sure if my last comment went through – it said “Nonce verification failed.”
Anyway, so sorry to hear about your mom. I hope she gets her pain regimen figured out soon and is feeling better! Give her our regards and let her know we’re thinking about her.
Nonce?