Mom currently lives in assisted living. Mom went to the ER yesterday because she couldn't get out of her recliner. She said she "couldn't make her leg work." So, after a battery of tests including blood work, X-ray of foot and ultrasound of leg (to rule out blood clot), the hospital determined there's nothing wrong with her foot and all other vitals and blood work looks good so she can be released to rehab care. Also, she sat in a wet depends for so long that she had a scorching diaper rash and the hospital was alarmed at this. They kept her overnight for observation, mainly because she couldn't get placed into a rehab facility. She wants to go home. She has done the rehab thing before and hates it. Not the therapy itself but the skilled nursing environment. I also want her to go home but right now she can't put weight on the foot. She can't walk to the bathroom or any distance without pain. If her foot is not broken, what could be wrong with it? I asked them about gout and they say it does't look like that and are not even interested in testing for it. It came on overnight. So, one day she was fine, the next day she has ankle/foot pain that is so bad she cannot walk. Do I ask for another doctor consult? My plan today is to ask for a physical therapy consult and see if they can get her on her feet. If she can manage, I'm going to insist she go home. If she cannot manage walking with her walker I guess she will have to go to rehab. She is able to change her Depends by herself but if she is in pain I can see how she would prefer not to get up and will just sit in a wet Depends. At her assisted living place, they will wheel her to meals but they won't take her to the restroom and change her Depends. What should I do?
My foot was x-rayed, negative. A year later my ANKLE was x-rayed after a fall, and there was the "old fracture" on the other side of my ANKLE. Having been sent home with pain killers, (not good for me), I have always wondered how many x-rays, how many body parts x-rayed would it take to get a proper diagnosis....and treatment.
Recalling Dmanbro's mother was sent to rehab and screamed in pain when physical therapy was tried...this went on for quite awhile....as many thought she was faking. Turns out she had a broken pelvis.
Advising an orthopedist consult to discover the fracture; and determine if she has ostopenia causing bones to break and get that treated. Request consult while she is still in the hospital,
if it is not too late. imo. imo.
If she has a stress fracture, it might not show up on the x-ray (unless it gets worse). Those are painful and are usually treated by babying the foot -- plenty of rest, keeping weight off that foot. So if that's what's causing her pain, rehab will not help her foot. (Though doing PT exercises for her strength might be beneficial, especially if she's not getting around much.)
Your poor mom! Was she pretty mobile before this happened?
Immobilize it?
Guessing not.....
Insist on, advocate for a second opinion.
You or others may ask why this is important if she has alzheimers...it is important.
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