My 91yo mother is throwing up food and cannot eat anything for the past two days. There is mucous that pours out of her mouth and nose. We have given her some antihistamine cough pills (Nyquill) to alleviate some of this. She is in clear mind and keeps thanking everyone here and on the phone for all the years of support. We have to keep her on a portable toilet for half the day and on the bed for the other half. She is very weak. She has already talked to her doctor that she will not go in a hospital. We are doing what we can to keep her company.
My mother's condition started with a fall from her chair seven days ago. She could walk around the house using a wheeled walker before this. A sore leg with nothing broken has kept her on a wheel chair and on the bed. She was able to eat regular food till 2 days ago. Her stool is hard. Now her condition has worsened.
I am the only one in the family who can give my mother care full time. The other members come and go staying just a few hours. It seems to me her time is coming to an end.
It is understandable that your mom might not want any medical intervention. But at the same time, if she sustained a head injury, she might not be making the decision with full capacity for understanding the consequences of that decision. If you are certain that is not the case and that she did not hit her head when she fell, then ask her doctor to order a hospice evaluation for her, so at the very least you will have support and someone to communicate with about her condition during this time.
Have a temp? Have you taken her blood pressure? What did her dr suggest? You could ask him to send out home health to assess her situation. Hospice could also be called for an evaluation.
Your profile mentions stroke and heart condition. Was that recent? Is she resting at night? With only the fact that she's talking and has a lot of mucus, it sounds more like bad allergies. Is the mucus clear or are there signs of infection? Do you suspect a bowel obstruction? Has she suffered with constipation in the past?
If you have an urgent care facility that accepts Medicare I would consider that. They are quick and they can check her lungs for pneumonia and check her vitals and X-ray her abdomen and it's all done right away without a long wait.
I have used one twice with my 90 yr old aunt and it was great. I do not blame your mom for not wanting to go to the ER but you are a part of this scenario as well and if that is all that's available to you then you might have to call 911.
Give us a bit more info and someone may have better answers for you.
I agree with hospice or any medical evaluation to give HiBPGuy some direction. The mother doesn't want the hospital and HiBPGuy seemed inclined to comply. My intention was to suggest alternatives. Hopefully someone will be called in soon for the benefit of all concerned. There are so many variables.
Just to answer some of the questions asked here so it may help others in the same situation. My mother had a fall last year too, it resulted in sciatica of her left hip which lasted 4 months. We used a shiatsu type chair cushion massager that helped. But she needed to use a walker ever since to get around the house. I have had to help her in and out of the bath since then , otherwise she seem healthy for her age. She reads all day and got good rests and had no problem eating. Her stool has been on the hard side as I had to empty her portable toilet next to her bed. She urinates a couple of cups a day, sometimes dark sometimes light.
Since last weeks fall, she has a pain in her left thigh that makes it difficult to move her. We tried massage therapy which didn't help.
I don't think she suffered any concussion since she didn't hit her head. She can speak clearly. Yesterday after eating dinner, she threw up everything and lots of mucous was coming out of her nose and mouth. Today she couldn't even keep water down. Every time she ate or drank mucous would start choking her. I would have to pat her back till she could breath again. At the moment she is resting uncomfortably. With her stomach empty, the mucous seems to have stopped. But she is very very weak.
I hope she gets some comfort care and that you have some support of family as you go through this with her.
Does she have heart failure - I understand that can cause severe mucous
Our bodies start wearing out as soon as we are fully developed, and by 90 most of us do show the wear and tear. Lots of stuff that is wrong with us can't really be fixed. I understand your mother's attitude about not going to a hospital. But for your sake as well as hers, I'm glad she will be evaluated.
Depending on the results of the evaluation, do discuss hospice with your mother. It may or may not be appropriate right now, but she sounds like a person who would prefer comfort care in her own home than lots of medical intervention, when the time does come. Discussing it when it isn't urgent may be a good preparation for later.
Are you giving her painkillers, by the way? They can cause constipation, depending on the type.
Another thing is, if your Mom is taking any Narcotic pain meds, they can definitely "stop you up", and can even cause a bowel obstruction, if she is new to taking them, or if her dosage has been increased, due to the pain. This can also cause vomiting.
One other thing you mentioned, was that you have Mom sitting on the toilet, or portable toilet half the day. Sitting on the toilet for extended periods of time, can cause a "pinching of the nerves" in her buttocks, which could cause her legs to go numb, and go to sleep, and further puts her at a greater fall risk. I've even had that happen to me, after prolonged sitting on the toilet!
The foamy mucus does sound like potential heart failure symptoms, so her heart and lungs should be checked out as well!
It sounds like you have a lot on your plate, in the care of your Mom, and I'm so sorry this is happening to you both! At 90 years old, there are so many systems that are slowing down and declining. Caring for parents is a lot of work, so remember to take care of you!
Did your mom make it to the hospital? How did things go today?
Thank you for your last post. Let us hear how your mom is feeling and how you are managing.
I'm glad she made it through her surgery and thanks for letting us know. Please encourage her to go for the rehab. It's amazing how much it can help.
She's been through so much - poor thing - it's amazing how strong the spirit is