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The BLIZZARD dumped two feet of snow. I live an hour away from mom. On Monday the snow plow came down her street. I found someone to shovel her house. Told them shovel driveway also. Therapist arranged for mom to get pain pills from doctor. She had them sent to drugstore five minutes drive from house. Brother had said he was going out later. I call mom to tell her. She says brother can't get car out. So I call doctor office to get pills transferred to place that delivers. The Secretary says she didn't know that doctor had prescribed pills yet. So I tell her to have prescription sent to pharmacy that delivers cause brother can't get out of house. Turns out doctor had sent prescription to drugstore down the street. They call therapist seven a clock at night to say no one came to pick up prescription. Don't know why pharmacy had her phone number. She calls me all upset, talking fast, raised voice. Why wasn't prescription picked up? I explained about brother not getting car out. And sending prescription to other place. When I said Walgreens she said shedding you send it to the one a few minutes from house ? Instead one 20 minutes away. I had to say the one close by doesn't deliver. Now I'm hoping the truck can make it to the house with the meds today. Mom has torn Roger cuff and lymphedema in same arm. She uses a walker. Brother won't help much.She is 89 and he won't even do the dishes or cook for her. She has been in extreme pain for weeks. Cause of kidney disease doctors wouldn't prescribe pain meds except over the counter. That don't work. I'm trying not to feel guilty about the delay in getting mom pain meds. I pray she gets the meds today.

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OTJenn, thanks for your answer as therapist. The rest of the answers are good, too.

I know how tricky medications can be when it comes to keeping up needed supplies. Since I live in a blizzard prone area, I have always had a mentality that I need to plan ahead for times when we can't get out.

Hadnuff, you've contributed so much to this community. I'm glad that you could vent your frustrations and I sincerely hope that you didn't let guilt get you down. No matter how well we plan, things beyond our control happen. That is life.
Even the most dedicated caregiver cannot always have everything prepared perfectly so that all bases are covered at all times.

I still remember times when I "failed" my loved ones and endure some guilt - followed by a nudge from my sister to take my own advice. We are not God. We do our best. In your case, as in most, everyone lived through it. Bless you for caring so much. Relax and move forward - and take care of the caregiver. Shove guilt out the door.
Carol
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Blizzards need a lot of advance planning. I live near Buffalo--nobody delivers anything in a blizzard. A drugstore a block away may as well be on the moon. A driving ban was likely in place as well, so NO driving means NO driving. Up here, we stock up on toilet paper and beer; you can survive for a week with only that on hand. It cleanses the kidneys and kills the pain.
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I agree that you need to relax on this one. Life happens. I am a therapist and do want my patients to get pain meds they need but never get involved in their delivery to this point. I feel families do their best, be it snow, work, life, and this is not my problem to solve. Icing is a great alternative, if a patient is able to manage using an ice pack or making one of frozen peas, etc. Elevation of the arm above the heart is also very helpful.
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Hadnuff; you did your best from afar, which is where you live. YOUR MOTHER won't make things better by moving someplace where there are professionals on staff and medication could be at hand, not have to be sent for. The fact that your mother could not get pain relief in the middle of a blizzard is NOT YOUR FAULT. Don't beat yourself up; the therapist doesn't know the back story.
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"I'm doing the best I can within the confines of a very dysfunctional family situation. If there's anything you can do to help, that would be lovely. My mother has been in pain for weeks now andvthe doctor has FINALLY decided to prescribe. If mom is in pain for another day, it's not an emergency. If it is, from your professional viewpoint, please call 911 and have mom taken to the ER, and have them call me".
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We can not control the weather!! I always try to remember to keep a few pills out of the prescriptions and keep back for such a emergency. If not used after so long--I take them and start all over again. This has been a bad year for extreme weather!! I personally wish that more pharmacies delivered prescriptions .If it's not a life threatening illness---we have to depend on GOD to take care of us until weather conditions clear up. I usually try and stay up more on the weather all year around when I'm on the computer! I have both AccuWeather, and TWC on my computer so I can check it out easier and stay ahead of it! I'm 72 and have to use a walker. I was also in a tornado back in 73'. Just pays to be more aware--I think anyway. I've always got enough food on hand to last at least a couple weeks.
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I think lots of people's plans were foiled and things gone without because of that blizzard... I agree, it's a good reminder about advance planning, I thought I'd done so but hadn't completely. Hope your mom is feeling better now!
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I would love her to keep working with mom. But Im waiting to find out if she can.
Friday she was to see mom but had to cancel her appointment. She fell and thought she broke part of her foot. She called me on the way to the doctors office. She is supposed to call tonight to tell me if she can go back to work on Monday. It is nice to feel like ther is someone else looking out for mom. And can help me get mom what she needs. Meds or her opinion if pain clinic might help. No to be completely alone in trying to help mom.
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Blizzard or not, the therapist is not sounding very professional.
Attempt to move through this & take the higher road.
YOU'LL WILL BE BETTER FOR IT.
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wwpwin, good idea about keeping a few pills on the side just in case... and keeping on hand at least a couple weeks worth of food :)

I stocked up Dad's place, even though he now lives in independent/assisted living and gets supper in the main dining room, he has to fend for himself for breakfast and lunch if his Caregivers can't make it in [and they didn't because of the blizzard]. Didn't want him to run out of milk, bread, toilet paper and especially Depends. He did ok. He was more interested in where was the daily newspaper.... priorities!
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