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My mom had a fall in the garden on 8/8 and only had a cracked left pelvis. But 4 weeks later she pushed to go to get groceries, a long process of 3 stores and 2 1/2 - 3 hours of standing/shopping. So she wound up with a hurt right heel and sat out on of the stores. She finally realized that part of her foot was swelling and started putting ice on it. It's been 12 days, and she refuses to go to the orthopedist. Meanwhile, that means that I am responsible for not only all my work I do for them, but also everything else she would be doing, which includes all her flowers and garden. If I knew what was wrong, I could deal with this, but she is very stubborn and thinks that what she reads from a medical book should be good enough for helping it get better. Any ideas about how to get her to the doctor?

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I've written here many times that when I needed my dad to take some responsibility for his own health I used a "help me help you" approach. I would tell him that it would really help me if he would (fill in the blank). Because I was his caregiver he wanted to make my job as easy as possible so I would tell him what would make my job easier would be for him to (again, fill in the blank).

If you're work is now doubled because your mom is sitting and icing her foot she needs to help you and do her part, i.e. go to the Dr. and get that foot thing figured out. You can't keep doing the work of 2 people while your mom sits around waiting for the swelling to go down. Tell her that you need her help, you need her to go see the Dr.

Swelling should go down in 48 hours. At 12 days she needs a Dr. pronto. Any medical book she can get her hands on will tell her that.
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charmin, don't think you are responsible for doing all of her work around the house. Yes, help out on certain things, but limit it, otherwise you Mom will continue to sit with an ice pack every day, knowing you will do everything.

Forget the garden, it will still be there after your Mom's foot is back to normal and she can enjoy going back out and tending the garden.
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So after 12 days is it getting steadily better, getting steadily worse, or about the same? Because unless she is certain that there is gradual improvement, what is she waiting for? For her foot to drop off?

E/lass's approach sounds great to me, except that I'm sorry to say it doesn't work on my particular mother - who agrees vigorously that she wants to help, then does as she pleases all the same. If your mother is also a bit like that, how about calling the orthopedist yourself, asking whether s/he thinks your mother needs to be seen, and then quoting the professional advice back to your mother? It's a racing certainty you'll get instructions to make an appointment, and this would be especially helpful if the ortho. gives you dire warnings about what might happen if this foot doesn't get checked over asap.
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Tell her it's OK she can do nothing and it will be a very simple amputation. Let her think about that. Then go out to lunch without doing the chores.
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Geez, I'd call 911, leave the house and let them evaluate.
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