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.
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.
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