Menopause Matters Forum
General Discussion => This 'n' That => Topic started by: honeybun on April 16, 2013, 01:49:19 PM
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Most of you know I have a bit of a love/drive me up the wall relationship with my mother.
Anyway....two weeks ago she had a bout of self inflicted food poisoning due to eating a tub of creamed rice which was 2 months out of date. The sickness and diahorea lasted a few hours and then passed.
She has not bounced back this time and looks terrible. We had the GP out and he gave her the all clear and her stool test came back clear.
Is it possible that she is just still recovering or what.
She is having terrible night sweats and is so tired all the time.
Her walking is dreadful and I am so concerned she will fall.
Don't know where we are going with this.
Should we get the doctor back or do we just need to accept at nearly 91 she is just done and there will be no great improvement.
Any words of wisdom ladies.
Honeyb
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So sorry to hear that your Mums not too well :(
I think if she usually recovers well from illness and this is unusual for her, yes, I would definitely contact the Dr again.
Hope she is feeling more like her own self again soon.
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Every time now that she has any kind of illness she does not seem to get back to where she was. There is always a deterioration, but this time it is really quite shocking to see how weak she is and how there is not even a little improvement.
Not sure if the GP could do anything for her.
Has anyone else experienced this with a very elderly relative.
Honeyb
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I think I would contact her GP again - just to be on the safe side. Food poisoning (among other things) are always so much worse in the very young or the elderly....
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Has she gone back to eating properly, or is she now picking at food (this often happens after such a bout, especially in the elderly). If she isn't eating properly (and please understand I'm trying to suggest solutions here, not trying to make your life harder - I know you work very hard for your Mum anyway), can you try to tempt her with high-calorie, easy to eat food (full-fat ice-cream, full-fat milk desserts, etc) or try fortified milk-shakes.
Appetite drops off dramatically as people age anyway - an upset stomach will only make this worse.
I hope your Mum improves soon x
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If these are a new symptom then the night sweats should ring a bell with her GP. Could be thyroid linked? Maybe a chat with the Practice Nurse and ask if the District Nursing Team would go in for a chat with your Mum?
Of course you are worried. Our wrinklies can go down hill so fast once they have had an illness, it takes longer for their systems to pick up again.
Have you been able to chat with the GP since his visit? Has your Mum told him about the night sweats?
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Did he check her temperature?
They do take a long time to get better. My mum is the same. She will get there.
Hopefully she hasn't got dehydrated with all this? X ;)
My mum recently had a stomach bug too. Shes not quite right yet either. She tends to eat M & S cumberland pies, salmon etc. She also likes magnum ice creams.
A lot of chatting going on CLKD ;D x
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Did he run some blood tests as well as testing the stool sample Honeybun? As she has had sickness and diarrhoea before which was not related to food poisoning could it be that she has got something else going on? The night sweats definitely sound like some kind of low grade infection.
Taz x
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She has had the night sweats off and on for years so the GP does know about them.
She did have bloods done and they all came back fine so not sure what else they could check for.
She is eating although she never eats much. Her appetite has shrunk over the years.
Maybe she is just taking such a long while to get better because she is so old.
I don't want to live to her age.....It's so not fun any more.
Fingers crossed that she picks up just a little bit.
Honeyb
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After a bug sometimes the taste buds alter. We 'taste' with our tongues and nasal passages so maybe something smelly or spicy might perk up her appetite? Certainly if the cat was off his/her food then it was popped into the microwave - food bowl not the cat ::) - to bring out the 'scent' of the food.
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Well a bit of an update.
We had the nurse in on Monday to do bloods.
She is worse. Waiting now for the test results before calling in the doctor again. There did not seem much point until then.
She is so week and has been sick again. She looks terrible. So white and drawn and her eyes are very sunken. I have never ever seen her look like this. She can't walk now without holding onto a walking frame.
I am really worried.
Don't know what's going on at all.
Honeyb
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They don't seem to have resistance do they. However much she drives you and your sister 'up the wall' it would be nice to know what is going on! C.dif. or something?
:hug:
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Oh I don't know CLKD.
She is disappearing before my eyes.
Honeyb
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How long before the results are returned? What blood tests did the Nurse do?
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Not sure what the tests the GP requested.
The usual I would think.....liver, kidney, blood count.
Sis will call tomorrow for results but I think it will be Thursday.
Honeyb
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Sorry to hear about your Mum's illness Honeybun.
My Mum is great for 82 but she does not recover well from illness and episodes. Each time she deteriorates a little.
It does sound as if something is still working on your Mum. I hope it is a virus and nothing serious.
Perhaps consider a good probiotic she can take when she starts to recover - and give her gastric system a hand to recover fully.
Thinking of you.
Fx
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Im sorry your mums so porely
I too think maybe somehting more maybe the bug virus what ever it was hasnt totaly gone
In her run down state her age its bound to hit like a ton of bricks
Hoping you get some sort of answers with the results
God bless take care huge HUGS XXXXXXXX
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So sorry to read this HB. How is your mum today? Food poisoning is always worse for the very young and the very old. Hope you get some help when the blood tests come back.
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Oh HB sorry to hear this. Hope you get to the bottom of it soon. Stomachs of the elderly can be quite delicate at the best of times without having had food poisoning too. My mum and also my FIL would eat food in the house without paying attention to the dates.
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The blood tests have come back clear. I did ask about potassium and sodium levels as suggested (thanks Taz) and they are fine too.
It is good news but what is wrong that is causing the night sweats occasional sickness and extreme weakness.
Still going to get the GP in but whether he can come up with something who knows.
I would rather the bloods had shown up something that could be fixed.
Her quality of life is not great to be honest. She has only been out once in weeks and that was just to my sister's house.
What now ?
Honeyb
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Very sorry to hear this Honeybun. Did they check her urine - wondering whether she has a urine infection.
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Hi HB, I'm sorry that the frailties of age are causing your Mum and you difficulty. Just know that I think you are one terrific daughter and she has been one very fortunate Mum.
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Urine and stool samples were done last week....all ok.
Thanks Trey.
Think I may have to accept its just old age. After all the body must be getting tired after nearly 91 years.
Honeyb
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Maybe needs some further investigations done, I'm meaning like scans or xrays in case she has some kind of obstruction. She can't go on like that, it'll be wearing her out and you too I expect.
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Could it be 'nature' ? why does a person have to have a medical problem? I think we need to remember to keep our loved ones pain free, warm and comfy. Once the GP has been to visit you will know more. Have a :hug:
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............................... Just know that I think you are one terrific daughter and she has been one very fortunate Mum.
Hear hear!
Fx
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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I agree with Trey, I think you're a star.
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Back at mum's today. For someone who is poorly there is nothing wrong with her tongue.
She still manages to find many things for me to do.
It was quite a nice morning so I had her walking in the back garden for 5 mins.
I thought some fresh air would not do her any harm.
The doctor is coming on Friday. I hope he can suggest something to stop the night sweats. Apart from the fact they wear her out I am shattered stripping the bed every other day.
One has to have clean sheets you know.
;D
Honeyb
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::)
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oh dear HB. Though you do seem to have found some humour in the situation, which is good :)
Hope dr visit is productive.
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Night sweats can be caused by anaemia (as well as the menopause) - but presumably as your Mum's bloods have been checked then she should have been screened for this too (?) Hope she is feeling better soon x
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GP is coming this morning.
I have a couple of days off as I have covered for sis so she could do some stuff so not back till Sunday.
It will be nice just to have a little break because it's pretty full on just now and it does make me tired.
I have googled night sweats as a symptom but there are so many causes.
Honeyb
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Enjoy the break HB, you certainly deserve it :bighug:
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Enjoy the break Honeyb.
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Feet up, cuppa and Very Good Book?
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GP has heard something wrong in her chest. She is to go for an X-Ray.
She has anti biotic and he wants another urine sample tested.
Steps forward perhaps.
Honeyb
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Hopefully the X-ray will be performed during next week so that the results are through sooner rather than later. At least he is giving your Mum anti-biotic 'cover' ......... how is her tummy?
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Her tummy seems to be ok at the moment. It comes out of the blue. One minute ok and then the next she is sick. It's as if her stomach just rejects food. She will be sick once and that's generally it.
She will go for the x Ray next week but the results are always slow.
Hope it's nothing sinister.
How can she have a chest infection without a cough.
Honeyb
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Easy. Infections can settle into the lungs causing non-specific signs i.e. no cough but still cause enough mucos irritation to be problematic. You could ring her GP next week if you are worried? and ask the question. Would you prefer to know what else he is looking for so that you can have time to absorb any bad news?
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Thanks CLKD.....I did not know that.
Nope don't want to know.....Just take things as they come....no sense in having more sleepless nights than I have to. She had an x Ray last year when she had a compression fracture in her spine....that's when they picked up the enlarged heart. It may be nothing more than an infection in which case the ABs should sort it.
I know this sounds terrible but we want her well for sis and I to get away on our hols. We go different weeks but if she,was unwell neither of us would be happy to leave the other to manage. We don't go far away so we can vet back home quickly if needed.
Honeyb
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Will they xray her chest only HB or will they check further down too, ie her tummy area? Or does that sound like a really silly question.
Brother and I had similar problem one year with our mum regarding holidays. Brother managed to find her a nice care home for respite care so we knew she'd be looked after. Would that be an option maybe?
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Just chest X-Rays I think.
I would love her to go into respite care. It would really take the strain off. I even found one that would take her and the dog.....it was lovely.
That idea went down like a lead balloon. I told her it would be a holiday for her too but true to form anything I suggest gets shot down.......now if my sister were to suggest it it would be different. My sis has got a bit of the martyr about her and is a committed Christian. We could not be more different if we tried.
Having a very Christian sister can be very wearing......especially when I know what she is really like.... :-X
Honeyb
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Suggest it to your sister.
After, she has looked after your mum for a couple of days........
Remember to remind her you are feeling like ****** at the moment.
Wouldn't do any harm to remind your mum either.
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Have spoken to big sis......She has the X-Ray card. GP has asked for three different things to be looked for.
She can't make out his writing so we don't know. She said he looked a bit concerned......of course she could be wrong.
Anyone any idea what he could be looking for.
Honeyb
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As you said, you want to face things as they come. Could you and your sister visit with the GP next week? I could suggest issues that would be on an X-ray form but I could be very wrong.
As for the respite issue, I'm afraid that I would be seriously looking around. For full nursing care, in case she requires 24/7 ....... there will be Christian Care Homes but not necessarily in your area, now is the time to start looking. If you are feeling low and if your sister goes 'down with something': one can only care for another if one is healthy themselves! Or are there groups that could provide over-n ight stay care?