Medical world

It is a new thing for me to be dealing with doctors, medications and physical illness close up (via my Mom). I am amazed at the way the patient's body and balance are manipulated through the medications that the doctors add in and take out with abandon. One minute medication A is okay. The next medication B is the one. Mom's primary physician did not list her tamoxifin (post breast cancer and prescribed by the surgeon that she is supposed to take for life) on his meds list so every time she's in the hospital she doesn't get it.

Doctors talk in percentages and measurements. They do tests. Even vets do nowadays. They take ex-rays, cat scans and poor mom endures a blood draw almost every day. Her veins are very difficult to get into, yet she never complains.

Why the heck do they need all this blood? Rhetorical question. Being a doctor's daughter and coming from a scientific family background, I know the logical, left-brained answer to this. They take the blood to navigate manipulating the medications. But I'm sorry, I find it absurd. I can't see myself enduring it being done on my body without protest.

Mom moves from one physical trauma to another, yet through it all she keeps a good spirit and will to heal. She believes in the healing powers of doctors and medicine so these are things she chooses and wants. I know medicine helps a lot of people.

I guess for my personal self, I have been blessed to have no chronic illness and/or acute illnesses although as a child I once died of a hemmorhage. So I have rarely dealt with doctors. And when I do I often do not follow their advice. Why am I on no meds at the age of 62? One reason is that fact-- I rarely go to doctors. I am sure if I did they'd find something about me that needed medication. But then again if my doctor looked like this dude above.........:)

I do care for my health by going to a homeopathic nurse practitioner, an herbalist, getting massages, eating relatively well and moderately (I've weighed 110 lbs for years), practicing yoga daily and almost daily walks. I also make my own herbal tinctures and teas from medicinal herbs I grow or wildcraft (only for myself, of course.) So maybe I have this attitude about my own health care because I have no illnesses, knock on wood.

I am happy for Mom to make her own health choices and would never impose my ideas on her or anyone else. We must each choose our own paths health-wise and otherwise. I think I'm just finding it difficult to be somewhat "responsible" for Mom's wellbeing and healthcare and unsure sometimes what the best direction to go in is. Of course, my brother is involved too and he is the health care proxy so his view carries more weight than mine but so far we have agreed it's up to mom to determine what is best in most circumstances. Although we have to step in in acute illness times as the ill person is not necessarily thinking clearly or seeing the bigger picture.

Lambert Eaton Syndrome, Lyme disease and old age

At last, my sister-in-law, who has had difficulty talking and walking for 4 months, has a diagnosis. Lambert Eaton Syndrome. Diagnosis is thanks to the wonderful doctors at Dartmouth-Hitchcock hospital. This is a rare disease that sometimes precedes cancer but not always. Cancer, if there, is often diagnosed in the following two years from onset of the symptoms. Most likely Nora will not be able to drive again and will have to do physical therapy for the rest of her life in order to hobble around with a walker.

Part of the issue is Nora has no health insurance and no income. The burden of care rests on my brother. He also cares for my mom, but has had no time to go over and visit her recently.

Thus mom is feeling depressed and lonely with little human contact. Of course, services can be set up and when I was up there last August I ferreted out a number of services for Mom and Dad (who was still alive then) but most of them my folks refused. My brother is too burned out to seek out services and/or insist that Mom utilize them.

Years ago when Dad's mom was needing more care my folks sold their house and moved into my gram's house. They added an apartment on for Gram to live in. A nice little apartment with a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom and living room with a large window overlooking the pond across the street. My folks took over Gram's house, where Dad had grown up, and remodeled the kitchen area.

This worked for some years till Gram broke her hip and could no longer walk without assistance, at which time she moved into a nursing home.

Now, if I moved in with my mom under a similar setup I wouldn't feel so squished. What mom proposes is to squish me into Dad's vacant bedroom which is about 8 by 10. And dark. All my household things and craft work materials would be squished into a damp garage. Mom isn't willing to release any of the other space in her home to me. I can use it of course, but it will be her things and her way.

I haven't got the money to build mom an apartment. So, I'm thinking I need to say to her that I want some of the other space too. I want to unpack my handmade dishes, my books (move Dad's books from the bookcase and put mine into it) and so forth. If she doesn't buy this idea then that's that. I can rent my own place nearby to Mom or just let go of the idea of fixing Mom's loneliness and get on with my life. Or maybe there are other "or" options.

Meanwhile, my roommate is suffering from possibly Lyme Disease or maybe not. He can barely walk and is in great pain throughout his body. One minute he's lying in bed unable to move and the next he's driving from here to there, refusing my offers of driving him. This has been going on for several weeks or more. He's made 6 or more visits to the doctors, had a number of tests, had a number of diagnosis such as arthritis. But this pain can't just be arthritis.

I'm wondering about the fact that three people who are close to me can barely walk. I'm counting mom who makes it okay but is very slow and unsteady. Does this mean something???

Well, I don't know but knock on wood I'm okay.