Spinal Wedge Fracture!
Hi Gang,
So we found out my sisters back pain stems from a low back spinal wedge fracture. Honestly, I’m so disappointed in her past hospital teams for ignoring her complaints as we could have had info on this months ago! Please be your own advocate. Do not
Let them Ignore you!!
So now, back pain is intense and adding a difficult layer to her end stage breathing. She’s talking final exit which scares me, although I understand.
I don’t know what to do now? Thoughts? Suggestions?
Last night she cried and said maybe it’s hospice time…
I’m setting up labs, bone density, and an orthopedic fir asap.
New pulmonologist this Thursday for any second viewpoints.
Meanwhile, as her caregiver- my new hip is in! 2nd day!!! Doing well, trying to rest and care for myself so
I can once again be ready to care for her needs. 💓🙏
Hi
. Yay for the new hip! This next two weeks will likely be the hardest, but you should be up and walking in no time. As I am sure you know, you can't take care of your sister unless you take care of yourself first. So, please take excellent care of yourself. It wouldn't hurt to talk to hospice if your sister is interested in learning more. She might find it's not time for that yet, but it might also give her comfort to know more about when she might want to sign on for hospice and what they can do for her. Hopefully, the tests will lead to treatments that will ease her pain and hopsice won't be necessary just yet. What has her pulmonologist said about pain relief? Is there anything she can take that won't severely comprimise her ability to breathe? This must be so hard for you. As always, we are here when you need us. - Lori (Team Member) Hi there! So…
Sister had a CT scan done yesterday which revealed she has two compression fractures in thoracic spine which is causing her intense pain forcing her to take pain meds on time daily. So now, I’m trying to push the ortho to see her asap but of course the office staff cares less, nor understands she has copd4 and how this back situation is severely impacting her breathing. So frustrating!!!!! As I feel better each day or so, I’m inclined to jump up to help my sis which isn’t great for my recovery, but I can’t help it. I hate hearing her moan all day… And you know, she needs help with lots of little things all the time. Initially, I had a caregiver here 24-7 but now only every other day for a few hours. The caregiver comes from my insurance, my sisters won’t cover it. She’s not supposed to care for my sister… but the gal has been very kind to help
us both. We found an out of pocket helper to drive her to dr appointments but it sure adds up! We asked her new pulmonologist about lung transplant and now she needs all the tests done again to see if she even qualifies, but with her back so bad, getting to appointments is so difficult plus, there’s no way she can do pulmonary rehab or sons of the other requirements one would need to agree to to be on the list of qualified. Oy!!!! So, we keep trucking along. One foot in front of the other. 🙏I can't even imagine how she would have handled this situation on her own or with your support from so many miles away. I am glad you invited her to move in with you. Thank you for resisting that urge to get up and help. You need time to recover if you want to be there for her. Would her insurance cover home health as opposed to a private caregiver for just a few hours a week? Most insurance companies cover it with a referral from a doctor. With the spinal fractures, she should at least qualify for help bathing or showering and dressing. I hope she can get help with her fractures and that she is a candidate for a lung transplant. How wonderful that would be! Stay strong emotionally so you can become strong physically again. Thinking of you as always. - Lori (Team Member)
