SOME SUFFERINGS COMMON TO THE FACT OF BEING NON MOBILE (Fifth of a series)

 The FEARFUL condition of IMPACTION! 

Over the past year, I have suffered some episodes of a near fecal impaction which I do not wish on anyone because it is not only unpleasantly scary but also, downright embarrassing if the help of a caregiver has to be required.

Getting impacted as I have experienced it,  means not being able to push out the feces, accumulated at the end of the intestines, which can become dry and hard making it very difficult for the colon to expel from the body using its normal contraction process.

People like me that have lost the ability to walk and cannot do exercises  —not even move around— are easy subjects of suffering constipation which in turn, can easily become 'impaction.' From my personal experience I can tell you that I can notice how the process starts developing; I can detect where in my intestine the mass is building up. Luckily, these experiences also have given me some knowledge in the matter and now I know some steps that help me achieve a somewhat decent bowel movement. And I will share them with you:

* I try to observe a regular schedule of going to the bathroom

* I am conscientious to drink the recommended quota of liquids

* I pay attention to eating enough nutrients

* I pay attention to eating enough fiber

* I pay close attention to the effects the medication I take has on my bowel function.

* Even though I am a quadriplegic I force myself to do some abdominal intestine exercises which are as follows: pull the stomach in as much as possible —count at loud from 1 to 8 as slowly as you can— let your stomach go. Repeat 3 consecutive times 3 times a day.

Everybody is different, so is up to each one of us to find out what our bodies need. Listen to your body. Some bodies do not need to go #2 every day, others do. Some bodies need different nutrients and vitamins. But if we pay attention to ourselves we will be able to decipher our needs.

Now, an important device that I recommend to every handicapped person is an electric bidet seat. It not only helps to keep the person clean but also provides an option that allows to irrigate the anal passage and stimulate the colon.

 

SOME SUFFERINGS COMMON TO THE FACT OF BEING NON MOBILE (Fourth of a series)

 The ever-present fears of pressure ulcers! 

                                                     Credit: Science Photo Library

Wheelchair ulcers, bed ulcers, and other types of ulcers commonly called 'decubitus' ulcers are produced by excessive pressure on the skin or its tissues. This pressure constrains the blood vessels that are in charge of carrying blood to the cells, causing the cells to starve and consequently die. Once the cell dies a lesion is formed. Technically, this condition is called 'ischemia'. A condition, that should be highly feared by patients and their caregivers.

Unfortunately, this problem is frequent in patients that suffer from lack of mobility or even rigidity. Particularly, persons that cannot change position by themselves or those who have lost sensibility or the ability to complain.

Although lack of mobility is usually the main reason patients get sores, there are some other reasons such as:

* Not being careful to change position; it is recommended a person be changed position every 3 or 4 hours.

* Not eating an adequate diet. If the tissues do not get the necessary nutrition, they become fragile.

* Incontinence; it increments the risk of getting sores because it adds to the humidity factor.

* Lack of hygiene. Sweat, remainders of urine or excrement, easily burn the skin, especially the sensitive skin of the disabled or old people.

It is VERY important to understand the need to take steps to prevent these problems. Following is a link from the National Library of Medicine that I highly recommend reading:https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000147.htm

  

                                      

SOME SUFFERINGS COMMON TO THE FACT OF BEING NON MOBILE (Third of a series) NERVE ILLNESS THAT LASTS A LONG TIME

 So, ever since I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy over 20 years ago, I've experienced changes in my body, which I believe are caused by the atrophy and weakness of my muscles.

For example: in April 2018, I felt a shooting and searing sensation in my calves. The sensation was unfamiliar to me, and while it was irritating, I assumed it would quickly pass.

However, I did not improve as time went by. On the contrary, my primary care physician diagnosed me with 'neuropathy,' for which he prescribed Gabapentin. Neuropathy is a nerve damage disorder induced by a variety of factors; one of which is muscular dystrophy.

To this date, three and a half years later. That burning pain I first thought to be temporary, has accompanied me every single moment. My skin has become extremely sensitive to the point, that sometimes, I am sure parts of my skin are about to tear up. Especially the parts that touch a surface like my buttocks when I have been sitting for over two or more hours or when I have been in bed too long without being turned to change position. 

But when my caregiver or loved one checks my skin, they can not see any skin damage. "Must be the nerves" they say.

I really don't know what to do, but the pain I feel is agonizing.

SOME SUFFERINGS COMMON TO THE FACT OF BEING NON MOBILE - (Second of a series)

Second of a series:

It is difficult to obtain adequate medical attention when you are an invalid.

 

Over five years ago, I lost my ability to stand up. Since then, I have to be raised using an electrical motor or a lift. Since then, I don't get physically examined when I go to the doctor because nobody in their office can help me get up to the examination table. All I get to do is just talk with him or her about my ailments.

The last time I visited my primary doctor, I was asking him to give me the name of barrier cream to help me prevent the development of a chair sore that I was sure had started to break in my derrière. He immediately offered to examine me and asked me to stand up and climb to the examining table. When he realized I was not able to do it, he asked my husband to help me, but my husband is also an old person and can not lift me anymore. For that same reason, I stopped going to the dentist, to the urologist, to the gynecologist, and to many other doctors. No doctor's office, that I know of, has the equipment to lift patients from a wheelchair to the examining table.

To give you a sense of what it's like to lose your capacity to stand and walk on your own, I'll tell you that I haven't been able to weigh in a doctor's office in over eight years. I have no idea how much I weigh.

SOME SUFFERINGS COMMON TO THE FACT OF BEING NON MOBILE - (First of a series)

 

It is a fact: to work properly, a human body needs to be able to move, otherwise, it rapidly deteriorates. 

First post of a series:

ANGST

Severe pain in my left heel jolted me up one night. To avoid disturbing my husband's sleep until it was time to turn me, I decided to shift the position of my foot first. I tried again and again, but I couldn't since I can't move my legs or even lift my feet owing to muscular dystrophy.

It was aggravating to be awake in the middle of the night with agony and unable to move my feet, legs, or arms, so I prayed to my Guardian Angel for help. My invisible angel assisted me in some way because my other angel, my flesh and bone husband, awoke and assisted me in changing the position of my foot.

BEING A QUADRIPLEGIC CREATES TREMENDOUS STRESS ON A PERSON

 June 17, 2021

I am getting very tire of having to fight so fiercely to achieve the things I need.  Let me explain why so you will understand better: for instance, the past two nights I slept only 4 hours in spite that I was in bed for 7 hours.  Since I am a quadriplegic, I have to be repositioned at least every 5 hours or the pressure points will give me wounds. My husband has been my sole caregiver, but just a few months ago, his cardiologist diagnosed him with Congestive Heart Failure. Also, my husband had stents placed in his Aorta vein four years ago.  So I came to the conclusion that we now need extra help and hired 2 caregivers.  One, from Monday thru Thursday, and the other one Friday & Saturday. Which means a lot of money!  This has me extremely upset because I don't know if I am going to have the money to pay for services like that for a long time.  

The stress of being a quadriplegic creates on the person, as well as on their loved ones,  tremendous anxiety.  

A VERY RUSHED SHOWER

 A  Home Health company agreed to temporarily send a lady to help me shower.

         "I will be at your house at 2 pm." She called saying.

She showed up at around 1:30 -which is within the window of time one can reasonably expect. But what was not reasonable is the hurry that the poor woman was acting with. And even worse, putting us on.

         "Mrs. Ross is the 7th person I have bathed today, and I still have two more to do. From here, I have to drive back to Tampa and I already have been to…" And she named cities that I don't even remember.

All I remember is the rush Dan and I experienced…I was trembling from head to toe, Dan was livid. 

We were pressed by her haste to the point that I told her to only wash the most important parts: head, underarms, private parts, and feet. We told her to just dry me from the waist up and put my shirt on because my husband has a hard time putting my shirt on but that he would dry my legs and put on my panties and pants.  40 minutes later she was gone.  

This episode has left me reflecting on a couple of things: 1. - I wonder if the help provided by a home health aid of that type is worth the stress it causes. 2. - How well rinsed a disabled person gets when bathed in such a hurry? Personally, I think leaving soap in some parts of the body could cause irritations.