First, my Mom. She's much better today. I spoke with her this morning, and I learned that she's having no difficulty moving her fingers and bending her arm at the elbow. Ice and rest went a long way with her upper arm and shoulder, as well; less discomfort but still a considerable amount of stiffness. All things considered, it was a good report.
Interesting visit with her doctor on Thursday. We arrived at the office, and I went into the examination room with her. My brother stayed in the waiting room while we were inside. When the doc came into the room, it was actually pretty funny - she greeted Mom, and when Mom introduced me (I was sitting on the opposite side of the exam room), the doc looked at me and said, "I'm sorry - have we met before?" The look on her face told me that she remembered who I was and, as before, was still a little leery of having the large, bald, intimidating man in a little room with her.
I looked at her over my glasses and said, "yes, Doctor. We have met before." And that set the tone for the visit.
She was extremely good to my mother and behaved professionally this time. Makes me think that sometimes it's good to be hit over the head with a rolled up newspaper to make you change your behavior...
After she got done with her assessment, she sent Mom down to Radiology to have some pictures taken of her upper arm and shoulder. My brother went down with her as it was easier for them to go and for me to stay upstairs. Even with elevators, the crutches are a really good workout and I'd already had a lot of activity on them up to that point, and I was starting to get tired..... When the X-rays arrived upstairs, Mom and I went back in with the doc to look at them. They did three views: an Anterior-Posterior (AP), a Posterior-Anterior (PA), and a Lateral. The doc motioned me over to look at them as she was talking, and I did. All of the views were good; no fractures were visible, the alignment of the clavicle and the acromion were appropriate, there was no displacement of the shoulder blade, and there were no abnormal changes in shading anywhere. Overall, a decent looking set of X-rays. So the doc sent her home in a sling with instructions to use ice and heat appropriately over the next couple of days, and she will be going to physical therapy starting early next week.
I am pleased about how that worked out.
Now, my turn. I saw the wound guy yesterday. And things are looking up. We're noticing that the white area on the perimeter of the wound is expanding in towards the center a little more, and there is a little bit of pink tissue underneath. The other thing that is happening is that it is starting to become uncomfortable in the perimeter; I get these occasional stabs of pain that feel like someone is trying to drive a railroad spike into the space.
Believe it or not, that is a good sign. It means that the nerve endings are likely not dead after all, and circulation is starting to return to the area of the wound. And I just had one of those surges as I was writing the previous line of text.... I'm not unhappy about it, as it is an inherently positive change in my current condition. On top of that, the area around the incision is healing nicely; the Sterri-strips are starting to come off (I lost two of the five today when I took a shower) and the area around the incision is starting to itch. Plus, even though I know I can't stand on it, I really would like to. I think that's the impatience rearing its ugly head, though, so I'm trying to work around that.
Not much else to write about right now - it is 1630 on a dark, dreary, rainy Saturday afternoon. That's it.
More later, if I can find something to ruminate on.
Interesting visit with her doctor on Thursday. We arrived at the office, and I went into the examination room with her. My brother stayed in the waiting room while we were inside. When the doc came into the room, it was actually pretty funny - she greeted Mom, and when Mom introduced me (I was sitting on the opposite side of the exam room), the doc looked at me and said, "I'm sorry - have we met before?" The look on her face told me that she remembered who I was and, as before, was still a little leery of having the large, bald, intimidating man in a little room with her.
I looked at her over my glasses and said, "yes, Doctor. We have met before." And that set the tone for the visit.
She was extremely good to my mother and behaved professionally this time. Makes me think that sometimes it's good to be hit over the head with a rolled up newspaper to make you change your behavior...
After she got done with her assessment, she sent Mom down to Radiology to have some pictures taken of her upper arm and shoulder. My brother went down with her as it was easier for them to go and for me to stay upstairs. Even with elevators, the crutches are a really good workout and I'd already had a lot of activity on them up to that point, and I was starting to get tired..... When the X-rays arrived upstairs, Mom and I went back in with the doc to look at them. They did three views: an Anterior-Posterior (AP), a Posterior-Anterior (PA), and a Lateral. The doc motioned me over to look at them as she was talking, and I did. All of the views were good; no fractures were visible, the alignment of the clavicle and the acromion were appropriate, there was no displacement of the shoulder blade, and there were no abnormal changes in shading anywhere. Overall, a decent looking set of X-rays. So the doc sent her home in a sling with instructions to use ice and heat appropriately over the next couple of days, and she will be going to physical therapy starting early next week.
I am pleased about how that worked out.
Now, my turn. I saw the wound guy yesterday. And things are looking up. We're noticing that the white area on the perimeter of the wound is expanding in towards the center a little more, and there is a little bit of pink tissue underneath. The other thing that is happening is that it is starting to become uncomfortable in the perimeter; I get these occasional stabs of pain that feel like someone is trying to drive a railroad spike into the space.
Believe it or not, that is a good sign. It means that the nerve endings are likely not dead after all, and circulation is starting to return to the area of the wound. And I just had one of those surges as I was writing the previous line of text.... I'm not unhappy about it, as it is an inherently positive change in my current condition. On top of that, the area around the incision is healing nicely; the Sterri-strips are starting to come off (I lost two of the five today when I took a shower) and the area around the incision is starting to itch. Plus, even though I know I can't stand on it, I really would like to. I think that's the impatience rearing its ugly head, though, so I'm trying to work around that.
Not much else to write about right now - it is 1630 on a dark, dreary, rainy Saturday afternoon. That's it.
More later, if I can find something to ruminate on.
3 comments:
"Makes me think that sometimes it's good to be hit over the head with a rolled up newspaper to make you change your behavior..."
Funny, that's what I say about training new EMTs.
I know - I've done the same thing myself. Especially with new medics.... :)
Sounds like things have made a turn.... it might be one of those ridiculously long nascar corners that only seem fast at 185 mph... but it is a turn, nonetheless!
As for training.... My dogs enjoy it when I give them a smack... Sadistic little bastards just love attention...
As for new medics... we can't help it. We've just spent at least a year learning that we ARE top shit. Sorry that it might take you a few extra weeks to bring us down a few2 pins!!!
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