Marie's new room at Creekside Rehabilitation Center. She currently has her own room, with a courtyard view, and her very own back door!
Marie had another bad day with lack of pain medication. Glenda spent another day and half the night with her in tears.
Relief came today when Dr. Miller, a pain management specialist, came in to see her today. He spent an hour with her and did a full history of her case, care, and pain management strategies since her accident. Dr. Miller is convinced that Marie's pain has been misunderstood and under-treated.
As a pain management specialist, he explained that everyone of us has a different tolerance, threshold, and reaction to pain medications. In order to manage pain properly, each individual's circumstances and rates of tolerance need to be better understood. Marie has been being given a very low dose of medications over the last 3 weeks. Even with Linda, Glenda, and Marlo complaining and begging for better pain management, no one has truly listened...up until this point.
Most of Marie's pain the last few days has been coming from her left foot. Dr. Miller said it is possible that there is an underlying infection deep in the tissue. Although he doesn't think it looks like her foot is infected, he took a swab of the oozing puss seeping out her stiches and will have it tested.
Marie also has an old wound on left hand from a surgery she had done 3 months ago to remove a benign tumor. This has become re-infected and he will watch it closely.
Much to Marie's relief, Dr. Miller has promised her that his goal is to help her become pain free! He has drastically increased her medications and is going to monitor her more closely. Glenda said he is an answer to many, many prayers. He told her that he will get her to the point to where he wants to be able to walk in her room, ask her if she she is comfortable or if she wants any more pain medication, and for her to say "NO", I am fine. They will deal with the circumstances of tapering off these medications at a later date, but now is not the time.
Once they get a handle on her pain management, they will start with a more regular and serious rehabilitation. The will help her first increase her upper body strength to help support herself. This is critical to helping her become self sufficient and independent to go home faster.
Marie has expressed her determination to work hard. With the pain she has already had to face, she is ready to take on the challenge of getting better quickly. She has set the goal to work hard to be able to walk again, but to also work hard to be able to complete a 5k marathon within 2 years. We are all proud of her for being so strong.
Below is a picture of Betsy, her nurse, and an aid. They cleaned her up better than the hospital has ever done. Betsy put on a non-stick dressing over wounds, and then re-wrapped her leg with gauze. Marie's leg still has drainage that seeps from the wounds, so of course, the leg feels much better without gauze sticking to it! She's an awesome nurse and we are grateful for all of the kind, considerate, and compassionate nurses, doctors, and staff.
Marie had another bad day with lack of pain medication. Glenda spent another day and half the night with her in tears.
Relief came today when Dr. Miller, a pain management specialist, came in to see her today. He spent an hour with her and did a full history of her case, care, and pain management strategies since her accident. Dr. Miller is convinced that Marie's pain has been misunderstood and under-treated.
As a pain management specialist, he explained that everyone of us has a different tolerance, threshold, and reaction to pain medications. In order to manage pain properly, each individual's circumstances and rates of tolerance need to be better understood. Marie has been being given a very low dose of medications over the last 3 weeks. Even with Linda, Glenda, and Marlo complaining and begging for better pain management, no one has truly listened...up until this point.
Most of Marie's pain the last few days has been coming from her left foot. Dr. Miller said it is possible that there is an underlying infection deep in the tissue. Although he doesn't think it looks like her foot is infected, he took a swab of the oozing puss seeping out her stiches and will have it tested.
Marie also has an old wound on left hand from a surgery she had done 3 months ago to remove a benign tumor. This has become re-infected and he will watch it closely.
Much to Marie's relief, Dr. Miller has promised her that his goal is to help her become pain free! He has drastically increased her medications and is going to monitor her more closely. Glenda said he is an answer to many, many prayers. He told her that he will get her to the point to where he wants to be able to walk in her room, ask her if she she is comfortable or if she wants any more pain medication, and for her to say "NO", I am fine. They will deal with the circumstances of tapering off these medications at a later date, but now is not the time.
Once they get a handle on her pain management, they will start with a more regular and serious rehabilitation. The will help her first increase her upper body strength to help support herself. This is critical to helping her become self sufficient and independent to go home faster.
Marie has expressed her determination to work hard. With the pain she has already had to face, she is ready to take on the challenge of getting better quickly. She has set the goal to work hard to be able to walk again, but to also work hard to be able to complete a 5k marathon within 2 years. We are all proud of her for being so strong.
Below is a picture of Betsy, her nurse, and an aid. They cleaned her up better than the hospital has ever done. Betsy put on a non-stick dressing over wounds, and then re-wrapped her leg with gauze. Marie's leg still has drainage that seeps from the wounds, so of course, the leg feels much better without gauze sticking to it! She's an awesome nurse and we are grateful for all of the kind, considerate, and compassionate nurses, doctors, and staff.