Can't walk or won't walk?

[katy66]

Mum has just recovered from a bout of cellulitis having had a week's course of penicillin. She has been complaining of severe pain in her thigh. I took her to the doctors. It was very difficult, she couldn't walk. Normally she walks fairly well, she does use a stick as she has weakness in her left leg. The doctor examined her thoroughly and ruled out any obvious problem. She prescribed cocodomol for the pain. It took me over twenty minutes to get Mum back to reception, no help offered! Since then she will not walk with me but will with my OH. I called the doctor out to the house yesterday as I didn't know what else to do. He examined her and declared that she is attention seeking. I asked what I should do as I can't lift her and I do not like to see her crawling on her hands and knees. He said there is nothing he can do as there is nothing wrong with her. He asked me to take her for blood tests next week and said he would leave a prescription for morphine at the surgery. If there is nothing wrong then surely I shouldn't give her morphine?
Is there anyway of working through the block that stops her being able to walk when she is with me?
I am very tired as she calls me for help to the toilet and for a drink through the night. I give her two cocodomol at bedtime and prop her leg on three pillows.

 

[CJinUSA]

Mum has just recovered from a bout of cellulitis having had a week's course of penicillin. She has been complaining of severe pain in her thigh. I took her to the doctors. It was very difficult, she couldn't walk. Normally she walks fairly well, she does use a stick as she has weakness in her left leg. The doctor examined her thoroughly and ruled out any obvious problem. She prescribed cocodomol for the pain. It took me over twenty minutes to get Mum back to reception, no help offered! Since then she will not walk with me but will with my OH. I called the doctor out to the house yesterday as I didn't know what else to do. He examined her and declared that she is attention seeking. I asked what I should do as I can't lift her and I do not like to see her crawling on her hands and knees. He said there is nothing he can do as there is nothing wrong with her. He asked me to take her for blood tests next week and said he would leave a prescription for morphine at the surgery. If there is nothing wrong then surely I shouldn't give her morphine?
Is there anyway of working through the block that stops her being able to walk when she is with me?
I am very tired as she calls me for help to the toilet and for a drink through the night. I give her two cocodomol at bedtime and prop her leg on three pillows.

Hello. My mother is always much more cooperative with my OH than with me. I believe it fairly usual that people who have dementia are often more cooperative with *any*one but their caregivers.

As for walking, my mother is no longer ambulatory. We lift her from chair to commode back to chair. She sleeps in a recliner now, because it was too difficult to get her into and out of the hospital bed without the hoist (which I purchased but which the hospice group recommended we not use).

If your OH will help you, this will be the only way you will get through this. My mother used to get up as many as 5 times a night.We got through that, and she is now no longer ambulatory at all. We can manage with just one toileting - via standalone commode - now. I'm not sure there is a cure for the issues you are facing, but perhaps someone will come along who can offer suggestions.

 

[BR_ANA]

If she can crawl, a physiotherapist may be able to help she walks again.



My mom used to try to jump on my lap as a toddler would do. Needless to say everybody was able to walk her except me.

 

[fizzie]

I agree that is she is crawling she has the motivation and it sounds like a combined pain and confidence issue. I wonder if even one session with a private physio might point you in the right direction

 

[Beate]

I have nothing constructive to say that would help except: how dare a doctor say someone with mental health problems is attention seeking? Her brain is either telling her she is in pain or that she can't walk. Maybe you could give the Memory Clinic a call for advice?

 

[stanleypj]

I was similarly appalled by the 'attention seeking' comment. One might expect a comment like this from some quarters but nit from a medic. Dementia awareness has a long way to go.

 

[meme]

try her with the morphine ...if she has pain it may help where the co codamol doesn't. I would change her Dr..he does not know she is attention seeking and he also cannot say there is nothing wrong with her without exhaustive tests and even then things are missed.

 

[fizzie]

I would be wary of very strong painkillers like morphine until you know what the underlying cause is - it might prevent the pain, then she will walk and do more damage. I would really want the pain checked out

 

[Bod]

Get a box of her favourite chocolates, see how far she'll go for them!

That distance/frequency will show whats happening.


Bod

 

[fizzie]

Bod

 

[meme]

I would be wary of very strong painkillers like morphine until you know what the underlying cause is - it might prevent the pain, then she will walk and do more damage. I would really want the pain checked out

Surely that is the point of finding out if she is in pain and how much ?? giving her morphine ( that has been prescribed) just once could tell you a lot...and make things clearer or rule some out...

 

[Sue J]

Surely that is the point of finding out if she is in pain and how much ?? giving her morphine ( that has been prescribed) just once could tell you a lot...and make things clearer or rule some out...

Whilst I agree with you to a point Meme the morphine could just exacerbate all of her mental symptoms. I would ask for an X ray, if she can't react properly to questions and many dementia sufferers cant then an Xray would show if there is any damage separate to the dementia that is causing the problem.

I agree the GPs comments were far from helpful and also contradictory he must think there is something wrong to do blood tests, better had he said well there must be something causing this and I'll do my best to find out what it is.

I hope you get an answer soon
Best wishes
Sue

 

[fizzie]

I must be being rather stupid but I don't really understand. If there is a physical problem and you give someone morphine to stop the pain, it will do just that stop the pain so then, particularly with someone with dementia you won't know what is happening except that they are no longer experiencing pain and it could add to her mental confusion which would just make matters worse. I would hate for someone to be in pain but I would far rather that they ruled out the physical causes (particulary as this GP seems to think 'attention seeking' is an appropriate diagnosis) before giving one of the strongest painkillers to mask it. I stand corrected if I am just being silly.

 

[katy66]

I must be being rather stupid but I don't really understand. If there is a physical problem and you give someone morphine to stop the pain, it will do just that stop the pain so then, particularly with someone with dementia you won't know what is happening except that they are no longer experiencing pain and it could add to her mental confusion which would just make matters worse. I would hate for someone to be in pain but I would far rather that they ruled out the physical causes (particulary as this GP seems to think 'attention seeking' is an appropriate diagnosis) before giving one of the strongest painkillers to mask it. I stand corrected if I am just being silly.

I must admit I am thinking the same as you. I don't think there is anything very wrong physically as she will walk for everyone except me. I will get the blood tests done but very reluctant to use morphine. I haven't fetched it yet. I choose this doctor's on recommendation but beginning to think it's time for a change.

 

[Onlyme]

Pain issue apart I would say she has lost confidence but feels that with your OH she won't fall. She is crawling as she feels safe nearer the floor.

I have very bad migraines which effect my balance and sometimes crawl as I know I can't fall.

 

[Slugsta]

Would it be possible to walk her with both you and your OH, then gradually reduce OH's involvement? Or is the issue rather more urgent than that?

 

[katy66]

Would it be possible to walk her with both you and your OH, then gradually reduce OH's involvement? Or is the issue rather more urgent than that?

That is a good idea. It is what we have been able to do over the weekend but of course he is not here during the day in the week. He leaves for work at six a.m. I am hoping to get Mum off to her day centre tomorrow. I think the day centre assistant will help me because she is lovely. I will have to get Mum up and dressed ready.
Thank you all for your advice. It is all very useful. I think most of you are a lot more experienced than I am.
I find it hard to keep up with the changes as they are happening so quickly. I am attending a crisp course but mum seems to be a chapter or two ahead!

 

[katy66]

I have nothing constructive to say that would help except: how dare a doctor say someone with mental health problems is attention seeking? Her brain is either telling her she is in pain or that she can't walk. Maybe you could give the Memory Clinic a call for advice?

I was appalled when he said that. I said she has dementia, she is not capable of being manipulative, he said that's how it seems to him.
We are not on a memory clinic list anymore.

 

[katy66]

Got up and dressed ready for day centre this morning. No mention of leg!

 

[fizzie]

Got up and dressed ready for day centre this morning. No mention of leg!

Brilliant x