Hello, everyone. My mother is as stable as she gets. It’s been a year since her multi level, hardware in the front and back 6 hours long neck fusion. She continues her Tymlos shots for osteoporosis, and has been released months ago by the neurosurgeon. However, right before she had the neck done, her thoracic spine began hurting. She’s had two spinal injections plus a nerve ablation. It’s not worked. She continues on Hydrocodone 10 mg three times per day (and I think she takes a 4th here and there when she’s got insomnia). GABA pentin, methocarbamol, zaleplon and doxepin for sleep. None of it seems to work well. She can’t tolerate being upright for very long.
Tomorrow is another pain Dr visit, and I predict he will want to do another ablation. My question is… are there other , stronger meds she could get if she were on palliative care? I actually don’t think it would be safe for her to live alone on more or stronger meds. But what exactly would palliative care offer that she’s not already on? I hesitate to mention this in front of her because I know she’ll confuse it with hospice.
What you might want to do is make a phone call to a few Hospice/ Palliative Care in your area and ask this very question.
Ask how often a Nurse would come by to check on mom.
Ask how the medications would be prescribed and how they would be delivered.
Ask if she would be take off any medications and what they would use instead.
It is my understanding you get better and more of the "good drugs" on palliative care, as addiction is no longer a concern.
I would discuss with the doc.
If you are hesitant and wish to avoid it all, just aoid it all. No sense asking for more trouble.
Not everything can be fixed. Our spines were not made to hold us upright, and not made to last so long as they have to. Now the answer I think is pain relief. Even if that relief means a quicker final exit. People have made their own final exit with VSED over less than this.
I am so very sorry. Just so very sorry. You know there is addiction at this point, but at this point, with this amount of degenerations, that's hardly the point.
So very sorry for you both. This will be pain until there is peace; that's the sad truth. I hope when it comes you will allow yourself to feel the gift that it can be to have our loved one as rest, without fear of further torment and torture when that is all that's left, really, of their lives.
My heart goes out to you BOTH.
I just saw that a pain pump is being considered, hope that is helpful for her. If she has that procedure, be sure everyone is aware how much pain medication she’s taking so that it can be decreased gradually. I was surprised how little attention was paid to this at various points in my husband’s care.