August 22, 2004
Stubborn Relatives
Has anyone noticed that as their elder relatives begin to get health problems that they also become really stubborn about going to the doctor? 
Right now I'm obviously thinking about TB's mom. She was supposed to have a cardiac catheterization on Thursday but called to say she'd cancelled it. 
Doctors don't schedule these things routinely so I asked her why. She said because she's allergic to the iodine and didn't want to have to go through taking benedryl etc so that she could have the procedure. Besides, she said, she feels better. 
I thought about how frustrating it is to get a loved one to go to the doctor when they need to and they don't want to admit it.
It almost always seems like we have to push our parents or other elder relatives to go to the doctor. Or maybe it's just that my family is extreme? :0 
Take my dad. One day I get a call from my brother that dad's been taken to the ER. My mom called (by relay services for the hearing impaired) for an ambulance after she found my dad on the floor, unable to get up. It turns out he'd had a series of TIAs (AKA mini-strokes). During a conversation with the ER doc, it turns out my father had been having these things for like six months. He'd be partially paralyzed but then he'd recover. My mom pushed him to go to the doctor but he always refused saying he 'felt better' ... until that morning he fell to the floor. Even then, he didn't want my mom to call for help! 
Take my mom. She had an accident and "fell on some stairs" she said. She was having trouble breathing and was in a lot of pain so I wanted to call an ambulance. She said no, she didn't want to "bother" the doctors. I called for an ambulance anyway and it's a good thing because she'd broken her ribs and one of them punctured a lung! 
Take my own sweet grandma. As she became older, she was more frail ... and more stubborn. She needed someone to stay with her around the clock and she resented it. She got an infection in her leg and didn't tell the health care aide or any other member of the family until it was almost too late. She got a septic infection in her leg and could have lost it! 
I can tell you about 10 other relatives and about Rich but you all get the idea. 
So do you all notice this problem or is it just me? 
I think that Gram is also scared of doctors because of what happened to my mom. She has sleep apnia and refuses to get the mask because of the how uncomfortable it is. She is set in her ways. I'll talk to her though. Watch out cause Dad and I are just as stubborn!!! :48:
Love ya
Shell
:41:
Its just crazy. What are the doctors there for if they can't fix a sick or broken person! Makes me want to do this.... :48: :53:
Linda
Posted by: Linda at August 23, 2004 12:14 AMSo far so good for us here. My Dad is the only
one who gives any trouble as far as doctors.
But my Mom is able to get him to go. Thank
goodness. When he had his stroke she got help
for him so fast that he was able to receive the
meds that even through the stroke hit his brain stem, he came back to normal without any troubles.
My brother is back in the hospital. A few days ago he was having trouble breathing. It started at night and he laid like that in his apartment all night long til the morning. Then instead of calling me, who he knew was back from Illinois, he calls a family friend that lives like 20 miles away and tells her he can't breathe. She says "call an ambulance, call your family just up the street!" he says "no, come and take me to the hospital.." then waited the half hour it took her to get there before he went. THEN wanted to wait outside the ER doors and have a cigarette while she parked the car. She said he looked like death warmed over, and he absolutely COULD NOT breathe, but he wanted a cigarette.
Makes sense dosen't it? he may have to have heart surgery. We find out monday.
Posted by: Dawn at August 29, 2004 12:52 AMMy brother is back in the hospital. A few days ago he was having trouble breathing. It started at night and he laid like that in his apartment all night long til the morning. Then instead of calling me, who he knew was back from Illinois, he calls a family friend that lives like 20 miles away and tells her he can't breathe. She says "call an ambulance, call your family just up the street!" he says "no, come and take me to the hospital.." then waited the half hour it took her to get there before he went. THEN wanted to wait outside the ER doors and have a cigarette while she parked the car. She said he looked like death warmed over, and he absolutely COULD NOT breathe, but he wanted a cigarette.
Makes sense dosen't it? he may have to have heart surgery. We find out monday.
Posted by: Dawn at August 29, 2004 12:52 AM