Please help me to help grandma manage her pain - Pain Management Message Board

chuni · 10-05-2007, 08:49 PM

Dear friends,

I am a new member here since I have been worrying about my grandma and searching on the web to find tips to help her.

My grandma is 92 years old. She used to be a very outgoing person, but now can't walk (because her legs are weak) and have difficulties accepting her disability. Now she is crying everyday due to her low back pain and depression. Previously She fell on the ground several times, which may have caused damage to her backbones.

Since my grandma is too old to receive a surgery, I wonder if anyone can suggest me ways to manage her pain. One problem is that my grandma is now in Taiwan so that I can't get a prescription for her. For some reasons, the relatives and docs in Taiwan all shook their head and said there is nothing they can do more. The pain medicines my grandma is taking are not very effective and hot/cold pack doesn't help when it is not on her back.

I think my grandma has near the end of her life and I don't want to see her suffer so much. I believe that there must be something I can do for her. I will appreciate any of your advices. Thanks very much.

Jeanie

sammyo1 · 10-06-2007, 05:25 AM

Chuni, Bless you, that is so sad,I can't think of anything major that you can recommend, her being in another country is hard, do they give massage,acupuncture, or any kind of therapy over there? My mother in law was much the same, the doctors would not do anything because of her health & age. Perhaps you can recommend some of the topical rubs,like sombra or bio freeze (don't know because she is in another country),massaging her back. There are those very soft pillows that come in different sizes, filled with material like a bean bag chair, sorry forgot the name but perhaps something like that behind her,using something like this & finding a comfortable position for her, perhaps a position that takes some of the pressure off her back. I am just throwing out ideals, I feel so bad for her,I would think the best thing to do for her is to (as hard as it sounds) keep her mind off the pain, I hope someone responds who has some good suggestions for you, good luck to you & god bless your grandma. Sammy

Moldova · 10-06-2007, 05:20 PM

You are such a wonderful person, you worry about your grandma, she must be very proud of you...
I am not sure if they have Morphine patches; if this is the problem, I know my mom uses and she said it really helps her patches that you buy over the counter. They have on them pain medications, they make a person have heat senstations and it helps with pain for 6-8 hours. Also they have wrap around belts (they sell them 4 in a box) they have a little magnets in them and also feels hot whey your wear them. I used them myself before my surgery and loved them too. If you can afford to buy magnets for her that she can wear it on her body - even better. Magnets help with blood circulation on the affected areas and it's very helpful with any inflammation.
Sorry I don't know anything else. Personaly I am on PK, but if you say she can't get it in Taiwan, nothing much you can do about it.
Good luck to you and your grandma

chuni · 10-06-2007, 07:45 PM

Thank you so much for your advices. I am going back to Taiwan in November for two weeks and I would like to get something here to help manage her pain. Please let me know if there is anything I can buy here and bring it to her. Thanks

letthatsinkin · 10-06-2007, 09:28 PM

From her doctor.