My 75 year old mother had a stroke - Stroke Message Board

worried13 · 06-25-2008, 05:37 PM

about 5 weeks ago after having a blood clot after a carteroid surgery. Her right brain, left side (arm and leg) is affected. She spent a week in ICU, and now is in the rehab ward of the hospital in Ontario, Canada.

I have been up to see her at the beginning of this ordeal and again last week. I will go back in a few weeks as well. My wonderful sister visits her every day for about 7 hours, helping to feed her, making sure she is okay.

I have a question about her recovery... I know it is still early... she does rehab everyday and I believe her left side is improving SLOWLY...she does feel the left side and is able to do range of motion with the therapists. It exhausts her though.

Her speech and swallowing is okay, but I am concerned about the following..

she seems to be in excruciating pain ALL the TIME.... if it is not her arms and legs, it is her back, or stomach, head ....I wonder is this common and will the pain ever subside? She does take pain meds, but they don't help too much.

she has good and bad days, but I am worried that she is not eating. She tries, but she hates the hospital food and does not want to eat. (She can eat on her own btw.. with occasional help from my sis and me. We try to force her to eat but she gets angry). I know she needs to be strong physically to get better.... so do you think a feeding tube is necessary?

She seems overly sensitive to everything... pain, anxiety, etc... is this normal?... before the stroke she would never complain of any sort of pain even if she had them

she is pretty okay mentally, however at times she says a few "crazy things" but I think it is because of all the medication

She is a strong willed woman but I feel she is depressed... I believe they are giving her anti depressants that should kick in soon.

They don't know, but I feel she will be in the rehab ward of the hospital for another month or two.. and then we need to think about placement.

any insights or advice on this would be very much appreciated...

xanaxqueen · 07-14-2008, 03:06 PM

that is odd that she has pain in her back, head, etc. my father had a stroke and since the feeling came back in his left arm, although his arm, we know no is not coming back, nor is his left leg.....
i feel a pain pill should be in order and a doc should give some explaintion of why all of the pain?
my dad has to lay on his back all of the time also, this may be part of her problem. my dad lost his appetite also, yet still eats his food, as so far.
ensure is a big plus if mom isn't eating, so i hear.
i also had to have my dad get a sleeping pill everynite, he can not sleep in the nursing home, he's just plain uncomfortable and sad, me also.....sometimes it becomes unbearable. his sleeping pill is trasydone, they also put him on aggrenox ( anti-depressant)
post anytime if you need some support
take care
tawny

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