<p>Swelling in lower extremities can be a common symptom in elders whose circulation is compromised. It can be a lot of work for aging hearts to “pump against gravity” if you will and veins can be less efficient. Keeping the feet elevated when possible (in a recliner) is usually recommended, but this should be evaluated by a Dr. to determine its cause. </p>
<p>Recovery time is much longer in elders and so much can go south for quite awhile that it is hard to know if some symptoms indicate a downward course without the likelihood of a rebound or just a protracted, gradual improvement. My father had a severe upper respiratory infection a few years ago and was not completely himself for about 4 months after the acute phase. The tricky aspect of this is to know how to manage level of care if they are not in a home setting. He was in assisted living at the time and his ability to manage his personal care was really diminished for awhile. I advocated a bit of watchful waiting before moving him, in case it was not a permanent setback. He was able to spend another year in AL before needed additional care. </p>
<p>FYI swelling in the lower extremities is a symptom of congestive heart failure. Happened to my dad a couple of times. I haven’t posted in a very long time but I read this thread every day and my heart goes out to all of you who are constantly working to make the right choices for your parents. Hugs to all as nothing about this is easy.</p>
<p>It is a symptom of many things. Or can simply be there. Can also be meds. Can matter how much swelling. Needs the doc to evaluate all symptoms together and explain why he or she is not worried. I ask (well, when my mother wasn’t incommunicado,) at what point the doc would be worried, what other things to look for.</p>
<p>I just need to vent…my mom has dementia, which has now been followed by stage 4 breast cancer. Yesterday, we signed the lease on a large and lovely brand new assisted living apartment. Today, she called to ask what the check and lease were for, then directed me to cancel that. She wants to stay in her home. (I do understand that. Really)</p>
<p>I used to think that dementia followed by cancer was God’s wonderful way of making life easier for the cancer patient…</p>
<p>ksm, you are welcome to vent anytime here. Sending hugs! I’m am sorry to hear about your mom’s diagnosis. The AL facility sounds lovely and I’m sure it was a relief for you to know your mom will be cared for. I hate to ask, but with a stage 4 diagnosis, (which can mean many different medical needs in the future), will the new AL facility be able to handle any medical problems that may be expected?</p>
<p>EPTR - I suspect the ankle swelling is not related directly to her breathing problems or something like congestive heart failure (ankle swelling would be bilateral). It is probably due to inactivity during recovery. The legs rely on certain things that are activated by walking to pump the blood back to the heart. But, of course, the swelling would need to be evaluated for the correct diagnosis. </p>
<p>kdm - How difficult! Can she get enough help while at home?</p>
<p>ecmotherx2: yes, if AL will allow hospice if eventually needed. At this point, the concern is that patients with memory problems should not self medicate with pain killers. Thanks for listening!</p>
<p>ksm- really sorry about your mom. Venting is what gets us through these trying times with our parents. Hope you get your mom sorted out with her AL place.</p>
<p>ksm, yes it is surprising how helpful venting is. PLUS people often have some experience to offer that really makes a difference.</p>
<p>I am down today (all week really) because Mom didn’t sound good all week. Yesterday I asked the nurse to make sure on the UTI, one of Mom’s obsessions was having to pee too often. This AM Mom told me that she had waited outside the nurses station for an hour and no one talked to her or helped her yesterday and that she couldn’t remember in the night if she gave a pee sample or not. She just sounded scared and confused. I called the nurse again who said that they had tried a couple of times to collect a sample, but Mom always poured it out before they got it done (No, I didn’t ask why they didn’t wait…) Mostly I have some faith that they are doing a pretty good job with her; nothing like I’d do in person, but I am not ready, or willing to take on that task. So I have to trust that they are doing OK. Better than OK and better than her living on her on for sure.
The slooooowwww erosion is just really slow and painful.</p>
<p>Well, I took my mom for her follow up chest x-ray yesterday at the urgent care. When we got there they sent us straight to radiology and my mom was going to just let the whole swollen ankle thing go. I was able to talk her into going back to the urgent care and letting them look at it. Turns out is a benign type of swelling. Probably from twisting her foot without realizing it. That was a relief. We won’t get the results of the chest x-ray until Monday because we missed the radiologist by ten minutes. Ugh. My mom is very stressed about it.</p>
<p>After the doctor we went to get a bite to eat and asked her to tell me what her worst fear was with this x-ray. She said she was afraid that they will tell her that she has cancer. Or lung disease. I asked her to tell me what made her think they would find that. I said that it was pretty clear that she is having trouble breathing and that she wheezes (yesterday it was an actually whistling sound after a very short walk down the hall at the medical building). I asked if she was concerned about that. She said that she was and that she doesn’t talk to us about it or want to know because she’s afraid that we will blame her because of her smoking history. We had a long talk and I reassured her that I don’t blame her for health issues and that I didn’t blame my dad when he died of lung cancer. I blame the tobacco industry. Well, she really unloaded and told me how afraid she is to be diagnosed with COPD and how she doesn’t ever want to be on oxygen. It was a good talk. I tild her that it’s her body and her decision whether or when to seek treatment but that the doctor may be able to help alleviate her symptoms if she is honest with him. She said that she will talk to him at her next appointment about it. I hope she means it.</p>
<p>It must have been a relief to her to be able to finally talk about it, and to get reassurance from you about not blaming her. Glad to hear the swollen ankle is relatively benign.</p>
<p>EPTR - It was wonderful that you and your Mom could just talk.</p>
<p>I always thought my Mom talked too much and she anoyed me. Now she can hardly talk at all because of aphasia. I never thought that I would miss her constant talking. Oh, well.</p>
<p>I really try to appreciate her and be with her whenever I can. We have a good relationship even though we have very different viewpoints on many things. Since my dad died, her hard edges have softened somewhat and she has become even more endearing. Having said that, when we were growing up, our household was one in which difficult subjects were never discussed and health was one of those. Cancer was “The big C”.</p>
<p>I’m hoping that I can keep this conversation about her health and her fears going until her appointment in November. I’m afraid that she’ll clam up again. Old habits die hard.</p>
<p>My mom got the results of her chest x-ray today. The doctor called her and told her that her pneumonia is still there and that he wants to do a CT of her lungs to see if there is anything underlying going on. Her summary of what the dr said is sketchy because she was so nervous that she couldn’t absorb what he was saying but I’m guessing that the radiologist saw something he/she doesn’t like. He said something about the possibility of scar tissue from the pneumonia but I couldn’t get the whole story from her.</p>
<p>Sh was crying on the phone so I grabbed a bottle of wine and a Panera salad and went to watch the hallmark channel with her. What else can you do?</p>
<p>EPTR–tell your mom, being on oxygen is not such a big deal. I used to think it was, but now my father is on it (at first just at night, and now all the time.) He doesn’t seem to mind the little pipeline that sits attached to his nose all the time, and it certainly makes it easier for him to get around without being short of breath.</p>
<p>When he’s in his apt. he’s hooked up to a machine with a long tether, and there are very portable machines (and spare batteries) for when he goes out to the doctor or a restaurant.</p>
<p>I even know a younger person who has lung issues who plays the clarinet. She comes to band practice wearing portable oxygen!</p>
<p>I think back in the day it was rarer to see people on oxygen…people didn’t live as long, and O2 seemed to be for people who were pretty far gone. But now it’s very common.</p>
<p>My mom is officially OUT OF hospice. She was in there since April. They are going to stop all those visits and take the oxygen bottle away which she never used. Yay.</p>
<p>Catching up on everyone’s situations, every story is helpful.</p>
<p>I read this the other day and found it very touching. A mom who wanted to go out on her own terms without medical intervention. I think my mom would be the same way, but when dementia comes first a person loses their voice and their vote in their medical care. </p>