We had an unusual day at the Buffy Bed and Breakfast, today. As you know, I am the caregiver for my mother. That's a bit misleading, actually. At 88, Elegant Mother is still pretty much able to take care of herself. We provide her home, and meals and transportation, and she does most of the rest.
Today, things shifted a little bit in that strange swap of positions that aging parents and their children endure. I had to take on a little bit more of the "in charge" position, while EM relinquished it.
I had gone out to start the sprinkler early this morning, because it's our day to water. When I came in, I discovered that EM was sitting in her chair, obviously in pain. I asked how she was, and she admitted that the pain she had been having all week had worsened, and had kept her up a good deal of the night. She had been trying to wait the pain out until she had a doctor's visit on Monday.
I knew she was afraid that her cancer had returned. Pretty strong statement, hmmm? In her shoes, I'd be frightened, too. I reminded her that she had not had any pain with her first experience of colon cancer, and that she'd had a clean bill of health at this year's check up. That calmed her a bit.
So, she agreed that we should go to the hospital. That's a sign of how uncomfortable she was. The emergency room was not overwhelmed at 8:00 in the morning, and she was seen fairly soon. She had a superb YOUNG doctor, who asked lots of questions. I purposely stayed quiet to force EM to answer his questions, but I added comments now and then to expand on her answers.
In addition to the pain, we managed to remember the "hives" at her waistband, which seemed minor under the circumstances. The doc had her go through a CT Scan, and an hour later had some surprising information. EM has a hernia, and shingles, but NO CANCER!
It seems that as her immune system gets older it's releasing its hold on chicken pox virus that it has corralled for decades. That virus is reappearing as shingles, and it's responsible for the pain she's experiencing. The plan seems to be to treat the shingles with meds and to generally ignore the hernia if it is not showing any symptoms.
She's relieved. We could see it within an hour of returning home. It's my job this week to get her re-hydrated, to encourage (read: tempt) her to eat, and to get lots of rest. You can't know how thankful I am that this trip turned out as well as it did. Now that she knows what's wrong, she can deal with it, and I can help her. It's a relief.
Comments (13)
Glad to hear that it is something other than cancer. Shingles can even affect younger people - 2 people at work suffered from a bout of shingles this winter. I thought this was odd since it's not contagious but I have never personally known someone to have shingles.
Posted by bogie | July 17, 2005 7:36 AM
Posted on July 17, 2005 07:36
Spoil EM with her favorite foods. Sending best wishes for her and you! What a good daughter you are!
Posted by Susan | July 17, 2005 10:37 AM
Posted on July 17, 2005 10:37
Dear Buffy,
Please give Elegant Mother a hug and kiss from me. Why do people talk about itching and shingles in the same breath? Chicken Pox itch, Shingles HURT - badly. Imagine, if you can, being impaled on a blunt size 14 aluminum knitting needle thrust into your back and through the lace of your bra cup - that's shingles.
Magga
P.S. Buffy and Pepys? The glories of everyday life are seldom given the attention they deserve. Your Blog is now a part of my morning - after reading the newspaper (my daily dose of an online walk on the wild side)I take a peek at the normal ups and downs of the kind of good life most of us enjoy. Thanks, Buffy.
Posted by Magga | July 17, 2005 11:10 AM
Posted on July 17, 2005 11:10
Buffy, I am so glad that your mother's fears turned out not to come true. However the Husband has just recovered from shingles and I'd better warn you now that it is NOT something minor.
He was told to be very careful who he came into contact with - he was told quite definitely that he should not go anywhere near pregnant women, and anyone vulnerable in health (i.e. babies, young children, the aged, anyone whose immune system is a little compromised). His shingles lasted for about 8 weeks, was in pain for most of it and felt unwell for even longer.
You will need to encourage your Mum to eat nutritional food, to drink lots of water and to rest, rest and yet more rest.
"Courage, mon brave". My thoughts are with you both.
Posted by Adele | July 17, 2005 2:56 PM
Posted on July 17, 2005 14:56
Bogie--You weren't around (none of the family were), but I had shingles in 1985, while working in Seattle and living at a hotel. It wasn't until a couple of years later that I figured out that I hadn't had a wierd, massive case of fever blisters. Since my shingles were on my face (upper lip and into one nostril, which was completely blocked), it was pretty unsightly, too!
Magga--Each outbreak of shingles probably differs from every other, but my shingles not only hurt, but itched. And they burned and hurt for at least two years--and the area had an odd, numbed feeling for a bit longer than that.
Adele--Didn't I hear/read about investigations into an innoculation to cut down the number of shingles outbreaks a person might have? I know that my mother's physician insisted that she have periodic (smallpox/chickenpox?) vaccinations on the theory that it would cut down on the incidence of fever blisters. (I no longer recall which pox vaccine she got. Is there such a thing as a chickenpox vaccine?)
Posted by Cop Car | July 17, 2005 3:35 PM
Posted on July 17, 2005 15:35
Bogie, I've only known one person who has had them, but the odd thing is that in the past week we've heard multiple conversations about chicken pox and shingles, and a woman who was part of our exercise group is suffering from them now. Coincidence??
Susan...I AM! And I will continue to. I suppose this means that I have to make homemade macaroni and cheese for her! (sigh) She had apricots and chocolate cookies for a snack this afternoon! lol
Magga! I'll have to see to it that EM is VERY well treated, if that's what she's experiencing. I knew it hurt, but she hasn't put it into words, other than to tell the doc that it was an 8 out of ten on the pain scale.
Pepys, huh??? You put me on a very exalted plane, and I am humbled. Thanks for the comments, and the visits!
Adele, I think you just said what my-sister-the-nurse was waiting to tell me tomorrow. I could tell from what she wasn't saying that we might be in for a tough time. Thanks for the advice. When we speak with the Doc tomorrow, you know I'll be taking notes. I hope your DH is better now!
Posted by buffy | July 17, 2005 4:55 PM
Posted on July 17, 2005 16:55
OH, MANNNNNNNNNNNN Cop Car! I hope EM gets off easier than YOU did! I didn't realize you had had shingles, too.
We'll have to check into the possibility of vaccinations for EM.
Posted by buffy | July 17, 2005 5:34 PM
Posted on July 17, 2005 17:34
Buffy, DH was told that he would have had some medication IF they had caught it within 12 hours of the blisters appearing. Unfortunately he had had the shingles for a week before he went to the doctors. So, there was nothing they could give him and so he took no medication at all during the two months that he was suffering with the shingles. But , of course, he is a fit man in his mid-50s. It may well be that there is something that they may be able to give to your mother.
I believe that the medication that they would have given him, if they had caught it in the first 12 hours is to sort out herpes. I'm afraid that I don't know of any other medication suitable for it. It am sure your own doctor can advise you on it.
Anyway, DH is fully over the shingles now, thank goodness. He is not a good patient {sigh}.
Posted by Adele | July 18, 2005 4:47 AM
Posted on July 18, 2005 04:47
So, Adele, you were able to survive DH's shingles? Quite an accomplishment--lol. Obviously, in 1985, I was 47--and very healthy since I walked 4 miles/day. I don't recall how long I waited before calling a physician (I had stayed at the hotel, rather than going into work that day); but, I told him that I had a bad case of fever blisters. He told me that had I called earlier, he might have been able to help me but that it was too late.
I don't recall how long the actual outbreak lasted, but I'm guessing that it wasn't more than 10 days or so or I might have gone back to a physician. (But, maybe not--we were working 16-20-hour days, under incredible pressure to get the proposal out on time.) Since I had thought the outbreak just fever blisters, I was surprised that the hurt/burn/tingle/itch lasted so long. In reading, a couple of years later, about shingles, I determined that that was what I had--the shingles were the wierd fever blisters.
Posted by Cop Car | July 18, 2005 9:11 AM
Posted on July 18, 2005 09:11
Glad to hear that you took your Mom to the doc and a diagnosis that is treatable was able to be made. She is in good hands no doubt, and as for the discomfort of shingles, seems that is clear enough after this conversation. I recall a patient I had on the medical ward that I worked on in the past, I recall her discomfort and can all too easily picture what your mom is enduring.
Posted by Desiree | July 18, 2005 10:54 AM
Posted on July 18, 2005 10:54
Buffy yes there is a vaccine for chickenpox ~ I choose not to let Ms Prissy Princess get it but there is in fact one out there now ~
Posted by Jamie | July 18, 2005 12:20 PM
Posted on July 18, 2005 12:20
Cop Car, it seems that you need to see the doc within 72 hours of onset to get the most effective help from drugs. EM is taking them anyway, and she seems to be getting some relief.
Des, it's hard to see an older woman like my mother going through this, especially when there is so little that you can do about it. My sister has suggested cold compresses might help.
Jet, I think it was your husband who told me that there was some kind of treatment for shingles that had to do with injections of chicken pox vaccine, but I'm not sure now. I'll keep researching it.
Posted by Buffy | July 18, 2005 12:46 PM
Posted on July 18, 2005 12:46
Adele, I'm sorry I missed your comments about DH's experience. I know that EM is on some type of antiviral drug, and that the doc said it was best if they started the treatment within 72 hours. Even though we passed that point before she started, she still seems to be getting some help from it. I seriously doubt that my DH would be a good patient, so I can guess what your life was like. I'm glad for you that he's well!
Cop Car....you and Tex must have been on the same wavelength about the vaccinations, but I don't know if it's considered preventative medicine, or whether it's something that would help EM. I'll be taking notes when we go to the doc today.
Posted by Buffy | July 18, 2005 12:58 PM
Posted on July 18, 2005 12:58