i recently asked a question about my mom who is 81 with severe degenerative disc disease.   she has been?
964094
I have degenerative disc disease as well. I have had 5 lumbar fusions as a result. Although each was done to repair a different disc space. I do not regret any of them. The pain that I had before the surgery was almost unbearable. The pain that extended down my leg is now gone & I can stand up straight again. This choice however should be made by your mom hon. At her age there are bound to more risks involved. On one hand I know that you want her quality of life to improve. But you should know that it can take a full year or better to recover from this type of surgery.
594952
Good for you.I am glad you are taking action.My dad is in a nursing home and they are all bad places.The patients don't get fed all their meals,they are left wet,the are abused both verbally and physically.The pick on the most vulnerable.These nursing homes esp. the ones with the rehab centers are breaking medicare and you and I won't have any retirement money.They are big business and making a living off these folks.Your attorney will try to get a settlement and the nursing home will probably not want to go to court to keep out of the news.The nursing notes will be especially important and don't be surprised if they try to change them.They will also look at the physician's progress notes.You should have gone to the nursing home and requested to see her chart they have to let you and you can get copies for a small copying fee.You'll need help from her doctor.Your attorney will need a legal nurse consultant who can testify that she had negligent care,someone who is a expert in long term care.They are short staffed and don't give a damn about the patients.They are out to make money off this vulnerable population.Write your congressman.Good Luck I hope you win big time.
724477
my mother.  while she was pregnant with me she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but she didn't let that get her down.  after i was born, (i'm the youngest of 3) she put herself through college while juggling a husband and 3 young kids.  the year that i started kindergarden was her first year teaching elementary.  she put her heart and soul into everything she did, and she touched so many students' lives.  a few years later, my father was injured on the job and had to have several back and knee operations, and he was not able to work for about 3 years.  my mother single handedly raised a family of 5 on her teacher's salary, which is hardly anything.  no matter how tight money was, she always made sure that we had everything that we needed.  there would be times that her disease would get the best of her, and she wouldn't be able to use her hands, but she wouldn't let that stop her either.  she'd get me and my sisters to help her put on her makeup and do her hair and drive her to work everyday, because she refused to give up.  my senior year of high school came around, and her school district forced her to take retirement with a disability, because they felt that her condition was to the point that she could no longer perform her duties as a teacher.  this broke her heart.  from there, her condition has had a steady decline.  she's one of the few ms patients that the disease also interferes mentaly as well as physically.  now i'm 24, and my mother is not capable of taking care of herself.  she has very limited mobility, and she has the mental capacity of a young child.  but despite what her disease has done to her, she still gives me the biggest hugs and always tells me how much she loves me.  now that i'm grown with daughters of my own, i hope that i can be half the mother to my daughters as she was to me.
266248
i am 37 and they told my mom she now has about 8 weeks to go. there are no words anyone can tell either of us. you are not being selfish for wanting your mother to stay alive. our moms no we need and want them. and this, from what my mom says is the hardest thing she has ever had to do in her life. she looks at my kids and my brothers and i. she can't help crying. she knows we are deeply saddened and there is nothing she can do. she was dealt this hand and she is fighting this cancer with all that she has. my heart goes out to you and your family. i cry everyday. at moments i will be numb and i am ok but it only takes one word from someone and tears will come down and i can't stop them. we are to young in our lives to loose our moms. i can't even imagine all the really young people that have gone through this. i do not know about you but if one more person tells me she is going to be going to a better place i will loose it on them. it is not that i do not believe in god i do. but her better place for now is here with her kids and her grandkids. i also have children. and my mom lives down the street from me. they go there everyday for a snack and to see grandma. and like you life without her seems impossible. she will not see my 40th birthday or my kids have their kids. there will be no more mothers days that i can pick her up and take her to lunch. no more she drives me crazy because she is just being a mom. i am sure you can relate to all this. i can't shut it down in my head. the thoughts won't go away. it hurts to bad. i do not know who you are but i will pray for your mother. you have my deepest sympothy. if you ever need to write my e-mail is momof4angelsaz@yahoo.com. who knows maybe we can be a support team. please write and tell me how you and your mom are doing.god bless you and your family
781961
Well it happened to me last night. I told her to get back to the retirement home and stop bothering me. I said that I'd be by to see her on Mothers Day but only if she stopped calling me more then once a year. That woman needs a hobby other then complaining. "The Nurses are stealing my money" "I have Bed Sores" and Blah Blah Blah
897878
Hey dude, I'm adopted also and think my Mom also had that operation, but I was long gone and didn't notice any change in her.  The older she gets the mellower and nicer she becomes: something to look for in old age!  Now she's 84 and still trukin, although having trouble hitting the speed limit.\n\nI didn't know much about ADHD until I just Googled it, but based upon the "symptoms" listed in Wikipedia, I definitely suffer.  Damn, until I read this question, I thought I was perfectly normal.  Maybe ADHD is normal!
1056493
I would suggest to her Dr. first, and see if he can get it ordered for her.  I just recently got help for my mother at home....
826624
A coverstation with my 84 year old mother.
884161
See an M.D.  \nShe probably needs a catheter.  Her body may be shutting down at the age of 90.
606080
I know mothers can be difficult, but appreciate her and what she has done while she is still here. Mine died 3 years ago at the age of 42 and I wish I had her here to meddle lol
1036215
JS,\nI'm somewhat familiar with your situation as I'm pretty much in the same boat.  I'm 54 and have degenerative disk disease (DDD) with 11 herniated and/or bulging disks in my upper and lower back.  It sounds like you might have the same thing along with the scoliosis.  Have you had an MRI of your upper back?  It's not a big deal knowing it, since there's no cure or treatment for DDD, in fact they're not sure what causes it.  The bottom line with DDD is there's nothing they can do but treat the pain.  Injuries to the spinal cord or the nerves that attach to the spinal cord do not heal themselves nor will they "reroute" themselves as other nerves in your body sometimes can.  With spinal nerve damage, once it happens, you've got it forever.\n\nI've got a damaged nerve on the left side of the T3/T4 disk that's been causing me constant pain for over 3 years now.  I was coughing, of all things, and blew the disk out, which crushed or dented the nerve.  I've been in constant, terrible pain ever since.  Every hour, every day, it hasn't let up, not even for a second.  There's no "comfortable position," no way to ease that "ice pick in the back" pain I have.  It just "is" and it takes over every aspect of your life.  Sometimes I do something, move a certain way, and bingo, the pain shoots up near the top of the scale.  Sometimes it goes back to "normal" (around a 3 or 4 on the pain scale) after a few minutes and sometimes it stays up there around an 8 or 9 for two or three days. Sometimes I can do some particular thing without making it worse and then I do the same thing a week later and I'm back in the jackpot.  It seems there's no reason or rhyme to it.  \n\nI've had 5 Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI), which unfortunately did nothing but give me diabetes, one more thing I have to deal with.  Ok, I should say that the docs think the ESI *did* work, in that it caused the disk to shrink just as it was supposed to, but unfortunately the physical damage to the nerve was already done and that's what is causing the chronic pain.  \n\nI'm taking some pretty strong pain killers, morphine and codeine (can you spell "addict"?), plus I've just started Lyrica.  I tried Neurontin a couple of years ago but it didn't help.  I'm hoping the Lyrica will help this time and maybe I can get off the morphine, which, for one thing doesn't work all that well but also it has some bad side effects.  Mine aren't as bad as some I've talked to, but they're bad enough.  Yes, I know it could be worse and while I have a great deal of sympathy for others that are worse off than me, hearing about the plight of someone else doesn't make me feel any better.\n  \nI'm also taking some stuff called Zanaflex (generic name: Tizanidine) which, while it has some side effects, really helped when I started getting extremely sharp, radiating pains that went from the damaged nerve at the T3/T4 site, down the back of my left arm and up the back of my neck.  The Zanaflex stopped the pain right away and it's one of the best meds I've ever taken when it comes to doing what it's supposed to.  I stopped taking it for a day and the pains came back, so I know it's working.  Zanaflex is a muscle relaxer and apparently the pain in my arm and neck were the result of muscle spasms generated by the nerve damage in my back.\n\nThe biggest problem I have with it is that it knocks me out cold!  I've talked to others that have had different, intolerable, side effects, so it's not going to work for everyone.  I'm supposed to take 4mg three times a day but instead I take two of them (8mg) before I go to bed.  It has a dual effect of stopping the pain plus it's a fantastic sleep aid - but you better not change your mind about sleeping after you take it!  \n\nOne of the best things about it is that it
1136832
Not all are metastic.\n\nGlad to hear about your mom
945699
yes mate my 95 year old gran says she`s up for it. she asked me to ask u if it is worth her bringing her false teeth? anyway we`re just getting into the car now so we`ll be there in about 45 mins. oh dear hold on her t*t just popped out and hit her ankle..........thats it she got it back in her bra. funny how her face just lost all the wrinkles wen it fell out. anyway see u soon u lucky devil!
855400
Has your brother in law tried applying for disability status?  Is he qualified for medicare? Social Security? How did he get injured initially? Is he a student? Has he seen a chiropractor?
120784
Usually. I only know of my own experience. When I was 22 I had a a neib. She was 54 (aging like Jane Fonda). She grew up the daughter of an ambassador. She grew up in India and Africa. We talked through the fence often. Some times she asked me to help her with things.She showed me home movies and slides of her life abroad and told me lots of stories. Over time we became very good friends and one evening we got carried away sipping mint julips and whoopsie daisie!..nekked we were!..We were lovers for a while, but then I finished school and it was time to move on. I can hear some of you cringing and thinking this was some thing perverse, but it wasn't..It was more like Harold and Maude if any of you have seen that movie..except she didn't die..we simply parted ways at a fork in the road. It was a beautiful thing and I will always have fond memories of her. Where she is today? Alive? I do not know.. Now she only lives on in my good memories.
115673
no..my mom was diagnosed 2.5 years ago..and she is all cured. treatment is getting much better..the survival rate is much higher then in the years past. My great grandma has had it too, and she is still living 5+ years since being diagnosed
371543
When your 88 full recovery is very rare she might recover but at that age its rare to get for a full one. Im not meaning discouraging are anything but thats my personal expeirence Im wishing her the best luck though.