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Caregiving Frustrations: When the stuff hits the fan!

Caregivers | Last Active: Sep 21, 2019 | Replies (34)

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@bradmm

Sweet of you to ask! Yes, the focus has shifted to here and now but that's not looking so great at the moment. We got back from Belize in June and she apparently got a cold on the way back. Cold, turned into bronchitis which turned into pneumonia. She was in a great deal of pain from coughing. Along the way, her leg started hurting as much or more so, after 1 visit to PCP and not getting anything to help with her cough or pain (we're changing now!) I took her to ER three times and, on the final visit, she was admitted to hospital where we finally got an x-ray and later MRI of hip which showed that she had a fractured L5 vertebrae, presumably from coughing. Chest problems seem to be resolved but pain in her hip (which moves around because it's an aggrieved nerve causing the problem) is still ongoing. It's getting better but it's a slow process. In the middle of all that, I passed out while waiting in line at a sub shop. Refused ER to take me to hospital but went later on my own and spent the night wired to a monitor. Nothing found. Chose to go to a cardiologist just because I'm older, it made sense and he sent me to do a calcium score which is an indirect determinant of arteriosclerosis. It came back very high and at a very high risk which is VERY IRRITATING because, for 20 years at least, we have consciously eaten very healthy and I've exercised religiously 4-5x/wk. Both of us feel that we did nothing to cause these problems but they are likely genetic (or simply unexplained). So, yes, we're focusing on the here and now but it's not looking so good. We have each other and that's our main focus at the moment while we just deal with the rest. All we can do.

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Replies to "Sweet of you to ask! Yes, the focus has shifted to here and now but that's..."

On the other hand, learning that I'm at high risk in advance is better than being hit with a heart attack out of the blue since I've never had any symptoms. Wife and I were able to celebrate my 65th birthday and our 25th anniversary and I was able to go diving... something that might be limited in the future now. We will continue to pursue FUN wherever we can find it!

@bradmn. You story sounds somewhat like mine. When my husband was 64 he also had a calcium score done and the results were awful. He had the test done because his father, grandfather, an great grandfather had all died of heart attacks at age 64. Needless to say, I was stunned. Now 8 years later, he’s in good health taking care of me since I got a brain lesion. We’ve also been focusing on the here and now, but I decided that as long as I felt well enough to do things, we would. We successfully went on a trip to Europe and right now in Crested Butte, CO visiting grandchildren! We take it one day at a time, are prepared, but also, try to have a life and have fun.
It sounds like you’ve been a wonderful caregiver for your wife, so maybe now is the time to take care of yourself. Do some of the things you’ve wanted to do, but also plan for the future. It is so hard. I wish you all the best on this difficult journey and I know your wife is lucky to have you