I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Off-Topic => Other Severe Medical Conditions => Topic started by: rose1999 on May 13, 2009, 08:39:05 AM
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Hi everyone,
Dad has to go into hospital on Friday morning for a chemical sympathectomy to hopefully stop the pain in his foot caused by vascular disease. He's been in a lot of pain for weeks now and even morphine and pain patches have not helped much. The surgeon did try to operate on his leg to do a bypass but his veins were too calcified, this procedure should stop the pain and open up the veins a bit to get more blood to the toes. It does not work for everyone and we would appreciate your positive thoughts, good wishes, prayers, vibes etc. in the hope that it will work for him. He will be going in at 8.00 a.m. but as it is a 2 hour journey from here we are going over tomorrow afternoon and he and Mum will stay in a hotel near the hospital overnight. I will travel over there again on Friday morning, early!
He has been through such a lot, please spare a moment's thought for him.
Thanks for your support.
Rose xxx
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Rose,
I'm sending you warm wishes for your dad's full recovery. :cuddle;
I'll be thinking of you and your family.
Aleta
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:grouphug; :grouphug; :grouphug; :grouphug;
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Of course positive energy and good wishes with prayers coming your guys way.
Sorry to hear he is in so much pain..........
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We'll be praying for complete healing and God's will to be done.
With Love,
Leon
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:grouphug; Oh rose, thoughts and prayers are with your Dad and you. :cuddle;
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There will be lots of prayers said for your Dad, Rose. Hopefully, this will give him relief from all the pain he has been in. Sending you lots of hugs :cuddle;
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It's so hard to watch someone you love be in so much pain. My thoughts and prayers are with you both.
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Rose, I will be sending my thoughts and prayers to both you and your father. Please let us know how he is doing. :cuddle;
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:cuddle; :grouphug; :cuddle; :grouphug; :cuddle; :grouphug; :cuddle; :grouphug;
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Sending love and hugs to you both Rose. :cuddle;
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I can't believe there are so many replies already, you guys are the best :thumbup;. Thank you so much xxx
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I can't believe there are so many replies already, you guys are the best :thumbup;. Thank you so much xxx
We love you, Rose and want you to know we are here for you. :grouphug;
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Rose we are not going anywhere. We are always here. Good Luck for Dad. :grouphug;
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Sending all my best thoughts over the pond to you Rose, as well as to your Dad and your Mum. I'm keeping everything crossed that this will work for him, if it works for some then he may indeed be one of those successes. :grouphug;
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:grouphug; John and I are sending all our best wishes to your Dad and hope that the pain will soon be under control. Love to you and your Mum also. :bestwishes;
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I am sending good thoughts your way and hoping this procedure works to releve pain. Hope all goes well.
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Thanks everyone, I'm off soon to take them to the hotel where they will stay until morning. I will let you know later on tomorrow how things go but I am so grateful for all this support and love :grouphug;
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Prayers for Dad from us here in California. :grouphug;
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Just to update you, we are so upset, Dad did not get the sympathectomy. It's a long story but typical of the way the NHS is these days I'm finding - no communication between depts. We arrived at 7.50 a.m. and at 9.15 the consultant came to talk to Dad and check his medical history. At 12.15 he was taken the theatre and Mum & I went for a coffee, when we got back about 20 minutes later a nurse said the consultant wanted to see us, at that stage we feared the worst. It turned out that they had not tested his blood for platelets and because he had ITP at the start of the year they could not do the procedure until they knew they were over 100. We told them that at the last test they were still going up and had been 136 but they would not take our word for it and were unable to contact the hematologist for confirmation. We can't understand why the results were not on is records but it means that he has had to come home, still in pain that Fentanyl and morphine are not controlling adequately, and wait for another appointmet.
My Mum is so upset, she has had a bad couple of weeks as her youngest sister died unexpectedly 10 days ago and with Dad in this pain they are getting little sleep, at 78 she's feeling the strain of seeing him suffer. We hope they will get him in early next week, please keep those thoughts going.
Thanks everyone :grouphug;
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Aw Rose, I am so sorry. Your poor Dad must be sick of all of this. I am so very sorry about your Aunt. Your Mum has had so much dumped on her lately and I can only imagine how tired and worried she is. And I worry about you, always trying to take care of everyone. You are in my thoughts and prayers daily. :cuddle; :cuddle;
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Now I'm steaming furious and seriously fuming too, Rose. Platelets can be checked pretty darn quickly I do believe and it is inexcusable that your Dad is being shuttled from pillar to post as if he were a sack of flour with no apparent thought of the distance he's traveled let alone the pain he's in. If you write a letter we'll all sign it in support, heck I might come over to deliver it.
I do hope the hospital gets its act together SOON and that your Dad's pain can be relieved a bit. :Kit n Stik; for the hospital
:flower; :flower; for you and your Mum
:cuddle; for your Dad
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Sorry to hear about this setback, Rose. I will be sending more positive thoughts your way and hope this can all soon be sorted. :cuddle;
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Oh, Rose! I'm fuming for you right now. Bloodwork to test platelets is one of the easiest and quickest tests to do! Marvin has ITP, too.
I'm thinking of you and your parents. Hang in there!
Love you----
petey and Marvin
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Aaaaw Rose....
That's DREADFUL!... So it's not just Irish Hospitals who make these kind of errors, then....
When Mum was to have an AV Fistula created, they weren't going to do the op because my mum 'Didn't have the blood tests done last week like she had been told to do on her last Outpatient appointment'... She wasn't told... I got the reply "She must have been confused and forgot she was told to get the blood tests done"... To suggest that my mum was 'confused' because they made a stupid mistake made my blood boil... I very politely (through firmly gritted teeth) replied "IF Mum HAD been confused and forgotten, which she hasn't, I CERTAINLY haven't... I was with her at that appointment!"... They backed down pretty quickly, got the bloods done, and had her in theatre within the hour!... So it can be done if the will is there... Might have helped that I made not so veiled threats about making an official complaint to the hospital's CEO... It was dreadful for Mum, I can only imagine the stress your poor dad is going through...
All I can do is wish your poor dad, and your family all the very best, and may they get this sorted sooner rather than later...
:grouphug; :grouphug; :grouphug; to you all...
God bless...
Darth...
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Thanks again for all your support, I do appreciate it. :grouphug;
I haven't been able to tell the hospital exactly what I think of them because Dad still has to be treated and I do want them to fit him in as soon as possible. But once he has been treated and assuming it works (please God) then I will be writing a letter of complaint/constructive criticism suggesting that these sort of tests be carried out routinely. After all, how do they know that a 'normal' person doesn't have low platelets? Clearly Dad's were low before symptoms ever presented, so if it is that important to the procedure then surely everyone should be routinely tested?
I am promised a phone call tomorrow with a new date (but as those in the UK will certainly understand I'm not holding my breath). If I do not hear by early afternon I will chase it up because we have a bad enough week with my Aunt's funeral on Wednesday.
Thank you for the hugs and love for Mum & Dad, I will pass those on as it is a comfort to them to know that there are people who care about what is happening to them. So far this week Dad has had dialysis Monday (1hour each way trip), a trip of 2 hours each way Tues to get his line sorted as it was blocking, dialysis weds, a trip of 2 hours to the hotel on Thursday ready for Friday, wasted day at hopsital on Friday and 2 hour trip home and dialysis yesterday as he missed Friday. At nearly 81 with all the pain plus poor circulation, heart problems etc it is too much. I just hope they can get him an early date and then surely they wont mess him around again.
I'll let you know how things go,thanks again for the support.
Rose xx
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:cuddle; :cuddle; :cuddle;
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Rose, you Dad is continuously in my thoughts and prayers. My brother has ITP and has had a very bad time the past few weeks. His platelet count has been at 5,000(!) for three weeks. And, yes, normal is way over 100,000. They are doing everything and anything to help him. I am very worried. We all know he could start bleeding internally and there would be nothing to do fast enough. He is at home, but can't do anything. And he is feeling horrible. The medications are making him very sick. Sorry, kind of took this off topic. I raised Jack, we are very close. So, your Dad and Jack are all I can think about right now. God must be getting tired of me! "Hello God,it is me again! Watch over Jack and Rose's Dad, make them better" Sending you love, Rose :cuddle;
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God will never get tired of any of us, my prayers to Paris and Rose and others. I just imagine God has this HUGER than huge internet and fast fingers and he gets all our prayermails.
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Just to update - I had the promised phone call from the hospital yesterday followed by a confirmation letter to Dad this morning. They will admit him on Thursday (subject to a bed being available and we've been there before when there wasn't one ............. :thumbdown;) we have to ring at 9.30 Thursday. If there IS a bed they will take bloods so they have the results for the next morning (yes I too wonder why they did not do this last time!) and he is scheduled to go for his Sympathectomy on Friday morning, if all goes well he can come home that afternoon. So once again I ask you to please keep him in your thoughts. It is my Aunt's funeral tomorrow (Mum's youngest sister) so please keep my Mum your thoughts too as, at 79, she has a lot to cope with.
Bless you all for your kindness :grouphug;
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I'm sorry to hear your lost of your mother's sister. R.I.P
I give your Dad the warmest wishes to a speedy recovery.
-Matt
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Rose I've only just been reading this thread. The inexplicable practises of the NHS make my blood boil. What an incredible amount of suffering is this bringing to your poor dad and the stress involved for you and your Mum.
I do hope there's a bed for him on thursday and that everything can go ahead and hopefully ease his suffering and give you and your Mum some peace of mind.
My thoughts are with you all. :grouphug; :grouphug; :grouphug;
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Hi again, Rose...
I hope that it all works out for your dad on Thursday...
The death is an awful burden for your poor mum... May her sister RIP... I fully understand what's going on in her mind at the moment... My brother's been gone for almost five weeks now RIP...
I'll be thinking of, and praying for you all...
:grouphug; :grouphug; :grouphug; to you all....
Love...
Darth....
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I'm sending you lots of love and support, Rose, as well as my condolences on the loss of your Aunt.
Please continue to keep us updated. :grouphug;
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Hi Rose, I've only been on IHD intermittently over the last few weeks and I have completely missed this thread. Will they never get it right for your dad? Maybe just once you could go and they would treat him well and handle his case efficiently and with care. I'll keep envisioning that and hoping it comes true. Please give your mom my condolences on the loss of her sister. :cuddle;
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Hi Rose a big day today for you, I do hope there will be a bed for Dad, I can remember what it is like having to make that phone call keeping your fingers crossed while making it. I don't think human beings work for the NHS, I think when any one gets a job there they are sent off to a special school to learn how to cut off feelings for anyone. Just can't understand the way they work.
I do wish Dad all the luck in the world to get him through this ordeal to day, and hope it will take place.
also to you and Mum for the loss of her Sister and your Aunt
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Thanks Yvonne, Linda and everyone else. We have to call at 9.30 today (it's 7 now) I just pray they say come on over (it's a 2 hour drive in heavy traffic so the sooner we can get started the better). I'll let you know what happens.
Love to all, Rose xx
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Hi Rose...
Is there any news???...
God bless...
Darth....
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Well we got to the hospital at 12.15, had some lunch in the cafeteria and then went up to the ward at 12.45 (having been told to be there by 1). They didn't appear to be expecting Dad and asked if we'd like to go to the cafeteria and have a cup of tea? No, we replied, we had just had a meal and a drink and didn't fancy traipsing back down a floor and across 2 long corridors. Oh well, they had nowhere to sit us so could we sit out in the corridor until they sorted a bed WTH!! Anyway long story short they eventually found a bed on a another ward (the plastic surgery ward! – Mum and I wear tempted to jump into an empty bed and see if we could get a face lift). But is beyond a joke. I only hope that tomorrow they will get things moving and Dad will be treated and home by this time. We shall see and I'm not holding my breath!
| Will let you know how tomorrow goes as soon as I can, thank you all for your concern.
Rose xxxxxxxxx
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Rose, if it doesn't get done this time, it may be time to lose it and yell at them about insensitivity and cruelty. I'm keeping everything crossed that all will work out and that your Dad will have less pain.
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Oh, Rose, you are and your father are in my thoughts. Your father is fortunate to have you for an advocate in this frustrating situation. Please let us know how it all goes. :cuddle;
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Hi Rose...
Great to know that your dad is finally in hospital...
I have to agree with Monrein... If they don't get it right tomorrow, it's time to throw a tantrum... As a hospital chaplin at our local hospital told me when Mum was two days on a trolley in A&E waiting for a bed, and was on the verge of just stopping treatment she was so distressed... "It's time to be a B with an itch, Darth!"... He was right... I threw a tantrum that any two year old would have been proud of... Told the CEO that he had an hour to sort out a bed for her or I was going screaming to the media... Twenty minutes later, he called me to say that there'd be a bed for her within the hour!... I'm not proud of how I behaved, but when your back is against the wall, and it's your loved one suffering, you'll fight like a tiger to get them treated properly... And let's face it, if WE don't fight their corner for them, who will???...
I wish your dad and all of your family all the very best over the next few days... Please keep us informed...
How did your mum cope with the funeral???...
God bless...
Darth...
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"B with an itch" - I'm going to remember that one :rofl; I'm sure the hospital staff would think it out of character for someone with the name Rose to become B with an itch, but that would make it all the more effective, wouldn't it?!
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Yep Pelagia... And they never expected this middle-aged wheelchair using, carer to turn into the Patient Relative from Hell, but I did... >:D... Suppose it made my rant more effective, though!... :rofl;...
I'm told that the staff on the ward have a greater respect for me now that they know I'll fight tooth and nail to ensure that my mum's properly taken care of...
Love...
Dart...
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:thumbup; :thumbup;
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Rose my fingers are still crossed for your Dad, I do hope all goes well and he is home today.
What on earth is going on with the NHS, if you read back on one of my letters were I had to write a letter of complaint to PALs as it took them from 9.30am to 4.30 pm to have John signed out of his bed. I kept saying to them there must be some one else who is waiting for this bed if you sign him out they can have it. He still had the needle thing in his wrist and was waiting for it to be removed but at 4pm I completly lost it and told one of the nurses I'm taking him now and I will get my Dr. to remove it, that made them jump and John was out within the next half hour. Sorry to go on a bit but reading some of these letters bring back so many memories, no wonder John and I are now completely grey haired.Yvonne
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Well after a few more small issues [like being told at 9.00 to get there within 2 hours to bring Dad home and then sitting waiting until 2.30 when he was finally discharged] Dad is now home and recovering. The procedure was carried out with no complications, he may still have some pain for the next 3 weeks or so - it may even get worse at times as the capillaries in the foot open - but hopefully he will then be a lot better and free from most of the pain. We have to cross our fingers and pray that this will be the case as we are warned it does not work for all.
I was so annoyed to be told to rush over to collect Dad (it takes nearly 2 hours to drive there) and then be kept waiting, that at 2.15 I said we were going at 2.30 discharge papers or no discharge papers and taking Dad with us (we didn't need any medication as there was no change) - surprisingly :sarcasm; they arrived at 2.28!!!
Dad seems OK and is happily telling everyone about the 2 prisoners who were brought onto the ward - chained and cuffed to officers - and who spent the night there, which was rather spooky as last time he was in hopsital he had a dream that the person in the bed opposite was a prisoner and had a police officer with him! I wish he could dream the lottery numbers :rofl;
It's dialysis tomorrow for him as he missed today, so he will be worn out, but I hope this is the end of a period of dreadful pain and sleepless nights. I also hope Mum will be able to sleep and regain her strength after what has been a dreadful few weeks.
Thank you all so much for your kind words and caring support, over this and the loss of my Aunt, it really means a lot. :grouphug;
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So glad you're home Rose and that the issues were minor, although certainly irritating. It's also nice that your dear Dad has an interesting prisoner story to relate to anyone who'll listen...beats the heck out of NHS horror stories. :grouphug;
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:waving; Rose, I am sorry to be so late in wishing your Dad the best, I'll keep praying. :cuddle;
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Rose, I am wishing you all clear skies and smooth sailing for a bit. Lean back, feel the breeze and maybe sip on something soothing. :cuddle;
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:bestwishes; :grouphug; :flower; All for you Rose, and Mum and Dad, try to keep smiling Yvonne
Edited : Fixed smiley error - paris, Moderator
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Hi Rose...
Is there any news of your dad???...
Hope all's going well...
God bless...
Darth...
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Hi Darth and thanks for asking about Dad.
It's been a week now since the sympathectomy but unfortunately he is still in a lot of pain - it comes and goes but has not reduced as we'd hoped. No-one told him how long it might take, I was under the impression that it would be immediate, Dad said the surgeon told him 3 weeks (then he said perhaps he'd said 3 days or 3 months!) but our GP said on Tuesday that it was still early days. He has prescribed slow release morphine tablets and some stronger Fentanyl patches, but Dad is still in pain. I have been unable to contact the surgeon as he is now on holiday but I still cling to the (very vague) hope that it may still work. We can't have him going on in pain like this, it is also wearing Mum down as they are only getting about 2 hours sleep a night, 4 hours if they're really lucky and she is becoming worn out.
Thank you Darth and everyone else for your support, if anyone knows anything about sympathectomies - particularly how long they take to work, I'd be pleased to hear. I have looked it up on the web but basically it tells you what one is, not when it should be effective. Any ideas on pain relief also welcome - the only thing that worked was Lyrica (pregabalin) but that took the use of his legs and he kept collapsing which was far too dangerous.
Love to all
Rose xx
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Sorry Rose i have no advice to offer.
But your father has been through enough already. I pray he can get some pain relief. Does he take any sleeping pills to help et him through the night?
Prayers your father gets back to normal, bless your mother i am sure this is taking its toll on her and as you have mentioned.
Big :grouphug; to you and your family.
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Rose...
While the surgeon may not be available at the moment, it should still be possible to get advice from the hospital... If you phone and ask to speak to the consultant's registrar, you should be able to get advice and information...
Please wish your parents all the very best from me... I hope your dad recovers quickly... For your mum's sake as well as his...
God bless you all... Please keep us informed...
:grouphug; :grouphug; :grouphug;
Love...
Darth....
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Sorry Rose i have no advice to offer.
But your father has been through enough already. I pray he can get some pain relief. Does he take any sleeping pills to help et him through the night?
No he doesn't, we asked the GP about sleeping pills this week but he sad no, he wants to get the pain under control and sleeping pills are not the answer - we had hoped they would be a short term solution to get Mum some sleep (if Dad sleeps then she will). If things are not improved by Monday I will ask again if he can have them just for a couple of nights.
Thanks Darth, I will see if I can get hold of someone.
Thank you both for your caring thoughts.,
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Rose,
Please post or send me a little more information, if you can, on what they did for your dad's leg and why. Based on what you already posted and what I can remember from earlier, I poked around on the web. A sympathectomy cuts off the sympathetic nerves to the blood vessels. Those nerves tell the blood vessels to constrict or dialate. This can be done either physically or chemically (and I read somewhere that they commonly do it chemically now). My guess is that the effect of cutting the nerve should be almost immediate. On the other hand, what if the blood vessel is not as flexible as it once was? Perhaps there is some "stretching" time involved.
This might be difficult, but can he do any sort of exercise to get the blood going in the leg? Have they said that the problem with pain arises because of poor blood flow (peripheral artery disease)? That's a common cause mentioned on the websites I've been reading.
:cuddle;
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Hi Linda
Dad has PVD (veins and arteries). They tried to do a fem-pop bypass of the leg but said the veins weer too calcified. His big toe is black and has dry gangrene at the tip but they are not going to treat it unless it becomes infected as they hope it will separate and drop off (sorry if anyone is eating!). He is in a lot of pain from it, they have tried lots of painkillers including morphine and the only one that worked so far was Lyrica but even in a low dose he kept collapsing so it had to stop. He had a chemical sympathectomy 8 days ago, it does not seem to have helped. He can't walk more than a few steps so exercise is out, he is also so very tired. I have bought a circulation booster http://www.circulationbooster.co.uk/gbu0-display/splash.html?&utm_source=Yahoo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=circulation+boosterutm_campaign=Circulation but even getting him to use that regularly is difficult as he really is exhausted and quite despondent now, he had pinned his hopes on the sympathectomy.
Thanks for your concern.
Rose xx
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I found an article which offers some insights. It's pretty long and I can't say I read every word. (And this message is pretty long too...)
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=2377607&blobtype=pdf (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=2377607&blobtype=pdf)
Some of the highlights I picked up:
"in the diseased lower limb the normal flow may be expected to be doubled by sympathectomy"
There is a bit of discussion to indicate that for physical sympathectomy the flow of blood increases immediately, but then decreases a bit over about a week until it stabilizes.
The article states that depending on the severity of claudication (leg problems associated with PVD), the degree of relief from a sympathectomy will vary. Briefly:
Grade 1-The patient develops pain on walking, but the pain clears as the walking continues. Sympathectomy not recommended.
Grade 2 - Pain develops on exercise and continues, but the patient can, with effort, still walk. The collateral circulation is here still fairly good but not adequate. Sympathectomy usually leads to improvement.
Grade 3.-These patients are compelled by the pain to halt absolutely. Sympathectomy will not improve their claudication and they may require in addition tendo-calcaneus section (this means severing the Achilles tendon). Before this is done, the hips, knees and ankles should be X-rayed to exclude any latent osteoarthritis which is liable to be flared by the foot slapping action after tendon section. Few patients, except working men, are prepared to change their claudication for a quite unpleasant limp. (and sorry, but at this point I have no idea why cutting the Achilles tendon affects claudication...)
This statement seems important:
"Emotion, fear and pain can cause intense peripheral vasoconstriction, and reassurance is thus an important therapeutic agent."
and the author finishes up with this section (which seems to support the idea of using the circulation booster you purchased):
"Local metabolite formation is the strongest stimulus of all to vessel dilatation, and when the patient cannot walk, his muscles may need electrical stimulation. The use of some endocrine agents, such as testosterone, as vasodilators has a place. Septic foci need to be eradicated, for they are factors favouring thrombosis. Anaemia or polycythiaemia may require correction. Many investigators have stressed recently the importance of the lipo-protein metabolism; and low cholesterol and fat diets may be necessary. A good head of pressure is needed to maintain collateral vessel flow, and the myocardium and general condition needs attention. Too often a sympathectomy is regarded as the journey's end of treatment. In fact, we overlook that we are treating diseased individuals; not merely local disease."
This seems like a tough challenge, but clearly any stimulation of the muscles is going to help, not hurt.
And here are some excerpts about drug treatments (not Lyrica?) from the PAD section (they don't seem to have a PVD section) on the Prevention.com website:
http://www.prevention.com/cda/vendorarticle/peripheral-arterial-disease/NW706/health/conditions.treatments/0/0/treatment (http://www.prevention.com/cda/vendorarticle/peripheral-arterial-disease/NW706/health/conditions.treatments/0/0/treatment)
Cilostazol (Pletal). This drug widens the arteries that supply blood to the legs and is the most effective claudication medication. Side effects are rare and include headache, mild palpitations, loose stools and nausea. You should not take this medication if you have congestive heart failure.
Pentoxifylline (Trental). Used to improve blood flow by changing the shape of the blood cells and to reduce claudication, this medication is much less effective than cilostazol, however, and isn't used as often. Side effects include insomnia, nervousness or red eyes, or, in more severe cases, an allergic reaction, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, severe dizziness, headache, nosebleeds, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and swollen feet or ankles. This drug is usually considered a "second line" medication.
I wonder too if something like fish oil, which is anti-inflammatory, could help. Did he ever take that? I also wondered if acupuncture would help. They mention it on the Prevention.com site but don't offer much insight. Based on what I see using Google Scholar, they are trying it for claudication and diabetic neuropathy with some success:
http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200618/000020061806A0603392.php (http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200618/000020061806A0603392.php)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17641562 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17641562)
I hope this is somewhat useful. Hugs to your dad and mom and you, too. :cuddle;
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Hi Linda
Thank you for all this information. I have read the article and my main conclusion is that the sympathectmy hasn't worked, although the article appears to be about operative and not chemical ones, however I would expect the results to be much the same?
The main problem with the Pletal and Trental (and any other medication) is that he also has issues with ITP (platelets) and takes 12 other drugs (including Omeprazole and Clopidigrel) and has coronary heart disease - so it's a balancing act for the GP to trade off one issue against another. He also has an aortic aneurysm, hypertension, gout and angina!
I think we are at the stage where we have to look at pain control or consider amputation which I know he wants to avoid at almost all costs. Acupuncture has to be worth investigating and I will make some inquiries. I will also encourage him to use the circulation booster but some days he just doesn't want to be bothered and I fully understand that, he's been through too much.
Thank you for all the time you've put into this I will certainly discuss all of these suggestions and issues with the GP.
Bless you for caring :cuddle;
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Dear Rose, Anytime there is a Hospital, Involved, it can be Difficult. I Know. Take Comfort, in knowing that there are
People, in the US and other Countries, Thinking and Praying, for You and Your Parents . :waving;
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Hi Rose...
How are you doing???...
Is there any news of your dad???... Did you manage to get hold of the Registrar???...
Thinking of, and praying for you all...
Take care...
God bless....
Darth...
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Hi Darth sorry for not replying sooner. Yes I eventually managed to talk to someone and they said that it varies from person to person, with some people it is instant, usually the results are starting to show within 3 days, but it can be longer. However they stressed again that it does not work for everyone and said that if he has no relief after a month I am to ring for an appointment to see the consultant again and they will fit him in within 2 weeks.
We have a glimmer of hope in that Dad hasn't asked for extra painkillers yesterday or today, although he still has the patches and a slow release tablet at night (which should last 12 hours) he isn't asking for a top up in the day as he was last week - he is allowed another slow release tablet in the day if he needs it but if he doesn't then that surely has to be a good sign.
I'll keep an eye on things, at the moment his GP is being very good and I think he will get him sorted if he can, he's never seemed interested before and has a bit of a reputation generally for telling people to "take an aspirin" but to be fair he even rang on a couple of occasions to ask how things are and seems genuinely concerned that he is inpain.
We'll keep crossing fingers and saying prayers,maybe it is startig to work. Thank you somuch for your prayers, it means a lot :cuddle;
Rose xx
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No apology needed, Rose... Let's face it, you and your poor mum have more than enough to be doing than worrying about replying to me... As a carer myself, I fully understand the priority...
Great that your GP's taking an interest... Sometimes the most appearantly aloof people turn out to be the most helpful... There's a GP in our local surgery who does locum cover... Lots of people hate him, but he and I get along great... We understand each other, and we can BOTH be depended on to let the other one know if they're being a pain!!!... We're both known to tell the other where to go when the need arises!!!... It's respect running in both directions...
Good sign that your dad's not looking for extra pain relief... It'll probably happen that he'll need the odd extra dose, but it's certainly looking promising... It'll be great if this works out for him... God knows he's gone through enough... How's your mum doing???... She getting any more sleep???...
Rose, please feel free to PM me ANYTIME!... As a fellow carer, you're speaking my language... If I can help at all, let me know...
May God bless, and protect you, your dad, and your mum...
Take care...
Darth...
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Today is the first day for over 2 months that Dad has not had any pain at all, of course he's on a lot of painkillers but he's been on those for a while, maybe the sympathectomy is working after all?? His toes look a little pinker (apart fromwhere they are black) and he has managed to get a proper slipper on, until now he's had to wear one with the toe cut out. Baby steps I know but we have to try to stay positive (hard somewitmes!). He slept better last night and although Mum is finding it tough I think if she can get some sleep she will feel a little better too. The downside is that he is very sleepy and seems to have picked up a tummy bug so Mum has had some extra washing (too much info!) but the GP has called and given him something to help. We sat out in the sun for an hour today (although he slept for a good part of it) and it was nice to get some fresh air, I think we all felt better for that.
:thx; Thanks again for all your support, I can't remember how I found this site but I'll always be grateful that I did, grateful to Epoman for setting it up and grateful to the admin and moderators who work so hard behind the scenes to keep his dream alive . :grouphug;
Thank you Darth for your prayers and your support t really does mean such a lot :cuddle;
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This is good news Rose. Baby steps, but in the right direction. Let's hope his pain continues to diminish and that his need for pain meds diminishes along with it.
Alene and Rolando
:grouphug;
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Oh Rose, it's good to hear that your dad's doing a bit better pain-wise... :yahoo;... Pity about the tummy bug (I've been there with the results of that little bug)... Your mum and I could compare laundry loads, and detergent... And whether Domestos or Parazone is the best bleach to use!!!... :rofl;... However, on the other hand, it's better than the usual results of the heavier pain meds... You don't want him having the opposite problem!!!... TMI perhaps, but hey... It's one of the joys of being a carer!!!...
The sleepiness may well be as much about his total exhaustion from the trauma of the past few weeks... Now that he's feeling a bit better pain-wise, he may be better able to rest... He won't sleep unless he needs it... That's what Mum's nephrologist says when she's sleeping more than usual...
You're MORE than welcome to any little bit of support I can give you... That's what friends are for, isn't it???... You've supported me when I've needed it!...
Please keep in touch...
Love to your parents...
God bless...
Darth...
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Rose that's just the best news! I so hoope that your Dad continues with lessening pain and less need for as many painkillers. :cuddle;
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:cuddle; Rose, good news - hoping it gets more stable around there and you can all get some much needed rest!
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Thank you all so much for genuinely being happy to share this bit of better news :flower;. You are all so kind it makes me quite tearful (in a good way).
Darth you did make me laugh with your comments about domestos etc :rofl; we had to throw some things in the bin (wrapped in a black sack). What with the results of the tummy upset and the blood all over a white vest that even domestos couldn't shift (nose bleed when Dad fell and banged it rushing to the toilet) Mum is expecting the police to come knocking on Monday when the bins are emptied :rofl;
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Darth you did make me laugh with your comments about domestos etc :rofl; we had to throw some things in the bin (wrapped in a black sack). What with the results of the tummy upset and the blood all over a white vest that even domestos couldn't shift (nose bleed when Dad fell and banged it rushing to the toilet) Mum is expecting the police to come knocking on Monday when the bins are emptied :rofl;
Oh yes????..... It was a nose bleed, eh???... I don't believe it!!!... ;D... Admit it Rose, you've murdered someone!!!.... You'll have to stop the slaughter!!!... And be careful with the bin... Legs sticking out over the edge does tend to attract attention!... I DO understand that it's difficult when you've run out of places to hide the bodies!... :rofl; By the way... Toothpaste takes blood out easily!... And I don't know about your mum, but my favorite bleach is Domestos... Works well, and doesn't pong (quite) as badly as Parazone...!!!...
But I'm with your mum... The amount of black bags I use since Mum went into kidney failure is huge... I'd say I'm not an environmentalist's favourite person!!!... Mind you, the amount of packaging we produce with all the dialysis stuff anyway... Oh boy!... And it'll get worse this evening... We've a new microwave oven coming... Our present one is on it's last waves... Noticed a spark inside it this morning when I was making my porridge... Time to replace it!... The salesman's a real gem... Rather than charging me a delivery charge, and have me wait for delivery, he said he'll drop it to us on his way home this evening... He's very empathetic to Mum's situation... I LOVE this particular store... They're BRILLIANT!... I never even buy a kettle elsewhere... They provide a great service...
Glad your dad's still doing better... It's lovely to have good news!...
Please give your mum my best regards... She's obviously one in a million!!!... :flower;
Keep in touch, Rose... I REALLY want to know how things are going...
God bless...
Darth...
Edited: Fixed quote tag error - okarol/admin
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You've sussed it, it was the arm sticking out of the bin that gave it away wasn't it :rofl;
Thanks for the tip about toothpaste, I'll try that, we have most of it out now (with 1001 spray and a lot of elbow grease) but a couple of spots are proving hard to shift.
Mum is one in a million, she really is. I know everyone says they have the best Mum in the world, but I really do, that's why I like to do everything I can to help her. (Yes she favours Domestos too :thumbup;).
What a fantastic salesman,you don't find many like that. I recently bought a new washing machine and our local independent electrical retailer wouldn't let me pay until I'd used it several times and was happy! Other places want your money weeks before you get the goods. I always go there first to see if they have (or canget) what I want - and they are no dearer than the chains!,in fact my Dyson was £5 cheaper than the 'offer' at Currys!
I will give your best regards to Mum, she doesn't really understand the internet etc but she does know I have some good friends here. God bless you and your Mum :cuddle;
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You've sussed it, it was the arm sticking out of the bin that gave it away wasn't it :rofl;
No... It was the fact that you forgot to take the smelly sock off the foot BEFORE putting it in the bin... Gas mask can now be retired now, I presume???... :rofl;
It IS good to get a good salesman... Mum's delighted with the new micro... We wanted one that had the features of our old one... Fan Assisted Oven, and Grill... And as it's the same brand as our last one, it's controls are very similar... Saves having to learn to use YET another gadget!...
Thanks for the good wishes for my mum, and give your mum my very best regards...
Keep in touch...
God bless...
:cuddle;
Darth....
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Rose...
What's the latest on your dad???... How's he (and your mum) doing???...
My mum's doing very well, thank God... Had a scare during the week http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=14318.msg251995#msg251995 but everything appears to be okay now, thank God...
How's your usage of black plastic bags doing???... Are you a little more 'Enviornmentally Friendly'?... I can't afford to talk though....
Another mountain of packaging tomorrow... It was my birthday last Wed., and my gift from my godson (paid for by his dad, of course... Clever boy!) is a 42inch TV for the living room!... It's being delivered tomorrow... Well actually, he sent me a cheque for the cost, and I went shopping to my usual haunt to buy it... Same place as I got the microwave... It's nice to support the good local retailer, and these people are great... Mum's like a child waiting for her new toy to arrive... The TV is more for her than me... She uses the Living Room to dialyse, so she spends a lot of time there... This will give her something to do... Watching the soaps!... The salesman even threw in a DVD player, DVD Cable, Wall Bracket, and Delivery too as a "Little Birthday Present"...
Anyway, please pass on my best wishes to your parents... Particularly your mum... I hope she's getting a little more rest...
God bless you all...
Love...
Darth...
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Hello Darth (and everyone)
Dad seems a little better just now, thank you for asking. He is in less pain - although still on the patches he isn't taking as much morphine on top (somedays he doesn't need any) so that is a good sign. It does mean that they are getting a little more sleep. He still gets occasional bouts of vomitting, unexpected so you can imagine the problems!! The black sacks are less but the use of persil/bold etc is not lessening ;) We never did get allthe blood out of the carpet so mum is getting that replaced as soon as we can get round to going to look for new floor covering,I've never liked carpet in a bathroom and neither has mum (it was there when they moved in) so we'll get something that is washable.
Sorry to hear of your mum's 'scare' and glad to see it was allsorted, it's such a worry isn't it. I always fear the worst!
A belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY :bestwishes; ............wish my godchildren were as generous as yours!! I'm lucky if I get a card. Once again your local retailer has turned up trumps. I completely agree about supporting them, particularly when they are so good. How's the recession affecting your town? Ours isn't too bad, a few empty shops but not bad, although it is only a small town of 10,000 pop....the bigger towns around us seem to have about 30% of their shops empty and it's quite depressing.
Best wishes to you and your mum, I hope she enjoys her (your :rofl;) new TV.
Rose xxx
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Ooooops, sorry Rose...
Just saw this post now!...
How are things???... Dad still doing well????... How's your mum???... She getting more rest???...
Mum's clinging onto the TV remote... I'd need a crowbar to prise it out of her hand!!!... Loves her (MY) new toy.... Still, if it keeps her happy...
Recession has hit this area of Dublin very hard... Numerous shop and factory closures... My best friend's Food Manufacturing company has gone into receivership... I think the whole of Ireland is just hanging on by the skin of it's teeth, and hoping to ride the recession out... Sadly many companies won't survive... And even more sadly, neither will a lot of the company directors... When my brother was buried, there were fresh graves beside his, and beside that one again... I was told that they were both businessmen, one in his sixties, and one in his thirties... Both deaths are as a result of suicide... May they both find peace...
Anyway... Take of yourself...
May God bless and protect you and your parents...
Very best wishes...
Darth...