Life with Neuropathy:
Giving Mom a Break About Her Meds
Hi, my name is John and I have neuropathy.
When you have any type of PN: peripheral neuropathy (idiopathic or otherwise) you must deal with far more than the everyday issues of life. Find out more about my story here. One of the stresses I face is constant pain. Pain all over, worse at some times, far worse at others. So I have a collection of medications, natural supplements, and vitamins to help ease my discomfort. Or at least try to do so.
My Mom, who died last year, had a large cache of bottles and prescription drugs that she had to keep track of to deal with her own medical issues.
I can't tell you the number of times that I had long and detailed conversations with her about her medications. I miss those calls. Mostly because she'd also ask me about my own burgeoning health issues and aches and pains and I appreciated hearing the care and concern in her voice.
But when she asked about her own prescriptions she could get very confused. It was sad to see this former school teacher get tangled up in bewilderment about her medications and what the dosages should or shouldn't be and what side effects she might expect. She never seemed to get things quite right. And I expected her to. I thought to myself, if she would only take everything that she needed to at just the right time, things would be better for her. Easier. She'd be hurting less, breathing easier, and thinking more clearly.
Eventually she started having trouble understanding numbers and how counting, addition, and subtraction worked. Multiplication and division were impossible for her. So she struggled. And asked the same questions over and over. And tried to figure out what she should be taking and how much she should be taking and when she should be taking it.
I got so frustrated. How hard was it to take the right things at the right time? I mean really...
And then I got PN and started getting various medications that were supposed to help with pain. Things that had to be taken at certain times and at certain doses. Things that usually didn't work and that often gave me side effects. And then there were the supplements. Some were suggested by my neurologist, some by online research, and some that were supposed to encourage deeper sleep and more comfort at night -- in the darkness -- when things always seemed to get worse.
I realized after a period of several days that I'd been forgetting to take one of my new meds. How could I have made such a mistake? I felt embarrassed. How could I mess up like this?
And then I thought of Mom. And her troubles and her questions and suddenly realized how simple it is to forget something, to get confused about what should be taken and when. I should have given my Mom a break. Been more understanding, more supportive. More patient.
After all, her physical weakness and confused thinking weren't her fault. Such losses were caused by various long-term health issues. It was tough trying to keep the many different messages from her doctors straight especially when someone was always "adjusting" her meds. Usually, without any input from her.
I started to understand better because I was facing the same issues. And I messed up. I didn't get my meds all right. I hurt and I had more questions. Just like she did.
This opened my eyes. Helped me see that not everyone can handle things on their own. Some can't even handle things with others assisting them. But we all try. Attempt to do our best. And that's good. It's OK.
I have a sweet loving wife to help me and family and friends who care, but many of us don't have the necessary support we'd like or need as we age.
And so we ask questions. And ask more questions. And keep trying to get things right. Not only for us, but for those we love.
Please, please be patient with us. And then a little more patient. We'd really appreciate it.
Thanks for taking the time to read my Life with Neuropathy articles. Here's to new options, more strength, and greater healing for all of us. And thanks for listening.
John
P.S. To follow my Life with Neuropathy blog, visit lifewithneuropathy.blogspot.com. Find the three lines next to the search button in the upper right hand corner and click "Follow." You'll be notified of my future blogs. Would love to have you on my core team of readers!
P.P.S. For further thoughts visit Let's Talk about Mobility, Let's Talk about Speed, Let's Talk about Changes, or Let's Talk about Giving Thanks. You can also read about Using a Handicap Placard, Walker Envy, Saying "Owww" when it hurts, Calluses and dealing with Pain, or the Humor of finding out your personal walker was a star on the TV show Monk! Here are a few thoughts on Exhaustion. If you have to grab a grab bar click here. Finally, if you ever find yourself dropping things like I do, please read this and its sequel about the difference between Tossing Something and Dropping It!
Thanks, Boston Public Library, for the perfect picture. Photo by https://unsplash.com/@bostonpubliclibrary.
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