My mother, who is 83, had part of her colon removed about 6 years ago. She had gone in for a routine colonoscopy and within a few days had to have emergency surgery for perforated bowel...just a coincidence...right! Anyway, since then she has spells when she feels overfull and can't eat, sometimes for 1-3 days. She feels like she needs to vomit, but can't. When she finally does, she usually fells better. Since her surgery, she also has constant diarrhea, which docs have told her she must live with. She is very careful with her diet, although others cook for her at her assisted living facility.
Two years before her colon surgery, she had a pacemaker put in, so her blood is continually monitored for cumadin level. Her levels are up and down all the time and her general physician has referred her to a anti-coagulation clinic. This means that she has to go to the clinic to have her blood tested and monitored, rather than being able to have a visiting nurse come to her home (assisted living). I think this is causing her stress and making her levels more erratic than ever. How can anyone regulate medication like that for someone who has such problems with digestion?
Mom is very in-tune with her body and questions everything...a good thing! She suspects that the form of some of the medication that she takes for her heart, capsules, are part of the problem with the digestion. Two of them are in capsule form and she says when she vomits, or even sometimes in her stool, the gel capsules are still intact. She thinks that she just can't tolerate the capsules themselves.
Very complicated and frustrating. Any thoughts?
Two years before her colon surgery, she had a pacemaker put in, so her blood is continually monitored for cumadin level. Her levels are up and down all the time and her general physician has referred her to a anti-coagulation clinic. This means that she has to go to the clinic to have her blood tested and monitored, rather than being able to have a visiting nurse come to her home (assisted living). I think this is causing her stress and making her levels more erratic than ever. How can anyone regulate medication like that for someone who has such problems with digestion?
Mom is very in-tune with her body and questions everything...a good thing! She suspects that the form of some of the medication that she takes for her heart, capsules, are part of the problem with the digestion. Two of them are in capsule form and she says when she vomits, or even sometimes in her stool, the gel capsules are still intact. She thinks that she just can't tolerate the capsules themselves.
Very complicated and frustrating. Any thoughts?