My mom is not recovering from back surgery as we had hoped
Posted By RichC on August 15, 2012
It has been a tough week so far running back and forth to Columbus and OSU Medical Center to check on my mom and doesn’t look as if the next week will be much better. She is back in the hospital after never really recovering from her back surgery in May. 
Rehab in a nursing facility has been difficult and the pain too much for her to take – and for me to see. After another visit with the infectious disease doctor, he indicated that he could not in good conscience send her back without some new images and testing. So since Friday she has been poke and prodded, imaged and scanned … and questioned to the point of frustration by the excellent doctors and staff at OSU.
Thankfully while in the hospital they have given her stronger pain meds, but the results and conclusions have not been promising. The surgery to relieve the pressure on the nerves due to the compression fracture and infection(s) have not improved and she is having additional deterioration. The vertebrae are collapsing and squeezing the spinal column causing pain, numbness and loss of bladder and bowel control. The prognosis is that there can be no additional surgical repair and that medicating for pain is the only option. The is some hope that additional antibiotics could improve the infected tissue and vertebrae, but the question is becoming “quality of life” oriented. Mom’s asking every time they want to do something new, “what for?” Sadly, she is right … just suffering longer wouldn’t be my desire either. So today I’ve been making the hospice calls to see how to best proceed … those who have been through it know just how difficult these decisions are.
On a brighter note, I received an email invite (below) from a fellow Miami University alum inviting me to stop in and see him tomorrow night. No promises “Paul” … I’d love to be there! 
(sent the info to Taylor since he was moving back into his house for the school year … maybe he’ll go?)
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