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Monday, October 25, 2010

Okay- so...more conversation about cough medicine

Okay- so last night went fine. Mom was really tired and I had to wake her up in her chair to take her medicines. She went to bed probably around 11:00 PM and slept until 7:30 AM. Yeah! No coughing or anything! She says she felt good.

So... at 9:30 AM we had to leave for a doctor's appointment for my Dad. Mom wanted cough medicine. I told her I would give it to her at 10AM. She raised a fit and kept yelling at me even after we got in the car. I turned on the radio. She started screaming- "Okay then! Try and drown me out."

I turned off the radio.

"Mom, I will give it to you at 10AM."

"I'm going to ask your Dad's doctor if I should be able to take it."

"No- you won't. This is Dad's appointment and it is about him. If you need to see the doctor, I will take you."

I asked Mom if she had taken her inhaler.

"Yes! As soon as I got up. That just makes it easier to breathe. It doesn't help the cough."

Right before we got to the doctor's office, she took out her inhaler and took a puff on it.

"Mom, I thought you had used your inhaler."

"Yes, I did."

"You can only use it 4 times a day."

"Yes, two puffs four times a day."

Get to the clinic and ask Mom if she needs to see a doctor.

"No! I just need my cough medicine."

I pour her medicine and try to hand it to her. She just looks at me and makes no move to take it. In the mean time, Dad is getting out of the car.

"Do you want this?"

"Yes!" Grabs it out of my hand.

We go in to Dad's appointment, which went very well.

There is a coffee shop in the clinic, so they go in for a cappuccino and I get an iced tea. They sit in there and talk to the barista (my dad worked with her for a while when he worked briefly for Star Bucks)

The pharmacy is right next door so I go there and ask if there is ANY cough medicine she can take along with Mucinex. No. Nothing. Nada. And they explain why.

I go out and explain to Mom and she doesn't believe it. I ask if she would like to talk to the pharmacist. She wants to and she does, and she gets the same result. Except now in talking to the pharmacist, she decides she will take Delsym cough medicine at night (12 hour dose) and then Mucinex during the day if she needs it. Okay. Fine. Buy Delsym.

On the way home, Mom uses her inhaler two more times. Ask her again about how often she should use it. She gets mad. Decide I just need to call doctor.

10:00 PM. Take Mom's meds to her.

"I don't want that. I want my Mucinex and my Robitussin."

"you can have one of the other. But you and the pharmacist said you were going to take Delsym."

"Why won't you listen to me?"

"Do you want Delsym or Mucinex?"

"Mucinex. I'm going to write all of this down and show Dr. P. She will understand I need both!"

"Okay. Good night Mom."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry that you are going through all of this with her.

I can't think of a thing to add... She is obviously still trying to be a Nurse, and trying to be "in charge" of her life.

Just know that I continue to hold you, your parents, and your entire family in my heart and my prayers.

(((hugs))) Thim