May 25th, 2016
This past week was a challenge with Mr. Stone. He was in a lot of pain and was difficult to communicate with.
The caretaker reported that his doctor said it is unsafe to turn him on his side to work along the spine and in the lumbar region. That’s where he experiences the most pain. I should’ve done this long ago, but I asked if I could speak with the doctor, which I did. He said to give him whatever he wants, there’s no danger from turning him or working on the muscles along the back and in the lumbar area.
I’ve always maintained that someone in his situation should have whatever he wants.
Mr. Stone is difficult for sure. He requested long ago that we use a foam wedge to elevate his torso while on the table. I’ve mentioned that this might be causing more lower back pain, he said he didn’t care. He asked the other day to be transferred back to bed, then back to the table, then back to bed again. I told him this was too much lifting and could be dangerous for our backs, he said he didn’t care. When we didn’t respond immediately, he cried. He’s a bit much. I convinced him to do away with the wedge, I worked on his back in the side-lying position, and he relaxed into the massage ands stayed on the table.
It’s all a matter of problem solving.