Aa
Memory loss
My husband had a motor cycle accident in 1975 in which he broke every bone from the waist down. Lost his right leg through major nerve damage (the nerves were ripped from the spine). He has had serious pain due to the nerve damage and has been on methodone for a number of years for this. In 2007 he had a hip replacement done and ended up having 3 operations within one week because of complications. My question is could the buildup of medications etc cause him to now have memory loss, language skills loss and tremors in his right hand. He walked in to the hospital on crutches and now is dependent on a wheelchair.
Dear Tiger,
Wow, that is an amazing story about your husband. Gosh, he did SO well after his accident, pulling himself back together and becoming quite the intellectual, and, in my view, he made himself perfectly normal and his mind was strong and his only physical problem was that he was on crutches. The whole thing back in the 1970s was a miracle.
But I see now from your report of his history, that it was indeed his treatment during and after those three ops on his hip that caused him his mental and physical deficits. How sad, and how telling. First, I am not convinced the medications had anything to do with it, becuz he would have been hooked up to oxygen monitor machines postop. But second, it could be whilst he was under, he may have suffered an insult to his brain somehow, be it undetected lack of oxygen (despite monitors) or change in blood supply or a clot. Third, infection seems to be the main problems he had relating to the ops, which is a hazard of not only operations, but wounds in general, and then there's the deadly MRSA he ended up with.
His seizures, therefore, may indeed be related to whatever happened to his brain during his operations saga, and until someone determines why he had involuntary movements and problems speaking immediately after the ops, then one cannot say at this stage that "he will never be the same." Also, while his seizure led to him hitting his head, if he hit it hard enuff, there's still the additional possibility that aside from his operation deficits and resulting seizures over time, that he also now has a little bleed or some other problem from hitting his head, that is going on in his brain, as-yet undetected on scan.
I am no expert on infection and what the long-term effects are of that sort of thing, and I am not an expert when it comes to how come a perfectly normal person can go into surgery, and then three surgeries later, he has involuntary movements and cannot speak correctly, and I don't know enuff about his current state of not being able to breathe as relates to either his seizure and/or hitting his head. This is why you must get a neurosurgeon consult in there with you. Tell him your husband was fine except for being on crutches before he went into surgery three years ago, and right after the three ops were over, he had motor and mental deficits, and eventually periodic seizures. And also tell him his current hospitaization has to do with him seizing and the hitting his head on the floor. That way, he has the sequences together. Then also tell him how complications led to him having not one surgery, but three, and about MRSA and the various complications he had whilst in the hospital, and emphasize that his current hospitalization was becuz he seized and then hit his head on the floor.
But in general, I still do not think that his current hospitalization is leading to a permanent problem where he won't be able to breathe on his own, unless somebody can prove to you that he is brain dead. Since you did not mention it, and the docs would have had that talk with you by now if there was any indicator of this, then I have to assume that his brain is going along as usual and he just has a problem breathing. See, could be when he hit his head, it put him into a temporary coma, the brain's way of recovering, and thus he needs help breathing right now. So, don't pull the plug yet!
But he needs a new person to come in right away, becuz your husband may need an operation or medications for whatever happened in his brain when he fell. If you need to, get your regular doc to recommend a neurosurgeon unconnected to the hospital where your husband is, who specializes in brain injury, or you can find one yourself by asking your minister or a friend of your husband's to check into hospitals in nearby areas, especially from a larger city or a university hospital. You have to pay for their time, but it would be well worth it if they can (1) save your husband, and (2) perhaps navigate him out of the problems he experienced after the ops and return him to his preop state or close to it.
I hope this helps you a little. Never give up until you have tried all you know to try. I am telling you to get a top neuro in brain injury in there, not associated with the hospital you're in now, to deal with your husband's situation as an emergency and help you figure out what in the world happened to him after those ops a few years ago, and also more importantly what is going on in his brain right now after he hit his head. God Speed.
GG
Wow, that is an amazing story about your husband. Gosh, he did SO well after his accident, pulling himself back together and becoming quite the intellectual, and, in my view, he made himself perfectly normal and his mind was strong and his only physical problem was that he was on crutches. The whole thing back in the 1970s was a miracle.
But I see now from your report of his history, that it was indeed his treatment during and after those three ops on his hip that caused him his mental and physical deficits. How sad, and how telling. First, I am not convinced the medications had anything to do with it, becuz he would have been hooked up to oxygen monitor machines postop. But second, it could be whilst he was under, he may have suffered an insult to his brain somehow, be it undetected lack of oxygen (despite monitors) or change in blood supply or a clot. Third, infection seems to be the main problems he had relating to the ops, which is a hazard of not only operations, but wounds in general, and then there's the deadly MRSA he ended up with.
His seizures, therefore, may indeed be related to whatever happened to his brain during his operations saga, and until someone determines why he had involuntary movements and problems speaking immediately after the ops, then one cannot say at this stage that "he will never be the same." Also, while his seizure led to him hitting his head, if he hit it hard enuff, there's still the additional possibility that aside from his operation deficits and resulting seizures over time, that he also now has a little bleed or some other problem from hitting his head, that is going on in his brain, as-yet undetected on scan.
I am no expert on infection and what the long-term effects are of that sort of thing, and I am not an expert when it comes to how come a perfectly normal person can go into surgery, and then three surgeries later, he has involuntary movements and cannot speak correctly, and I don't know enuff about his current state of not being able to breathe as relates to either his seizure and/or hitting his head. This is why you must get a neurosurgeon consult in there with you. Tell him your husband was fine except for being on crutches before he went into surgery three years ago, and right after the three ops were over, he had motor and mental deficits, and eventually periodic seizures. And also tell him his current hospitaization has to do with him seizing and the hitting his head on the floor. That way, he has the sequences together. Then also tell him how complications led to him having not one surgery, but three, and about MRSA and the various complications he had whilst in the hospital, and emphasize that his current hospitalization was becuz he seized and then hit his head on the floor.
But in general, I still do not think that his current hospitalization is leading to a permanent problem where he won't be able to breathe on his own, unless somebody can prove to you that he is brain dead. Since you did not mention it, and the docs would have had that talk with you by now if there was any indicator of this, then I have to assume that his brain is going along as usual and he just has a problem breathing. See, could be when he hit his head, it put him into a temporary coma, the brain's way of recovering, and thus he needs help breathing right now. So, don't pull the plug yet!
But he needs a new person to come in right away, becuz your husband may need an operation or medications for whatever happened in his brain when he fell. If you need to, get your regular doc to recommend a neurosurgeon unconnected to the hospital where your husband is, who specializes in brain injury, or you can find one yourself by asking your minister or a friend of your husband's to check into hospitals in nearby areas, especially from a larger city or a university hospital. You have to pay for their time, but it would be well worth it if they can (1) save your husband, and (2) perhaps navigate him out of the problems he experienced after the ops and return him to his preop state or close to it.
I hope this helps you a little. Never give up until you have tried all you know to try. I am telling you to get a top neuro in brain injury in there, not associated with the hospital you're in now, to deal with your husband's situation as an emergency and help you figure out what in the world happened to him after those ops a few years ago, and also more importantly what is going on in his brain right now after he hit his head. God Speed.
GG
Sorry when reading again I realized I made a mistake with the date re going into hospital with infection (pressure area) this was in 1998 not 1989.
Hi there, thanks for your kind words.
Its been a tough couple of days. My husband had the original injury in 1975, (he was 25 years old) and as stated he broke everything from the waist down. His pelvis was smashed and was broken in 8 places, his right leg was smashed below the knee, but the nerves of that leg were also ripped from the spine. His left leg was broken top and bottom. He arrested 10 times and was put into an induced coma using Kirari for around 4 weeks as his kidneys shut down, he was then put on machines to clean his blood. He lost the right leg below the knee and was in hospital for a year.
When he came home he was in a wheelchair but was determined to get out of it and walk with the help of crutches which he did. During this time he had a few operations to see if the nerves could be fixed in the remaining part of his right leg and to help with the pain. Drs said it was phantom pain and that it would go away that it was all in his head. This went on for 5 years until he could stand it no longer, he faked an attempt to kill himself to forse them to do something. They took him into hospital and did some plesebo trials to see if the pain was really physical. They then gave him percoden to take (100 every six days). This helped for a while, but pain got worse. He then heard of a Dr who went to America to learn a new technique which was to operate on the spine and to burn the nerve ends and seal them from scar tissue (dyathermy). He had two of these and for a long time he was almost pain free.
During this time and because of boredom he wanted to increase his knowledge he was like a sponge, reading every New Scientist mag there was, collecting fossils, aboriginal stone artifacts, primitive art. We traveled through Asia, (he always said I want to do it now while I can). He would some times have 5 books going at one time. People would say that he was the most knowledgeable person they had ever met. He even designed and built an exercise machine based on ideas he had when he was 16 and attending the gym. He patented this machine but unfortunately we did not have the resources to market it.
Around 1986 and because the pain was getting worse (may be because of wearing out hip joints) he decided to seek out help from the Pain Clinic in North Sydney. He had read about a Prof Cussons who was having a lot of success. It took him 2 years to finally get in to see him. He tried a number of things and the put him on Physeptone (methodone) this worked and he was again almost pain free. He has been taking this since then.
He went into hospital approx 1989 with an infection in a pressure area wound on the right stump which was quite bad and they ended up putting a central line into the heart and pumping him with antibiotics for around 6 months. When he first came home he was not making much sense but gradually gained his strengh and health back, and started to workout again to build up.
Then in 2007, after all this time walking on crutches on his remaining left leg, his hip (remember his pelvis was broken in 8 places) had given in and he was having a lot of pain. He went to our GP who arranged for him to see a hip replacement specialist. He went in for the op which I have stated went all wrong. (three ops in just a few days) after the second op he was very confused. (for days) Found out recently after requesting his file that besides the methodone, he was on oxycontin, endone and tramodole for pain. Then they took him in a third time. During this time also he developed a pressure area wound, this was quite small in the begining. But because of lack of care it became huge (most of his right butt). He also contracted MRSA (golden staph). I got him out of that hospital as soon as I could and had him tranferred to a hospital that was closer to home, where they really looked after him but the damage was already done. He lost a lot of weight, and was very ill for some time (he was in hospital for a further 5 months).
When he finally came home we noticed a lot of changes, he started having a lot of trouble coordinating his right hand, he had involuntary movement, he would reachout for no reason, then could hardly use it at all, and had more temors. He also started to have trouble talking we started having more and more trouble understanding what he was saying. When he first came home he attempted to get back on his crutches, this faded as time went by and now is dependent on the wheelchair which he uses by pushing with his leg or pulling himself along he very rarely uses his hands to mpve the wheels.
The first fit was approx 18 months ago and he was laying in bed, my son had just gone in and I was sitting in the lounge room when we heard a cry of help. We rushed in and found him jurking uncontrollably so much so that he dislocated his shoulder. We rushed him down to the hospital and after a CT scan, a lumber punch, antibiotic and putting his shoulder back in he was released and sent home. The second one was when he was seated in the wheelchair and my son was present same thing jurking and he fell from the wheelchair. The third and most recent was as I stated my son heard the crash and found him on the floor.
Dr's are saying that what ever it is that it may have been developing around 1999 when he had the antibiotic for the 6 months and then has been excelerated because of all the ops in 2007. Just don't know anymore! so worried, every time he goes into hospital its like another chunk of him disappears for ever.
Its been a tough couple of days. My husband had the original injury in 1975, (he was 25 years old) and as stated he broke everything from the waist down. His pelvis was smashed and was broken in 8 places, his right leg was smashed below the knee, but the nerves of that leg were also ripped from the spine. His left leg was broken top and bottom. He arrested 10 times and was put into an induced coma using Kirari for around 4 weeks as his kidneys shut down, he was then put on machines to clean his blood. He lost the right leg below the knee and was in hospital for a year.
When he came home he was in a wheelchair but was determined to get out of it and walk with the help of crutches which he did. During this time he had a few operations to see if the nerves could be fixed in the remaining part of his right leg and to help with the pain. Drs said it was phantom pain and that it would go away that it was all in his head. This went on for 5 years until he could stand it no longer, he faked an attempt to kill himself to forse them to do something. They took him into hospital and did some plesebo trials to see if the pain was really physical. They then gave him percoden to take (100 every six days). This helped for a while, but pain got worse. He then heard of a Dr who went to America to learn a new technique which was to operate on the spine and to burn the nerve ends and seal them from scar tissue (dyathermy). He had two of these and for a long time he was almost pain free.
During this time and because of boredom he wanted to increase his knowledge he was like a sponge, reading every New Scientist mag there was, collecting fossils, aboriginal stone artifacts, primitive art. We traveled through Asia, (he always said I want to do it now while I can). He would some times have 5 books going at one time. People would say that he was the most knowledgeable person they had ever met. He even designed and built an exercise machine based on ideas he had when he was 16 and attending the gym. He patented this machine but unfortunately we did not have the resources to market it.
Around 1986 and because the pain was getting worse (may be because of wearing out hip joints) he decided to seek out help from the Pain Clinic in North Sydney. He had read about a Prof Cussons who was having a lot of success. It took him 2 years to finally get in to see him. He tried a number of things and the put him on Physeptone (methodone) this worked and he was again almost pain free. He has been taking this since then.
He went into hospital approx 1989 with an infection in a pressure area wound on the right stump which was quite bad and they ended up putting a central line into the heart and pumping him with antibiotics for around 6 months. When he first came home he was not making much sense but gradually gained his strengh and health back, and started to workout again to build up.
Then in 2007, after all this time walking on crutches on his remaining left leg, his hip (remember his pelvis was broken in 8 places) had given in and he was having a lot of pain. He went to our GP who arranged for him to see a hip replacement specialist. He went in for the op which I have stated went all wrong. (three ops in just a few days) after the second op he was very confused. (for days) Found out recently after requesting his file that besides the methodone, he was on oxycontin, endone and tramodole for pain. Then they took him in a third time. During this time also he developed a pressure area wound, this was quite small in the begining. But because of lack of care it became huge (most of his right butt). He also contracted MRSA (golden staph). I got him out of that hospital as soon as I could and had him tranferred to a hospital that was closer to home, where they really looked after him but the damage was already done. He lost a lot of weight, and was very ill for some time (he was in hospital for a further 5 months).
When he finally came home we noticed a lot of changes, he started having a lot of trouble coordinating his right hand, he had involuntary movement, he would reachout for no reason, then could hardly use it at all, and had more temors. He also started to have trouble talking we started having more and more trouble understanding what he was saying. When he first came home he attempted to get back on his crutches, this faded as time went by and now is dependent on the wheelchair which he uses by pushing with his leg or pulling himself along he very rarely uses his hands to mpve the wheels.
The first fit was approx 18 months ago and he was laying in bed, my son had just gone in and I was sitting in the lounge room when we heard a cry of help. We rushed in and found him jurking uncontrollably so much so that he dislocated his shoulder. We rushed him down to the hospital and after a CT scan, a lumber punch, antibiotic and putting his shoulder back in he was released and sent home. The second one was when he was seated in the wheelchair and my son was present same thing jurking and he fell from the wheelchair. The third and most recent was as I stated my son heard the crash and found him on the floor.
Dr's are saying that what ever it is that it may have been developing around 1999 when he had the antibiotic for the 6 months and then has been excelerated because of all the ops in 2007. Just don't know anymore! so worried, every time he goes into hospital its like another chunk of him disappears for ever.
Dear Tiger,
Good grief, I am so sorry to hear of your husband's lastest development, and I am really starting to wonder about the physicians at that hospital. If his mental deficits showed up right after the operation three years ago, I'd bet my last dollar that SOMEthing to do with the surgeries is what caused that. If that is true, then you have got to make someone involved in the operations explain to you what happened to your husband during the operations and you may even need a lawyer.
But if his deficits showed up more recently, then my opinion would be different, which would be that he is not receiving adequate pain treatment, which I explained how that would affect his thinking powers in my previous post. In fact, this whole thing about your husband having a fit and then banging his head... I wonder if you know he actually seized up and THEN hit his head, or if it was the other way around. You see, if he's not getting around very well, perhaps he accidentally fell, and THEN went into a seizure due to a bruise to his brain, and to me that indicates the fall caused him to temporarily seize up. If that's the case, then somebody has got to look at him from the point of view that he may have a bleed from the fall and that has got to be treated, even tho the MRI didn't show it. This actually does happen, people fall on their head and the scan shows nothing, but they wind up getting worse and in fact a bleed WILL show up a couple days later.
If you can put the items I've just mentioned in some sort of time frame relative to the events and symptoms he has experienced in the last three years and also when he fell, then the conclusion the docs have made about his current situation may be totally incorrect.
That is to say, on the one hand, if he didn't show deficits until at least a year after his operations, AND if he fell and THEN seized, I would say the bump on his head is how come he's intubated to help him breathe. If this is the case, then his inability to breathe has to do with the bump on his head, and therefore, despite what the MRI showed, the docs need to consider the idea that his current problems are directly related to the bump on his head, that he will only be temporarily incapacitated, and so somebody should bring in an expert on brain injury to see if he's got a little bleed going from that, and if so, they'll need to treat him on that basis and perhaps even operate.
But on the other hand, if his deficits showed up right after the operations, within a few days, and/or if he seized first and then hit his head, then perhaps they need to look at how come he has deficits and/or how come he seized. People don't just seize up for no reason. And for them to just say your husband is going to go downhill and you'll be in a situation of having to unplug him, well, unless they explained to me precisely how they arrived at that idea, then their statement makes no sense to me and makes me worry about the quality of care your husband is receiving.
I think you need to bring in an outside neurosurgeon consult, who is expert in brain injury, and let him review (a) the hospital operation records from three years ago, and (b) figure out why he seized, if he seized BEFORE he hit his head. You see, if the reverse happened, that is, he fell and then seized, that means his seizure was caused by the fall, and I can imagine that happening to myself, because I am unstable physically when I get in a lot of pain, and I have come so close to falling down many times over the last five years or so. I'm actually afraid of getting in the shower because I might slip. So, if your husband fell first and then seized, could be he fell becuz he's like me, not too stable, and the seizure and problems with breathing may simply be temporary on account of the fall. Either way, you need an outside specialist to make the determination as to why he seized or that he's bruised his brain, even tho that didn't show up on the MRI, and he can come up with a treatment plan on how to treat what is going on in his head, be it seizures and/or a bruise.
So, in general, I question the idea that the docs think "he will never be the same." This is because I am thinking the timing and sequence of events is that he didn't get mental deficits until long after his operations, in which case inadequate pain control is what's causing that, AND that he fell first and then seized, in which case an outside specialist can perhaps offer treatment for your husband to give him a chance at recovery. But you must clarify the timing and sequence stuff for us, so we can better advise you on your husband's current condition.
But no matter what the actual reality is, of his current health situation, I think you should most definitely seek out "the big guns," and begin a search as soon as you can by going to websites of hospitals at universities near where you live, and then phoning up neurosurgeons who perhaps specialize in brain injuries, and request they come and look at your husband and his records and question the docs who are treating him. Then he can offer you his opinion, and he can explain clearly what has been going on, and perhaps give you new advice as to what you should or shouldn't do as relates to the treatment of your husband.
Please post back and tell us (a) when his deficits began after his operation three years ago (whether immediately or a year or two later), and (b) did anybody see him seize first and then fall (or the other way around). If nobody saw him seize and then fall, then there is a possibility he fell first. Or if your husband really did seize first, you need to know why, like if he was perhaps eating or drinking something that made him choke and then he seized, there are several reasons why he may have seized if he didn't fall first, and that's why you need a specialist, to determine why he seized, as part of a larger puzzle on your husband's health situation.
Hang in, get an outside specialist in the hospital with you, and post back the sequence stuff I asked about when you have time. And I'm not the only one reading your posts; there are many people who check the posts but do not always reply, so you got plenty of folks here who are very interested in your husband and very much want to help you.
GG
Good grief, I am so sorry to hear of your husband's lastest development, and I am really starting to wonder about the physicians at that hospital. If his mental deficits showed up right after the operation three years ago, I'd bet my last dollar that SOMEthing to do with the surgeries is what caused that. If that is true, then you have got to make someone involved in the operations explain to you what happened to your husband during the operations and you may even need a lawyer.
But if his deficits showed up more recently, then my opinion would be different, which would be that he is not receiving adequate pain treatment, which I explained how that would affect his thinking powers in my previous post. In fact, this whole thing about your husband having a fit and then banging his head... I wonder if you know he actually seized up and THEN hit his head, or if it was the other way around. You see, if he's not getting around very well, perhaps he accidentally fell, and THEN went into a seizure due to a bruise to his brain, and to me that indicates the fall caused him to temporarily seize up. If that's the case, then somebody has got to look at him from the point of view that he may have a bleed from the fall and that has got to be treated, even tho the MRI didn't show it. This actually does happen, people fall on their head and the scan shows nothing, but they wind up getting worse and in fact a bleed WILL show up a couple days later.
If you can put the items I've just mentioned in some sort of time frame relative to the events and symptoms he has experienced in the last three years and also when he fell, then the conclusion the docs have made about his current situation may be totally incorrect.
That is to say, on the one hand, if he didn't show deficits until at least a year after his operations, AND if he fell and THEN seized, I would say the bump on his head is how come he's intubated to help him breathe. If this is the case, then his inability to breathe has to do with the bump on his head, and therefore, despite what the MRI showed, the docs need to consider the idea that his current problems are directly related to the bump on his head, that he will only be temporarily incapacitated, and so somebody should bring in an expert on brain injury to see if he's got a little bleed going from that, and if so, they'll need to treat him on that basis and perhaps even operate.
But on the other hand, if his deficits showed up right after the operations, within a few days, and/or if he seized first and then hit his head, then perhaps they need to look at how come he has deficits and/or how come he seized. People don't just seize up for no reason. And for them to just say your husband is going to go downhill and you'll be in a situation of having to unplug him, well, unless they explained to me precisely how they arrived at that idea, then their statement makes no sense to me and makes me worry about the quality of care your husband is receiving.
I think you need to bring in an outside neurosurgeon consult, who is expert in brain injury, and let him review (a) the hospital operation records from three years ago, and (b) figure out why he seized, if he seized BEFORE he hit his head. You see, if the reverse happened, that is, he fell and then seized, that means his seizure was caused by the fall, and I can imagine that happening to myself, because I am unstable physically when I get in a lot of pain, and I have come so close to falling down many times over the last five years or so. I'm actually afraid of getting in the shower because I might slip. So, if your husband fell first and then seized, could be he fell becuz he's like me, not too stable, and the seizure and problems with breathing may simply be temporary on account of the fall. Either way, you need an outside specialist to make the determination as to why he seized or that he's bruised his brain, even tho that didn't show up on the MRI, and he can come up with a treatment plan on how to treat what is going on in his head, be it seizures and/or a bruise.
So, in general, I question the idea that the docs think "he will never be the same." This is because I am thinking the timing and sequence of events is that he didn't get mental deficits until long after his operations, in which case inadequate pain control is what's causing that, AND that he fell first and then seized, in which case an outside specialist can perhaps offer treatment for your husband to give him a chance at recovery. But you must clarify the timing and sequence stuff for us, so we can better advise you on your husband's current condition.
But no matter what the actual reality is, of his current health situation, I think you should most definitely seek out "the big guns," and begin a search as soon as you can by going to websites of hospitals at universities near where you live, and then phoning up neurosurgeons who perhaps specialize in brain injuries, and request they come and look at your husband and his records and question the docs who are treating him. Then he can offer you his opinion, and he can explain clearly what has been going on, and perhaps give you new advice as to what you should or shouldn't do as relates to the treatment of your husband.
Please post back and tell us (a) when his deficits began after his operation three years ago (whether immediately or a year or two later), and (b) did anybody see him seize first and then fall (or the other way around). If nobody saw him seize and then fall, then there is a possibility he fell first. Or if your husband really did seize first, you need to know why, like if he was perhaps eating or drinking something that made him choke and then he seized, there are several reasons why he may have seized if he didn't fall first, and that's why you need a specialist, to determine why he seized, as part of a larger puzzle on your husband's health situation.
Hang in, get an outside specialist in the hospital with you, and post back the sequence stuff I asked about when you have time. And I'm not the only one reading your posts; there are many people who check the posts but do not always reply, so you got plenty of folks here who are very interested in your husband and very much want to help you.
GG
Thanks for your reply, my husband is now in hospital again, he had some kind of fit, and banged his head, he stopped breathing and they had to incubate him. Nurologists checked MRI and said that it did not show any damage other than some athopy, they are saying that it could have been damage from the original accident, he was brought back 10 times. Then when he had the hip done, it amounted to 3 general anesthetics in the space of just a few days. May be loss of oxogen to the brain. As it stands now they are saying this is going to progress and he will never be the same than it will be come worse and we should consider if he should stop breathing again to let him go as the quality of life is not there. Very hard, how do you determine something like that.
If I understand you correctly, Tiger, your husband lost his RIGHT leg more than thirty years ago, and three years ago he had a hip operation on his LEFT leg, and you're wondering if the methadone he had been on before the operation, combined with the anesthesia and pain meds after his operation, could have anything to do with his current lack of mental focus and a tremor in his right hand. I would answer no, the meds didn't cause that, unless something dreadful happened in the OR due to lack of oxygen. Also, I was in a car wreck that busted up my back in three places in 1971. It wasn't until about five years ago that all the damage caught up to me, and I began to have a lot of daily bodily discomfort. This led to my mind not being able to focus well. And since I hurt so much, and I cannot do as much physical stuff as I used to, so I'm weak. I take some strong medications, but it is the pain I'm in that causes my health issues. If anything, I need more powerful drugs, but I'm trying to live with as little as I can.
But what really troubles me is your husband is in a wheelchair now, so I hope the operation was essential, becuz not being able to walk is a lot to give up. If I were you, I would take your husband to a hospital in a university setting, let them do a full workup on him, with an eye towards giving him better pain control (to return his mental focus to him), and also some physical therapy (to perhaps get him to walking again), and they can also determine how come he's got that tremor in his hand, and also determine if his mental deficits are from buildup of meds, as you phrased it, or if his deficits are even serious enough to warrant investigation. I mean, the last thing you want to do is take AWAY his medicines; rather you might can seek to change them to something with less side effects, perhaps, but equally powerful, if not more powerful.
But what really troubles me is your husband is in a wheelchair now, so I hope the operation was essential, becuz not being able to walk is a lot to give up. If I were you, I would take your husband to a hospital in a university setting, let them do a full workup on him, with an eye towards giving him better pain control (to return his mental focus to him), and also some physical therapy (to perhaps get him to walking again), and they can also determine how come he's got that tremor in his hand, and also determine if his mental deficits are from buildup of meds, as you phrased it, or if his deficits are even serious enough to warrant investigation. I mean, the last thing you want to do is take AWAY his medicines; rather you might can seek to change them to something with less side effects, perhaps, but equally powerful, if not more powerful.
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