Caregiver Elbow

[kelly]

Wright...I am not self diagnosing...hee hee. I was just wondering if any of the amazing caregivers out there suffer from seriously sore joints in their elbows. I know it is caused from all the lifting, tugging, positioning and pulling to make my hubby comfy. I am not complaining....just wondering. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The first year that my hubby did not even want a bite of mashed potatoes..must be torturous for him..but he is a good sport. I even continued our family tradition of getting a picture in front of the bird.
hope the attachment worked.
Also, tomorrow is my hubbys bday and have not had time to get a present...so will have to do the spa day at home.
Have a nice night everyone.

 

[brooksea]

Wish him a Happy Birthday! My husband's birthday was Friday.

I wish you some magic joint oil! When your done with it wish it back to me! I need it for my back! LOL

What a handsome family you have!

 

[kelly]

Sending magic joint oil your way for your back! Your hubby is a Sagittarius too.....ALS aside....we sure have our hands full! HA!

 

[hopingforcure]

Love the picture Kelly, what a lovely family. I am sorry you girls are having some achey breaky parts. Wish I could offer a cure for all of it...You are two awesome ladies, that I know for sure.

 

[joni51]

Beautiful family Kelly! Sorry for you and Cj, I have not gotten that far yet.

 

[mare]

Great picture of your family, Kelly! And your turkey looks beautiful as well!

CJ- belated Happy Birthday to "Big Daddy"!

 

[Miss]

Hi Kelly, I haven't gotten CALS elbow yet, but I sure have CALS ankle and shoulder pain from holding up a 285 lb man! If you are using a gait belt, be sure to have your fingers pointing to the sky, not the ground. This will save alot of wrist and elbow pain! I did it wrong at first and thought my wrists would snap!

 

[kelly]

Hello Missy.....You convinced me that I should be using the gait belt. I have avoided it...but transfers are getting plain scary. I am able to pivot transfer..but he can no longer even take a step to help out...so it is like pivot and drop into the chair. I also need to look into some sort of neck support for him..as his neck is so wobbly that I am afraid it is going to pop off. I have to literally hold his head when I drive so that it is not like a bobble head. Have a nice day today.

 

[Miss]

You will be amazed at how much easier it will be to handle your husband when using a gait belt. Walgreens has decent neck braces in the store or online.

 

[joelc]

I really think you ladies should be strongly thinking about using a lift. I fought it for awhile and caused my wife unnecessary stress. I finally agreed to start using a lift and my wife's stress dropped right off. I also encourage you to start using a lift before you really need to as it takes time to figure out how to use a sling and work the bugs out of it. I hope your husbands don't fight you on this as it is only a matter of time before they end up on the floor - then what will you do?

 

[kelly]

Joel..you are the voice of reason...I know it is going to be very soon that it is reality. I have the hoyer and know how to use it...I actually think it is me resisting. But, I do not want to drop my hubby...so will take your advice. Thanks, Kelly

 

[LauraW]

Kelly,
I am in the same situation now. My left arm is a mess. I sometimes use Biofreeze ( can get it from chiropractors and at some pharmacies). I have to use my left arm to transfer Mom from the toilet to her chair. I HAVE to start looking into lifts...just don't want to face that reality. The nerves in my hand are so bad that I now have trigger thumb and pain shooting up my arm.

 

[Miss]

We, too, have the lift. We used it once when my husband "missed" the chair. I lowered him to the ground with a gait belt, and then used the Hoyer to pick him up and put him in the chair. We have it ready for regular use, but are still okay with the gait belt. I only need help if he is getting up from a seat that is really low.

 

[stephie]

What a beautiful family you have, Kelly! Was that huge turkey just for the four of you?

We have a Hoyer lift, but every muscle in by body is sore most of the time. My husband only has movement left in his head and a tiny bit in his thighs. My thumbs "click" every time I bend them from stretching his feet and putting braces on them. My arms, shoulders, back and neck ache from getting him dressed, situating him in the chair and bed, showering him, etc. It's just so much bending and stretching my body into different positions to help him that causes the most pain. Even with a lift, it takes a toll on my body. A Hoyer lift is not extremely easy to use, especially in the small space we have in the bedroom. It's all worth it, though. I would do anything to make sure my husband is comfortable. I wish someone would have told me 10 years ago to start lifting weights and bulking up!

 

[pepsiman]

Stephie,
I lifted weights for thirty years. Nothing can prepare you for full time (24x7) home health care. Still, the aches and pains I suffer now are nothing to what my wife had to endure. Take care of yourselves, as best you can, your PALS need you to stay healthy.

Dick