Moviprep & MS

[Ree_1802]

So mum has to have some investigations & will be sent some moviprep to prepare.
She thinks this will be ok!!
As she is chair bound & we can barely deal with her bowel movements normally, I'm going to have to call the hospital aren't I?
No way can I deal with that, despite what dear mother thinks!
I'm just to say to the hospital moviprep cannot be taken at home & see what they say. If it means admitting her to administer it, then so be it.
Anyone else had this & any particular phrases I can use when calling the hospital other than "can't do this, mum can't physically hold herself up to sit on the commode for that long & also will not be able to transfer from chair to commode that quickly"?
Geez, my life. Pretty sure most 32 year olds don't have to deal with this sick of dealing with poo
Thanks in advance

[bowlingbun]

I have a friend who has to be admitted overnight if she needs this sort of preparation. The hospital have a duty to make sure their patients get the treatment they need.

[Ree_1802]

Thanks Bowlingbun. I will raise with the hospital. They may need to change her appointment date to accommodate.
They know mums position & im surprised they've just sent it out (or not surprised, knowing our hospital, sigh)

[susieq]

I know from personal experience (pre colonoscopy and pre removal of ovarian cysts) that it's not a "pleasant" experience. I'm relatively fit and healthy and I could only just about cope with getting to the loo in time, heaven knows what it would be like for someone with mobility problems !

I hope you can get it sorted out for your Mum Ree.

[tea_fiend]

Hi there Ree! I don't know if you've spoken to them already but don't mention "not being able to transfer from chair to commode quickly" because I hate to tell you this but they will advise using pull-up pants, liners or pads for continence management.

But you're on to the right idea when you said you'd want to mention the safety implications like your mum can't physically hold herself up to sit on the commode for that long. Does your mum have a hoist? If she does then you can say that being supported in the hoist for toileting is going to cause her chest pains and shortness of breath (as you do have to do up the safety belt). She is likely to experience fatigue to her muscles so there is a risk of her slipping out of the sling which could result in a fall or arm dislocation.
If she doesn't use a hoist for toileting, there is the safety around manual transferring assistance as well. That the more the Moviprep takes out of her, the more fatigue she will have and the less she can support herself, the more support you have to give could result in injury to yourself and if she loses stability suddenly and without warning, it could be hazardous for you both in a situation like that.

Have a look at any medication she is on as well and mention those. If she is on any anti-inflammatory pain killers (i.e. Naproxen), stool softeners (i.e. Laxido), laxatives (i.e. Lactulose, Movicol), water pills, anti-depressants (some are administered as muscle relaxants and nerve calming aids), blood pressure meds, seizure meds, indigestion/ acidity regulators (i.e. Omeprazole) then these are all medications that alongside Moviprep could cause some very strong adverse reactions. If your mum takes any of these, mention that you are concerned about the side effects and if assistance could be given fast enough if she was to experience any chest pains, shortness of breath, irregular heart rate, swelling of the abdominal area and trouble passing urine.

Ultimately, if your mum has capacity, it will be her decision to be admitted to have the Moviprep administered. So if she refuses to go then they will take her word on it. But definitely make your mum aware of these concerns and that it might be more comfortable and beneficial to her (and to you as well) to have a short stay until the meds and consultation is done.

[Ree_1802]

Thanks Susie and teafiend. I appreciate you all taking the time to reply (and sympathise!)

The stuff arrived this morning & resulted in a huge row.

District nurse also came this morning & has told mum not to worry it won't be that bad (!) but she will contact social services to see what they say.

Mum is on movicol & suppositories. She does not use a hoist, but muscle/mental fatigue is a HUGE problem. When I listed the issues as to why we can't do this at home it resulted in her crying and shouting.

She absolutely has mental capacity so I have said in that case I'll book into a hotel whilst it happens as I am NOT dealing with it. This ended with her saying in that case she won't have it done. I have stopped discussing it as I was accused of being "aggressive" so am stepping away from the whole situation.

I will ring the hospital next week.

I'm just so sick of being treated like a slave. I don't deserve to be spoken to/treated like that and its especially hard as we are all grieving! Mum has now had lunch and watching telly.

On Monday whilst her carer is here, I am meeting with friends for brunch and will be able to have a good moan/cry about everything. Bank holiday so I'm not at work, I just couldn't bear the thought of being stuck at home.

Bad day today Can't wait to move out

[tea_fiend]

You have absolutely every right to voice your concerns Ree and it isn't fair to just expect you to take care of extra responsibilities when they arise. Yes, your mum needs care but it needs to be acknowledged what you can and can't do. When you contact SS, see about asking for a temporary increase in carer time. They can see about putting in a couple of 20 min 'pop-in' calls through the day for a week so carers can come in and see if your mum needs any extra assistance while on the Moviprep. (For example, a pop-in between morning and lunch, one between lunch and tea-time, one between tea and evening call).

Definitely see your friends, never skip out on that. YOU also need your time to be you. That's coming from a personal rather than professional perspective because I had to help care for my dad when I was quite young and he had terminal cancer and I may be 32 this year but mentally I grew up fast, I had to, and missed out on a lot (I'm ready for retirement, haha!)

[Pet66]

Although it's different circumstances, I was fed up yesterday. I'm trying to get my husband's medication sorted, and was talking to the nurse outside of his room. When we walked in he really shouted at me, agressively. Said I had been ages, when in fact it was 5mins. He has vascular dementia and suffered strokes. I understand that, it's no longer my lovely husband lots of the time, but I was fighting his corner as usual. I could have just walked!!! Short lived, but really still hurts, and I m not a saint!
So (((( hugs))) to all who are fighting loved ones corners.

[bowlingbun]

(((HUGS))) Pet. Is there a link between his behaviour and the issues with his medication perhaps?

[Pet66]

Staff say he has been more aggressive since returning from the hospital. Maybe his meds need reviewing? The pain relief does for certain.