Suzanne’s Mum

Earlier in the year we had a period when we spent a lot of time visiting Suzanne’s Mum in A&E or intermediate care or in hospital.  She initially fell and broke her right wrist and obviously could not look after herself properly. She spent a few weeks in an intermediate care unit and was then assessed as able to return home but with carers visiting to prepare meals,etc.  She had a couple more bad falls during early summer plus a week long stay in hospital at the beginning of May following a particularly bad episode with her epilepsy. Things have stabilised now with new treatment and monitoring of her epilepsy but she still needs care visits 4 times a day to prepare meals.  We do all the shopping and meal planning. Because of the falls she has become reliant on a walking frame. Still not bad, though, for an 89 year old.

Suzanne

For the last few years Suzanne has had problems with her neck causing her head to twist to the right. This has become worse during the last year. She has received treatment from a couple of osteopaths without much improvement and our GPs were insistent that there was nothing seriously wrong.   In desperation, Suzanne tried a local physiotherapist  who thought she knew what was causing the problem. She even faxed the GP suggesting that Suzanne needed an appointment with a neurologist.  The physiotherapist was proved correct: Suzanne was diagnosed with dystonia which is a neurological condition whereby nerve impulses to various muscles can be misunderstood.  In Suzanne’s case it is her neck muscles.  It is incurable but can be treated with botulinum toxin (botox) injections (some risk) into the affected muscle to weaken it.  Suzanne started having these in November with moderate doses into four muscles.  The effect will wear off after around 3 months so the injections will have to be repeated every 12 weeks, with the dose being increased until the optimum level is found and then will continue at that level indefinitely. 

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