Cold feet DO sweat and still require preventive powder

I've noticed an odd thing about Mom's feet over the past few years - they always seem cold yet she still seems to get athlete's foot fungus between her toes.  It seems odd that cold feet would sweat enough to release moisture that would enable growth of fungus but it happens.   Her feet are in pretty good shape these days because the aides apply non-talc powder to her feet each morning.   They also try to apply power to other locations that may retain moisture - under arms, breasts, behind her knees.   It seems to work very well.  It's a preventive measure to ensure the fungus doesn't start to grow.   It helps ensure dryness to existing fungus may be "healed" by the body - though the chance it will return always exists.  

I've definitely noticed that non-talc powder is easier on Mom's skin.  When we used spray foot powder and talc or talcum powder at home Mom's skin remained red and peeled.  Switching to non-talc powder, or corn starch, the redness disappeared and peeling stopped virtually overnight. 

To see other posts on skin or feet, read these:
post from 2009
post from 2011



old feet have special needs, care for old feet, grandmas feet, grandpas feet

Tragedy in North Dakota, do I tell mom?

Today I learned that Mom's home town was burned to the ground - the WHOLE town. It was a little wide spot in the road surrounded by farms.  There was only a grain elevator, a small Lutheran church and a few old houses left. The school, small shops and half the houses were abandoned and turn down long ago.   The heart breaking thing is that two homes consumed by the fire belonged to my great grandfather and my great aunt and uncle.  The homes were old and sat near large old barns, corals and small out buildings.  It was like going "home" for my mom and for me.    Though the town had seen more prosperous times, we could still go there and feel the presence of our elders.  A few years ago when my husband and I drove from the mid-west to the north-west we stopped to see the farm. Though the house was locked up, we sat on the front porch and had a picnic.   I could see my great grand fathers hat and jacket hanging near the door like it had for the last 25 years, as though he'd just left.  For supper we traveled to my cousins to have "hot dish" and salad.   That won't be possible any more, there is nothing left at either place.

My brother and I spoke a bit tonight about whether we should tell Mom. I think she'll probably know all about it soon. She watches the news and reads every syllable of the paper so it won't escape her.  I know she'll feel so very badly and she has no one to discuss it with; she's the only one left of her immediate family; all of her aunts and uncles have passed and most of her cousins.  She can't hear on the phone any longer so I can't even console her that way.  I think I'll call a former neighbor who sees her weekly and ask if she can let me know if Mom's heard the news.  Then I can send some flowers and a letter and see her soon to talk about it.  I'll plan a trip to see her in a couple of weeks.

In the mean time, I'll grieve some myself for the little town.  Like  Mom, I'd probably never have gone back to visit again, there was something that made me feel good to know it was there, just as I remembered, just as my grand parents and aunts and uncles left them.  It was like a little bit of them was left too but now it's truly gone for good and that makes me very sad.

Mom's lectures about bones are saving me right now...

Last week I learned that all my mom's lectures about bones and health helped me even though she might not have followed her own good advice.  I had a quick and easy bone density test at work and learned that at age 50, I have the bone density of a 24 year old woman - that's someone half my age.  It was such a huge relief!

The test was so easy; it took only 1 minute and was completed by a machine the size of a large back pack.  The machine had a groove down the center where I put my foot.  The machine used sound waves to judge the thickness of my heel bone; it was pain free.  The nurse told me that heel bones are very similar to the large bones in our hips so testing it was a good indicator of the density of the large bones that support our frame - our hips.

I am in a high risk group for osteoporosis - or so I've been told...So for more than a decade, I've taken Calcium with vitamin D each morning and Calcium/Magesium/Zinc each night after I brush my teeth.  I also eat a lot of yogurt and cheese.   Years ago a doctor told me that due to small bones, white hair at an early age and  half Scandinavian heritage - I had a higher risk of osteoporosis.  I don't know if research continues to support those risk factors or not but, once my Mom heard that she began to nag me about calcium, Vitamin D and eating enough healthy food.  "Take care of the inside first. Don't worry about the outside; it won't look good of the inside's not healthy."  She's so right.

I must also give credit to my gynecologist who realized that my hormones where out of whack and started me on low dose estrogen at 46, two years before a full hysterectomy.  Though I've fretted about my weight over the past 3 years and been lazy about working out for the last decade, I wonder if my 30 extra pounds has actually helped me.  Has the weight meant that my frame - my skeleton, my bones - had to be stronger to hold it up?  I don't know but I don't think it hurt me.

Going forward though, I must be SURE I'm healthy from the inside out so I'll take my mom's advice and also do something she didn't. Mom had a large yard and garden that she tended all year long.  I hope to do the same after I purchase a house in a month or so.  In the mean time and even after I get the  house,  I MUST be deliberate about exercise. I must life weights to strengthen and do yoga / stretching to maintain my flexibility and balance.  I believe it's those things - along with a good diet - that will ensure I avoid osteoporosis and the pain that goes with it.

How do i prevent osteoporosis?  Easy bone density test, how do they test bone density? prevention of osteoporosis, prevention of weak bones, risk factors for osteporosis

Tough little momma is hanging in there...in spite of broken femur

I just re-read my post from March 2010 when I was reasonably certain my Mom would quickly fail and pass away after suffering a broken sacrum.  Well, it's 1 1/2 years and she's still with us.  Her latest ailment is a broken femur; suffered when she slipped from her wheel chair as she tried to reach a newspaper that fell to the floor.

Though she seems smaller and weaker each time I see her, her spirit is still strong and her mind is still curious.  She  reads every syllable in the news paper every day;  she wants to watch educational PBS programs on the outdoors, animals and science.  She wakes up to have hope for something positive every day.  That's how I want to approach life.  I wish I'd realized it sooner, the first 50 years would have been much more fun and less stressful.

So - what to do about the broken femur. The goal is to keep her pain free; it's unlikely the bone will heal well enough for her to put more weight on it.  The break is along a diagonal line about 2 inches above her left knee and at 92, there is little that doctors can do for Mom. They can't put her under for surgery since the amount of anesthesia would likely kill her.  If they tried to perform surgery they'd attempt to screw the broken piece of bone to the larger piece above but her doctor is worried that any screws would simply shatter either piece of bone making for an even worse break and more pain.  SO -the plan is to keep it immobile for 8 weeks hoping that it will knit together enough to keep the broken piece in place and avoid pain.  Mom can never put weight on the leg again.   If it doesn't work, I asked the doctor if it could be glued into place.  I'm hoping it might be done with a local anesthetic.  My aunt had part of her spine glued when she chipped a vertebra, my cousin had a knee cap glued.. so, I'm hoping....  He didn't say "no" but he didn't say it's possible either...  All I can do is hope and pray for my little momma...

What caused the broken femur?  There are 2 obvious causes - osteoporosis and mom falling from the wheel chair.   The osteoporosis is a natural occurance of aging and the fall from the wheel chair is inevitable - but BOTH could have been minimized.  If Mom had remained more active, taken calcium and vitamin D and low dose estrogen her bones might be in better shape.  If the nursing home aides had helped mom to her recliner instead of leaving her in the wheel chair, she'd never have slipped out of it.   Again, it's another thing about to complain to the state but it's unlikely to change.  There are just too few aides to take care of too many patients.

Read my next post on how to prevention of osteoporosis...
How can i prevent osteoporosis?  How did mom break her femur How did dad break his femur  broken femur in elderly