My mother-in-law had been staying with us for a few weeks after a long year in and out of the hospital. She has a compression fracture in her back and had a hip replacement this year due to a hip fracture. Last night she fell on the way to the bathroom and broke her femur right above the knee (Distal Femur Fracture). They will be doing surgery to repair once she is stable, but she is currently in the ICU with a pulmonary embolism and infection of some sort.
What does recovery look like for an injury this significant? She is already weak and was barely able to get around by herself and now this.
PE are also life changing, she will probably have a challenge for a while, like months, with being short of breath and needing some medication to help her get through.
I hope that your experience is better than mine, but her age and that she has blood clots and infection sounds very trying to her system. May God's will be done in her life.
The problem I see is the Dementia. Being in and out of hospitals and rehabs may cause further decline. People suffering from a Dementia don't do well with change. Then throw in C19 and they are also isolated.
No one can really tell you how things will turn out. If she is weak and with the other two problems, not sure if they can operate. Anesthesia is not good for a Dementia patient either.
First things first, If she has sepsis and a pulmonary embolism, those diagnoses must be addressed first. Expect her to have IV's, anticoagulants for the embolism, some respiratory treatments, supplemental oxygen therapy, and lots of monitors. She will be closely monitored (1:1 care or 2 patients to 1 RN care) until her infection and embolism are not putting her life at risk. Though it sounds cruel, expect that they may have her leg in traction for the fracture and not "fix it" with surgery until her other problems resolve.
When she is more stable, as in moves from ICU to a regular hospital bed, an orthopedic surgeon can do more permanent work on the leg fracture. Depending on the injury, she may have metal on the outside of her leg with "pins" called an external fixator or a long incision with metal rod inside her leg and screws called an internal fixator. She will get pain medication and will need to stay off the leg - probably in the hospital, or more likely in a rehab facility, until the break heals. Expect her to stay in a rehab facility until she is walking well enough per physical therapy to return home. Please do not consider having her do physical therapy at home; she will get more work in a rehab facility than at home.
My husband broke his femur. Pain is around 3 months. 6 months for recovery.
However, I can only speak for my husband. With him, he was up walking the next day in the hospital. He refused any rehab and was driving within a week.
He went to physical therapy a while. Overall, he did well.
The nurses at the hospital said most patients at the hospital with a broken femur take 2 weeks before they get out of the bed.
Like I said, it just all depends on the person and different factors.
Hope all goes well for your MIL.
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