my 69 year old mother was injured by infection/surgery about a year ago at the c5-c6 level. She has had diarrhea ever since and no meds seem to help. Also her hands are totally useless, frozen, in fact due to lack of timely therapy. We are unable to get any therapy on her hands now, nor do her drs seem interested in helping with either problem. I am her caregiver / daughter. I am very frustrated / angry. any advice on how to get help for medical condition and or therapy? medicare has quit paying for most everything, and is denying payment on her power wheelchair. With her hands like they are she can't manipulate a manual chair. The power chair is the only bit of independence she still has. we've gotten to the point we are sniping at each other all the time just out of frustration and grief.

I am so sorry about your mom. It's hard to answer some of your questions without more information...is her injury complete (meaning no ability or sensation below her injury level)? The diarrhea is a tough thing, without knowing more the best I can recommend is adding more fiber (vegetables and whole grains) to her diet, plus things like bananas and rice that slow digestion. Also stopping any medication that's supposed to loosen her stools, obviously.

Hands are tough, and the longer they are "frozen" the harder it will be to get them moving again. My hands aren't affected by my SCI but they were both in casts after my car accident and they were like claws when they took the casts off, so I know that it's a painful part of recovery. Without a therapist, you can still try to gently and slowly move them as often as possible, to stretch the ligaments. Given that your doctors seem to be a problem, it may be time to find some new ones that will prescribe treatments for her medical issues.

I don't have a whole lot of knowledge about Medicare--what was is their reasoning behind denying payment? Was your mother prescribed a power chair for her injury? If her hands are an issue for using a manual chair, there are tools that can be attached to her hands to help her. Again, it sounds like you are in a tough position and I am sorry that you are having these issues.