What can I do to ease her pain?

My 80 yr old mother was recently released from the hospital from double pneumonia. When released she sufferred some pain in her upper abdomen and also on her right and left side alternately. Once home, she experienced more severe pain on her left side, the only thing that makes it go away is to lay down. A nurse said she thought it was a cracked rib caused by the intense coughing, I find that hard to accept because she is not tender to the touch in the area affected and prefers to lay on that side in her bed. She can only sit up for 10- 15 minutes before the pain becomes too much to bare. She is very weak and has osteoporosis, at this point a trip to the doctor or the hospital would be very traumatic to her. She also had some heart failure because of the pneumonia, what do I do?

Due to the osteoporosis I would agree with the cracked rib, this can definitely happen in the elderly from intense coughing. The reason she prefers to lie on that side is that the compression of the area hampers movement and eases the pain. Just work within her comfort level, give her whatever pain medications she has been prescribed and avoid a traumatic and uncomfortable trip to the ED since there is little that can be done. In a few weeks she should improve. She needs to be taking Fosamax or Actonel for the osteoporosis and if she isn't get started, she needs it.

You need to call her doc and alert him as to what is going on. The doc will advise you what to do. Also if the doc says she needs to be seen consider sending her by ambulance.

HEAL HER ,you can help take away her pain and also heal her at the same time. First get her comfortable, and do therapeutic touch, you don't really touch her, you just put your hands about an inch away from her body. Do a session everyday. Think of your mother as a dead battery and then think of yourself as the energizer bunny. Get the idea. For more information go to your library and read up on the subject, you can use this for all kinds of problems.