Urgent: Mom is having shoulder, arm pains

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi there,

I live a couple of thousand miles from my mom, who I have learned is having shoulder (all the way across), neck and bilateral arm pains. This has been going on for a couple of days. She is overweight, under stress and doesn't eat well. I've asked her to go to urgent care now, or, at least to her doctor's tomorrow.

She has done nothing out of the ordinary to cause this pain and she took a Vicodin to relive it, but to no avail. The only inordinate factor is that my sister was away for a bit.

As far as her history, I know she has HTN, not diabetic, post menopausal (she's 65) doesn't drink more than a beer a week, if that, she is SOB most times with mild exertion, and will deny anything I've stated thus far.

I'm worried. Do I need to do more?

Thanks for all replies.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Arg, the first part of my post didn't show, guess i typed too fast

Call someone (or her local EMS) to take her to the hospital. Only way to find out what's happening is to get checked up.

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She has GOT to get checked out STAT!! Have a friend or neighbor of hers call EMS now. Time is crucial.

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Specializes in ICU.

Don't give her an option "Mum you are getting into an ambulance and going to hospital".

Luck!! I Know how stubborn parents can be - mine told me that they did not want to call an ambulance in case the neighbours thought they were dying:rolleyes:

Hang in there and with luck all will be well.

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My sister is going to meet her and my dad at the hospital as we speak. Me, I'm probably going home. I hope this is nothing, but want to be there if it's not. Thanks for being there for me.

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No word yet. She is at the hospital, but that's all I know. Are we being too worried, for lack of a better word?

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Hope everything goes well. I think you're more concerned,rather than worried, personally I'd be worried if you weren't concerned.

Not trying to sound cliche, I just said a quick prayer for her. Keep your chin up, and hope for the best.

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.

I don't think so. There's a reason the MI fatality rate is so much higher in women. The symptoms don't present in the traditional manner and are often overlooked. You did her good by being a pain in the a**. Let's hope the hospital folks are as insistent as you. Mother's are funny. Mine wanted me to follow the ambulance that I insisted she call to take her to the ED. I forgot to mention, she wanted to ride in the car with me when I followed. :smackingf Even if this turns out to be nothing major, at least the rest of your mom's health hx will be looked at and addressed.

((((Redwing))))

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Waiting patiently to know how she is; please keep us posted. Hopefully the ER is smart enough to keep her overnight to do a cardiac rule-out, and hopefully she isn't too stubborn to take advantage of it. Just hope she didn't go in there like a lot of the folk I see "I ain't tellin' y'all NOTHIN"... Please, keep us posted... Thanks and good luck!

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it isn't just 'ole folks' who are stubborn...my son was having black tarry stools and coffeeground emesis. when i insisted that he go to hospital he went home and took a shower before he would go to er...

i hope your mom is ok...prayers are with you

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Thanks, all. Right now, the ER is ruling out cardiac, initially. Waiting on the remaining results, but they are zoning in on something else....my sister and I got cut off after that as her phone went out. She did, however, manage to tell me mom was a bit frazzled about what all the fuss was all about, (in other words, I'll be hearing from her soon for sure) and that I don't need to come home right now.

I'll keep you posted. Thanks again, all.

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P.s. Thanks so much for the prayers, too

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