I am trying to understand how a person in the dying process can have a bed sore that heals in two days. The hospice nurse looked at it end of last week and it was pretty bad and in the beginning of this week hospice nurse looked at it again and it was just about completely healed. If a person is dying and their body is shutting down how is this possible? Nurse says my mom has around 1 to 3 weeks to live.
A hospitalist told us our mom would probably be gone by the end of the week, and discharged her back to her nursing home, with hospice care. Hospice did not think she was going that quickly but that she was eligible for end-of-life care. Three months later hospice discharged her from their care. She had improved enough that end-of-life care was not needed. Mom lived another 2+ years, reasonably content.
If your mother is not really dying at this point, she will continue to get better, with or without hospice. Her sores will heal. Her appetite will return. She may be able to communicate better. This is possible, but not likely. She is getting extra care now, from additional professionals. That doesn't change whether she is dying or not, but it can help her feel better in the present.
Your mother's body is in charge of this journey. Not the hospice nurse. Not you. Not even your mother's conscious will. What will be will be. Cherish every moment. The healed bedsore is something to celebrate. Yay! One less thing to distress the dear lady.
According to medical news today.com,
"An open wound (bedsore) is unlikely to heal rapidly. Even when healing does take place, it may be inconsistent, because of the damage to skin and other tissues.
Less severe pressure ulcers often heal within a few weeks with proper treatment, but serious wounds may need surgery."
(Me) Bedsores or decubitus ulcers are caused by pressure, cutting off the blood flow. They are "staged" (1=redness, 2=Open skin break 1st level, etc. and can go all the way down to the bone with black necrotic tissue surrounding the wound.
Unless your loved one's pressure point was just pink or red, without skin breakage, there would be no way, short of a miracle, that an open skin ulcer would heal in 2 days.
I've been a nurse for 39 years and have done wound care on many bedsores at different stages and have never seen a wound heal in 2 days.
It may have been another type of wound that had a faster healing rate.
Great that it's gone, however.
If it healed then that’s great but the chances are none to zero if the pressure ulcer was greater than Stage 1 (no skin breakdown). I have seen many deep pressure ulcers and they won’t be healed in 2 days.
Dat, I am very sorry that your mom is on hospice care. If you feel she was put there inappropriately please talk to her PCP or the hospice doctor.
You are going through a lot right now & I understand this is tough.
But it’s not likely an open pressure ulcer will heal in 2 days.
Spend time with your mother now as you will look back & cherish being with her on her final journey.