Just got dx yesterday with a massively inflamed case of TMJ, so I have tried to be good to myself tonight cuz the pain is high. Took my ibruprofen, ice pack and extra sleeping pill and went to bed early. We have 2 dogs that sleep in our bedroom in kennels. Was awoken in the middle of the night with a smell from the depths of hell. Now with dogs in kennels, this happens every once in awhile, and I can throw the kennel outside and get the dogs outside for the rest of the night.
My DH was sitting on the edge of the bed and I asked him if the smell was from him or the dogs. He said the dogs. So I went thru the usual routine of getting the dogs and kennels outside, but the kennels were dry...OMG
Checked out my DH and he was in a puddle of some of the nastiest diarreah I have come across. Sitting on our Temper-pedic mattress. The mattress I got at 1/6th the price of new and is my closest friend and most treasured object. Of course, this is the night we are "riding bareback", his aide washed our plastic-backed mattress pad today and hung it in the garage to dry til morning. We are running with no MOISTURE PROTECTION!!!!
Got him up, on the toilet and I got to work stripping the bed, running the laundry, getting the shower ready for him. Temper-pedic comes with a zip-off mattress pad (like a huge pillow case, sort of) so I pulled that off..only a small amount leaked thru. Low on appropriate cleaning supplies so I did what I could for the bed and the carpet I just steam-cleaned last weekend.
Got him on the shower seat and went to work scrubbing the toilet. Then scrubbed him. Put 2 towels down on mattress and put on a clean sheet. Put a towel down over the sheet and put him to bed. Now I am up doing nasty nasty laundry, my jaw hurts and I have scrubbed myself and lit candles, but all that lingers in my nose is the smell. Did I step in it or something? It just follows me around..haunting me.
Thank God i have a few ciggarettes here cuz I suck at quitting smoking. I can smoke and put a different putrid smell in the house.
I'll be sleeping on the futon if I can get a few more winks in. Already know I am calling in sick tomorrow again. Anyone know anything about TMJ? I guess I am holding my mouth funny and I talk all day at work. I am in a call center and it is 8 hours of jabbering nonstop..I run around 125 calls a day. Then these restful nights, I am probably grinding my teeth, too.
Who else can I tell this sick stuff too, but all of you! Never in a million years did I envision myself scrubbing crap off my husbands legs in the middle of the night. No way he would do the same if roles were reversed. He just doesnt have it in him. He couldnt handle my back surgeries. Now stop..that's a pity-party in the making.
Enough. Just had to let someone out in this world know my own personal hell this morning.
Way to go, Sheltifan! My best friend has TMJ. She has had all kinds of dental procedures and even accupuncture to fix it. If Divvi is anywhere around today, I suspect she'll be handing you a poop trophy for this one!! I hope you do get a few extra winks. So sorry. Haven't had the bathrooming experiences yet but getting educated through you and others here. Yikes.
Wow Patty, after that night I think you deserve your pity party - you certainly have my pity. As does your husband - that must have been very startling to him, and probably disappointing when you figured out it wasn't the dogs - I'm sure he thought they were the perfect scapegoat. I hope you can figure out what is causing your husband's problem (medicine?) and get it quickly resolved. Calling in sick sounds like a great idea - maybe you can catch a nap with your husband today. The cigarettes are probably not a great idea, but after a night like that I guess chewing gum just wouldn't quite have the same stress releasing effect as a smoke. I'll keep you and your husband in my prayers today.
Oh Patty, that is just awful....I soooo know what you are dealing with (except for the Temper-pedic mattress). That smell is the worst and it does linger....I remember scrubbing and scrubbing trying to get that smell off of me. My husband was confined to bed when his episodes happened and I was alone so I had to clean him myself, change his hospital bed with him in it and then try to get back to sleep...and this was without suffering from TMJ!!!! My hat is off to you....
Divvi, you may have to relinquish your crown....LOL!
My sympathies on the whole nasty episode. I can relate to the TMJ having dealt with pain from this since late December. That little word "stress" popped up first thing when the dr. told me what was wrong. Teeth grinding and teeth clenching really contribute to this. Hope you did get a few moments of sleep and that you'll be able to get more today. This is certainly a good place to share your thoughts...
Sheltifan, check your doorstep today. you have a fedex package on the way with a lovely rhinestonne tiara. from one poop queen to another.. VBG..!!!! so sorry but yes it hits just like you describe. middle of the nites seem to be the preferred iniciation time for some reason. mix some borax soap in with your reg soap and it cleans up smells and stains really well. i have boxes on hand. now as far a the lingering smell, at a local beauty supply house they sell foot cremes that have peppermint, teatree and or euchapytus. get some its the BEST way to curb the poop smell on hands!!! i have tubes of this too. just in case. now lately since DH is bedbound and depends all the time i know these days where poop will strike. not like the old relentless days of having to clean chairs, mattresses, carpets, floors. its alsmost better except for the fact DH has deteriorated so much he is non mobile. sigh. the exchange is one sided as stage 7 moves in friends. hope you get him into depends and good padding tonite. and do check why he may have the messy diahrreah. remmeber half an immodium works wonders too if he can take it. hope you get some sleep friend. hard work, i know exactly what you are handling.divvi
ALL HAIL!!! SHELTIFAN NEW QUEEN FOR THE DAY!!!! (G)
Hospice supplied me with plastic gloves and the CNA uses them when bathing and cleaning my husband and I use them as well! No smell on my hands. I use vinegar to get the smell out...The vinegar stinks for a little while but then the odor is gone.
And I'll bet that wonderful mattress isn't left unprotected again....<grin> I'd buy a second plastic cover so that while one is drying in the garage, you have a back up on the bed!!! You will never know when it will hit....but it will be when you least expect it, and are unprepared, and are worn down....
Like Divvi, my husband is almost bedridden now, and we have super absorbent pads on the mattress on top of the pad that is on top of the bottom sheet, which is on top of the mattress pad, wich is on top of the plastic mattress cover. Did you get the idea that nothing is going to reach the mattress? <grin> Usually, these days, the two super absorbent pads catch it all, but sometimes the pad gets wet or dirty - but it doesn't reach the sheet any more.....I learned by trial and error.
I know Divvi is pleased to pass on her crown!!! <grin>
A POOP-QUEEN FOR THE DAY! I'll take ANYTHING that has queen in the title! Thank you ssooo much Divvi for sharing the crown!
Mary..it sounds a little like you guys are the princess and the pea with all the stuff on your mattress! Do you use steps to get up on top of all the padding????
My DH's aide is in this morning and took over finishing laundry, mopping entire house, re-showering DH, getting rugs in bathroom washed. She is an ANGEL, but she wasnt here at 130am, so I still get the crown!
Oops, my tiara is slipping..oh there. That's better.
Now..my issue. Sounds like we know some TMJ sufferers out there. Any and all advice on this would be appreciated. Just reared it's ugly head in the last month and now my mouth is all but immobile. Weird. Maybe I can get disability for TMJ? :)
Sheltifan, re TMJ. Years ago that is what they thought DH had. Nope, come to find out he has Trigeminal Neuralgia. Look it up. It's supposed to be the worst pain known. His is controlled by taking Trileptal (off label). (oxcarbazepine)
Just make certain it really is TMJ. Don't let anybody start pulling teeth until you have a complete work up. Trigeminal neuralgia is difficult to diagnose. A night guard for the bruxism is a good idea as well.
lets not forget that divvi has held the CROWN for yrs due to the fact nobody owned up to poop duty! i think its time to pass it round!!! dont be shy we will only crown you Queen for a DAY- then someone else will stepin and ASK for it . now i know there are PLENTY of you folks out there doing poop duty. and enoughof it to warrant a title for a day. dont let shelitfan hold it long now... step up and be counted! its going to feel strange not wearing my tiara now after so dang long! i think i lost a lb.. (GRIN)
TMJ. I was finally diagnosed as having TMJ a couple years ago. I have been on 600mg of Ibopropin since then or Darvocet. Last fall a friend told me she was helped by a Chiropractor so I found a lady Chiropractor in the phone book and started going to her. Best decision I ever made. She has completely cured my head/jaw/ear/tooth pain. I do go back once a month for readjustment or else it starts back. Make sure you get one with the new computerized equipment and not the old fashioned crack your bones type. I no longer take pain pills.
The CNA from Hospice was here today and got my husband up onto the commode to bathe him. All was going well until he stood him up to clean his bum and shut the lid of the commode. And then it all came out onto the lid! Fortunately the aide grabbed a throwaway pad that was in reach, and we got him back down onto the commode, lid off. They just absolutely have no control or awareness of when it's coming, although if you watch them (not at 1:30!) you'll see them get a bit restless, like babies sometimes do, before pooping.
Oh my gosh Patty that sounds horrible!! I don't know if I could have handled it. I probably would have run out of the house screaming and called a hasmat crew. Hang in there!
Mentholatum works to get the smell out of your nose too. I like that creme divvi mentioned with peppermint and euchapytus - I can smell it now. Definitely keep gloves on hand to wear - worth the cost. Saves a lot of scrubbing hands and under nails.
Patty, been there done that! I use to have such terrible pity parties thinking I'm the only one out there having to put up with this "crap"! Hearing everyone's stories greatly helps my attitude. It doesn't make it any easier but knowing there are so many of us dealing with these same issues,the pity parties don't last so long now.