MANAGE SYMPTOMS
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Spiritual and emotional concerns may also cause pain. You may see this type of pain expressed through: • Questioning the meaning of life, belief systems, or the meaning of suffering. • Talking about feelings of being left by God/higher power, or being angry with God/higher power. • Having pain and/or other physical symptoms. • Being afraid to fall asleep at night or other fears. • Feeling a sense of emptiness or loss of direction.
CALL YOUR CARE TEAM IF:
• The patient develops new pain. • The patient experiences an increase in pain. • The patient is unable to take pain medications for any reason. • There are increased signs of discomfort for patients who cannot speak. • The patient experiences any side effects from medication. • The patient’s pain continues in spite of medication or other efforts.
Seizures A seizure is a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain that affects how a person feels or acts for a short time. On rare occasions, a seizure may last for several minutes. Before some seizures, there may be warning signs. A person may have a sense that something is wrong (have a strange feeling, tingling) and sometimes seizures come with no warning. A seizure can affect people in different ways. Some may be barely noticed, while others may cause the person to have uncontrolled movements of the whole body. Seizures may cause the person to fall to the floor or even become unconscious. After a seizure, the person may be very sleepy. This may last for a few seconds, minutes, or hours.
Some possible causes of seizures: • Medical condition or a dis ease • Prior head injury • Infections • Medications • Fever Some things you may see during a seizure: • Muscle jerking, twitching • Stiffening of the body • Bladder emptying, wetting • Blurred vision • Inability to speak or blurred speach • Unconsciousness, passing out • Eyes rolling back • Confusion, short memory loss • Blank stare
How to help: • Move any objects that the per- son may fall on or bump into. • Turn the person on their side if vomiting occurs. • Gently support the head by placing a pillow underneath. • Remove eye glasses if possible. • Do not put anything in their mouth and do not try to hold their tongue. • Give medications if ordered.
CALL YOUR CARE TEAM IF: • The patient has a new or unusual seizure, or new behavior after a seizure. • There is any injury to the patient during or after a seizure. • The patient’s seizure is not stopping. • There is an increase in seizure frequency or severity. • The patient’s supply of medications for seizures becomes low.
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866.466.9734
Four Seasons
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