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Chuck, Have the orthopedic physician consult a neurologist as soon as possible. You also might want to check to see if they are following the same medication regieme that you have at home. Another thought is that your mother-in-law is disoriented and confused because she is in new unfamiliar surroundings. Some peole after surgery have problems with orientation. If she is fearful and is not able to comprehend what is going around her, she will be difficult and uncooperative. One thing I could suggest, is to go with her when she has therapy. If she can see someone she knows, she may be more comfortable. You will have to very involved at this point. The more she doesn't participate in therapy, she runs the possibility of having a longer recovery time. You didn't say if your mother-in-law was in a rehab facility, nursing home or hospital. Please remain active in her care. From my experience with my mother-in-law and her broken hip, if you are not actively involved in getting to her cooperate with treatment, you are going to find that she may discharged from the therapy she receives. When she is discharged from therapy, Medicare stops paying for her bills. Good luck Maureen, CG Florence 83/10, James 73/1 (died Nov 6, 1997) > >------------------------------ > >Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 19:53:59 -0500 >From: Chuck Mcdonald <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Hallucinations > >My mother-in-law underwent an hip replacement operation about 10 days >ago. My wife went to visit her yesterday and came home very depressed >because it is not the mother that she knows. Her mother was saying bad >things about the nurses, for example, which is completely out of >character. She was also hallucinating. Actually seeing things that did >not exist - such as a crown of forsythia in her daughter's hair. There >are other >problems such as her lack of desire to do her exercises and rehabilitate >herself but he most distressing part of the visit was the hallucinations >and her mental state. She is taking her Parkinson's medication and >blood thinners and obviously was under general anaesthetic about 10 days >ago. Is her mental state Parkinson's, drug interactions, or what. It's >hard to get information from her DR because the orthopaedic surgeon >doesn't know about Parkinson's , etc. It's a vicious circle. We are >concerned but don't know where to turn. We live 100 miles away and my >wife's father seems too accepting of the condition and doesn't want to >press the doctors. >Any help will be greatly appreciated. > >Chuck > >------------------------------ >------------------------------ Maureen Allen, RN-C MPH Research Scientist Clinical Tools, Inc 5001 Baum Blvd Suite 720 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Phone: 688-8970 Fax 688-9493 Email: [log in to unmask]