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70 Year Old Mother Who Bruises Easily

CKA1

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances (2020)
Hi,

My mother and I are intending to walk the Camino when she is 70. I wrote my thesis for divinity college on the Camino, it is something we both want to do eventually. I'm in my 30s, she's in her late 60s.

Now, when we do day hikes I encourage her to carry a small load. However, she has bruises from even carrying a lightweight day pack with a bottle of water and lunch. They are generally on her lower arms, but it concerns me that if she's carrying even a small pack (I'd probably have to carry most of her gear) that she would suffer bruising which must be painful. She claims it's "thin skin", but I am thinking it might be something worth looking at?

I don't know if there are lotions or powders to help with this, but she seems to be certain that it won't be a problem. I on the other hand am positive that it will be a detriment to any long trek.

We would like to do the Camino Frances.

Any suggestions?

CK.
 
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Hi,

They are generally on her lower arms. Any suggestions?

CK.
Hi @CKA1
I wouldn’t stress over this.
I’m a month off 70 myself. This bruising is a pretty common thing for me too. It’s not painful at all - just looks bad. Some of us as we age., have skin which bruises very easily. You just have to be careful and take time with movements that you allow clearance so you don’t connect with door handles, pack straps etc. My first camino 2012 , when taking off my backpack I damaged the skin on my arms , a lot of bruising.. . I had taken my backpack off without first releasing the straps to loosen them . The straps had torn against the skin (rubbed too hard). . It takes almost a week for bruising to fade. Just make sure she takes the ‘weight off’ and lets out the straps first. , before she takes it off to allow it to come off gently.

She is very fortunate to have a caring son to walk with. Maybe you can carry a little extra for her.

Buen Camino
Annie
 
My sweet wife bruises extremely easily. When she sees her doctor, she is often asked if there is something to talk about given her bruises; it makes her think her doctor thinks she is being abused at home. She says her bruises are not painful, but they too often look very painful.
Though I do think that as we age some of us acquire this little bĂȘte and it may be normal, I strongly recommend your mother pay a visit to the doctor for a thorough physical exam to confirm it is not something else.
It is kind of you to worry about your mother. We older people enjoy both seeing and feeling the care of our children.
Buen Camino - you both will have a great time.
 
Check with your doctor. Could be a medical problem or a medicine or just age. I’m 70 and if I look at my skin with an evil eye I get a bruise. I’ve found when I was doing the Camino, caring a light pack I tended to get bruises all over my arms just from the straps just taking my pack off and on. Good luck.
 
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I would concur with others that a visit to her physician is wise. I highly recommend pack transport. Also you mentioned that your mother is in her late sixties, and you are planning to do the Camino when she is 70. Why wait til then? Having had a brush with some ill health, my motto is now “ I’m going while I’m healthy.” Best wishes to you both. Buen Camino!
 
well to help carry some of the load is one thing to be respectful to each other needs is a given but think about it what are your concerns and should you really discuss somebody else’s condition in a forum?
 
My mother used to bruise very easily as a side effect of the medication she was on. She always said it wasn’t painful, although it used to look awful. It would be best to get a check up with her doctor just in case there’s any underlying condition.
 
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Blood thinning medications, including anti-inflammatories in my case, enable blood to rather easily leak thru capillaries on my arms after some pressure. It pools under the skin surface and takes a few days to disappear.
Less frequently this occurs on my cheeks, even without pressure, unless you call washing your face or shaving....pressure.
Whatever, younger walkers have in the past unkindly named me 'Zombie Pilgrim'.
Regards
Gerard
 
I have exactly the same problem. I have to take asprin and my arms bruise just by looking at them. The dosage used to be 100gm per day and now is reduced by my cardiologist to 100gm every other day so the bruising is much less. It is not painful but I find it embarrassing.
Another 'cosmetic injury' are small red patches about 6mm in diameter. As one gets older the capillary veins become brittle and leak for a very short time before the blood clots and the leak stops and the capillary repairs.
I saw my cardiologist just 2 days ago who explained this to me.
They are not a problem and not painful.
I am 87
Nevertheless, always consult a physician for a medical problem rather than getting opinions from non- medical persons.
 
Hi,

My mother and I are intending to walk the Camino when she is 70. I wrote my thesis for divinity college on the Camino, it is something we both want to do eventually. I'm in my 30s, she's in her late 60s.

Now, when we do day hikes I encourage her to carry a small load. However, she has bruises from even carrying a lightweight day pack with a bottle of water and lunch. They are generally on her lower arms, but it concerns me that if she's carrying even a small pack (I'd probably have to carry most of her gear) that she would suffer bruising which must be painful. She claims it's "thin skin", but I am thinking it might be something worth looking at?

I don't know if there are lotions or powders to help with this, but she seems to be certain that it won't be a problem. I on the other hand am positive that it will be a detriment to any long trek.

We would like to do the Camino Frances.

Any suggestions?

CK.
Avoid aspirin.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Hi,

My mother and I are intending to walk the Camino when she is 70. I wrote my thesis for divinity college on the Camino, it is something we both want to do eventually. I'm in my 30s, she's in her late 60s.

Now, when we do day hikes I encourage her to carry a small load. However, she has bruises from even carrying a lightweight day pack with a bottle of water and lunch. They are generally on her lower arms, but it concerns me that if she's carrying even a small pack (I'd probably have to carry most of her gear) that she would suffer bruising which must be painful. She claims it's "thin skin", but I am thinking it might be something worth looking at?

I don't know if there are lotions or powders to help with this, but she seems to be certain that it won't be a problem. I on the other hand am positive that it will be a detriment to any long trek.

We would like to do the Camino Frances.

Any suggestions?

CK.
Is your mom on any anticoagulants like the blood thinner Warfarin? Also, long-term steroids can cause this. If on meds, she needs monthly labs done. However, if she isn't, you could have her doctor run PT and PTT labs to make sure she is in the normal range of clotting. If she is, then she should be fine but bring a bunch of good bandaids with you as the elderly with "thin skin" can bleed quite a bit. Good luck!
 

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