She has had repeated UTIs and now they tell me her urine has tested positive for ecoli and they suspect she has a leaking fistula. In order to do the exam to determine if she does have the fistual, they would have to sedate her. I am just not sure that I want to put her through all of this at her age and at the stage of her life. She cannot walk, has to be fed, does not talk - just makes noises, has to wear diapers and does not even realize that she is in the world. So sad.
She can't walk, she has to be fed, she doesn't talk, she's in diapers, and doesn't realize that she's in this world. What kind of Dr. would suggest that she be placed under sedation? Although I'm not sure how much worse she can get. But you may not want to find out.
It might be easier to just keep treating the UTI's than to have her go through a procedure where she's put under sedation. Your mom may never fully recover from the sedation. How does your mom react to the UTI's? Are you able to get her on antibiotics right away? Do the UTI's make your mom uncomfortable?
Any kind of procedure at this point sounds awfully aggressive given your mom's condition. I think you have to weigh the concerns: recurring UTI's vs. possible side effects from the sedation. Which is worse?
What does the Dr. say about the sedation?