Gonna try to pick-up on day two at the hospital - details are very, very sketchy. My nurse I think was training someone so everything took forever as the nurse let the other one do all the work. The hospital pharmacy obviously doesn't use puffers so my doc substituted Breo and Incruse for Symbicort and Spriva which was almost impossible for me to drawer into my lungs. My doc also added some meds to my usual mix but I can't remember what they were. Managed to get them to let me use my Symbicort from home but not the Spiriva. Was on iv levaquin and another antibiotic.
Had nebulizer breathing treatments every four hours. Seemed like half the hospital personal came in with more information than my pea brain could handle. There was even a physical therapist that wanted me to take a walk - ARE YOU KIDDING? I can barely get to the bathroom six feet from my bed.
I had been constipated about four days and couldn't eat as my belly was distended and painful. Doc added different stool softeners to my med mix with no immediate effect. Finally I just opted for a scrambled egg and a banana. - Bad idea.
I was also hooked up to a heart monitor and a pulse/hr monitor which I had to disconnect to get to the bathroom (not the heart monitor, that was wireless).
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I think it was day three and respiratory did another ABG. Still high so they brought in a bipap. I fought with that bad boy; it wanted me to inhale when I needed to exhale - that didn't last long.
Finally, around my third nebulizer treatment, the tech brought a "Vibralung" and hooked it up to the nebulizer. It plays audible frequencies and you can actually feel mucous breaking up - coolest thing since sliced bread. After several treatments with the device I actually started breathing a tiny bit better.
Sorry to hear you have been in hospital Don and relieved to hear you are back home. Viral infections seem to worse than bacterial as they seem to creep up on you so silently and damage done before you even aware you have a problem. I am also really behind on catching up with what is going on as the days just seem to fly past with little done and hard to believe we are midway through the year already. Many years ago I was also carried in to the ER which ended up to be a viral lung infection and all I had felt was a terrible headache and nausea for 2 days and ended up in a 7 day hospital stay and took a long time to get back on my feet again.
Its difficult to remember ,I remember some, one thing I doubt anyone else has done and I regret it, was I had never been on oxygen, and when the nurse tried to put the thing in more nose is what I called it, I told her I would let God handle my breathing and I would bite her finger off , Shame on me..... as far as Levaquin I am highly allergic to it and there's been a lot of discussion on it. You may not be one of them that it bothers.
As little details come back to me I will post them as a new post.
Backing-up to the ER: I guess I was barely breathing; they sent a someone from Respiratory with a nebulizer treatment, I think it was 3 or 6 vile's, it lasted an hour; guess they had to get me somewhat stable; no air moving at all. When they could finally hear some wheezing they did an ABG. My number was almost 70; I think normal is 30 or 40, plus my ph was wrong which I really don't understand; by this time I'm already dealing with information overload.
I know there was a lot more going on in the ER room but I just don't remember.
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They finally got me up to a room and hooked me up to heart monitors, hr/oximetry monitor; started IV meds; I think they were two kinds of antibiotics (Levaquin and something else) also iv prednisone.
A very kind nurse showed me how to un-hook form the oximetry monitor so I could get to the bathroom. That's pretty much all I can remember from that first night.
I'll post this much for now - my memory of these last few days is very vague.
Yes, I remember and when you are able you should read some of the postings sort of on your behalf , they are interesting, I like to read Jan's long, long messages but, I like to read and a lot of detail. Then there was Rita who wrote a Nay message not necessarily to you , but Jan got after her I love those discussions. You should have told us how bad you felt instead of thinking you had to keep things going, and we could have been judgemental with you , I do not feel you need to repent on trying to help, I like to hear voices of opinion and or suggestions , its the know it all's and worse that bother me.
I want to thank you all; first and foremost for your prayers, and of course, for your caring and concern.
I started too get what I thought was a flare-up a few weeks ago and so I went to my usual routine with a pred burst and Zpack .- It did nothing; - I got worse. I don't like going to doctors and I absolutely hate hospitals so I continued to put it off.
Maybe a month ago, my wife picked up a bug somewhere with a very bad cough; it was like a bad cold or flu. We took all the precautions not to spread it but that never works which is probably what triggered my very severe SOB. After about two weeks she went to a walk-in clinic, had some xrays and tests and found she had a respiratory viral infection.
The rest is history, I became so SOB that I could barely walk.
My wife wanted to call 011 Thursday night but I asked to wait till the morning; if no improvement I'll go to the docs so he could admit me.
His office is a block from the hospital but I had him call the paramedics so I wouldn't have to wait in the ER.
About three or four hours in the ER room before they got me admitted and a room in the pulmonary unit.
I'm gonna post this now and continue another time while I try to collect my thoughts on the progression of treatments and procedures - information overload I'm afraid, I don't process that well.
I just sent both of you copy of his message, and to the rest of you who are interested Don was having a real tough time of it , and had to go into hospital either Thursday eve or Friday, he will probably tell at least part of his story when he feels like posting it. He was released today.
Gonna try to pick-up on day two at the hospital - details are very, very sketchy. My nurse I think was training someone so everything took forever as the nurse let the other one do all the work. The hospital pharmacy obviously doesn't use puffers so my doc substituted Breo and Incruse for Symbicort and Spriva which was almost impossible for me to drawer into my lungs. My doc also added some meds to my usual mix but I can't remember what they were. Managed to get them to let me use my Symbicort from home but not the Spiriva. Was on iv levaquin and another antibiotic.
Had nebulizer breathing treatments every four hours. Seemed like half the hospital personal came in with more information than my pea brain could handle. There was even a physical therapist that wanted me to take a walk - ARE YOU KIDDING? I can barely get to the bathroom six feet from my bed.
I had been constipated about four days and couldn't eat as my belly was distended and painful. Doc added different stool softeners to my med mix with no immediate effect. Finally I just opted for a scrambled egg and a banana. - Bad idea.
I was also hooked up to a heart monitor and a pulse/hr monitor which I had to disconnect to get to the bathroom (not the heart monitor, that was wireless).
I think it was day three and respiratory did another ABG. Still high so they brought in a bipap. I fought with that bad boy; it wanted me to inhale when I needed to exhale - that didn't last long.
Finally, around my third nebulizer treatment, the tech brought a "Vibralung" and hooked it up to the nebulizer. It plays audible frequencies and you can actually feel mucous breaking up - coolest thing since sliced bread. After several treatments with the device I actually started breathing a tiny bit better.
I hear my nap calling me so I'll end here.
Sorry to hear you have been in hospital Don and relieved to hear you are back home. Viral infections seem to worse than bacterial as they seem to creep up on you so silently and damage done before you even aware you have a problem. I am also really behind on catching up with what is going on as the days just seem to fly past with little done and hard to believe we are midway through the year already. Many years ago I was also carried in to the ER which ended up to be a viral lung infection and all I had felt was a terrible headache and nausea for 2 days and ended up in a 7 day hospital stay and took a long time to get back on my feet again.
We have had similar health problems ,I believe I told you before that I also had a resection on the colon from diverticulitis .
Its difficult to remember ,I remember some, one thing I doubt anyone else has done and I regret it, was I had never been on oxygen, and when the nurse tried to put the thing in more nose is what I called it, I told her I would let God handle my breathing and I would bite her finger off , Shame on me..... as far as Levaquin I am highly allergic to it and there's been a lot of discussion on it. You may not be one of them that it bothers.
As little details come back to me I will post them as a new post.
Backing-up to the ER: I guess I was barely breathing; they sent a someone from Respiratory with a nebulizer treatment, I think it was 3 or 6 vile's, it lasted an hour; guess they had to get me somewhat stable; no air moving at all. When they could finally hear some wheezing they did an ABG. My number was almost 70; I think normal is 30 or 40, plus my ph was wrong which I really don't understand; by this time I'm already dealing with information overload.
I know there was a lot more going on in the ER room but I just don't remember.
They finally got me up to a room and hooked me up to heart monitors, hr/oximetry monitor; started IV meds; I think they were two kinds of antibiotics (Levaquin and something else) also iv prednisone.
A very kind nurse showed me how to un-hook form the oximetry monitor so I could get to the bathroom. That's pretty much all I can remember from that first night.
I'll post this much for now - my memory of these last few days is very vague.
Yes, I remember and when you are able you should read some of the postings sort of on your behalf , they are interesting, I like to read Jan's long, long messages but, I like to read and a lot of detail. Then there was Rita who wrote a Nay message not necessarily to you , but Jan got after her I love those discussions. You should have told us how bad you felt instead of thinking you had to keep things going, and we could have been judgemental with you , I do not feel you need to repent on trying to help, I like to hear voices of opinion and or suggestions , its the know it all's and worse that bother me.
I want to thank you all; first and foremost for your prayers, and of course, for your caring and concern.
I started too get what I thought was a flare-up a few weeks ago and so I went to my usual routine with a pred burst and Zpack .- It did nothing; - I got worse. I don't like going to doctors and I absolutely hate hospitals so I continued to put it off.
Maybe a month ago, my wife picked up a bug somewhere with a very bad cough; it was like a bad cold or flu. We took all the precautions not to spread it but that never works which is probably what triggered my very severe SOB. After about two weeks she went to a walk-in clinic, had some xrays and tests and found she had a respiratory viral infection.
The rest is history, I became so SOB that I could barely walk.
My wife wanted to call 011 Thursday night but I asked to wait till the morning; if no improvement I'll go to the docs so he could admit me.
His office is a block from the hospital but I had him call the paramedics so I wouldn't have to wait in the ER.
About three or four hours in the ER room before they got me admitted and a room in the pulmonary unit.
I'm gonna post this now and continue another time while I try to collect my thoughts on the progression of treatments and procedures - information overload I'm afraid, I don't process that well.
Wed morning 6/5/19 , Tried re-sending the message separately instead of both on same E-mail , they were returned. Sorry ...
I just sent both of you copy of his message, and to the rest of you who are interested Don was having a real tough time of it , and had to go into hospital either Thursday eve or Friday, he will probably tell at least part of his story when he feels like posting it. He was released today.
Oh Audrey thank you so much for the info!!!!