beaner1
Active member
- Joined
- May 8, 2007
- Messages
- 58
- Reason
- CALS
- Country
- CA
- State
- Alberta
- City
- Redcliff
Good morning all.
I have a question about breathing, and hope someone could answer it for me. My hubby has been hospitalized for two months now - palliative care unit. Yesterday he was put on a morphine pump for his breathing - he says it helps. How can that be? Doesn't morphine slow down respiration? Prior to this, he's been on oxygen and uses a bipap also when resting. He was originally hospitalized for pneumonia, and a subsequent heart attack. When I asked him why the pump, he said that he was struggling for breath and the doc said it would help. He has also doubled the dose of morphine he was receiving.
What does this mean? I have an appointment to talk to the doc on Friday, but in the meantime I'm scared! Is the end near? He's declined so much in the past two months - still wants to come home, but I have no idea how we'll manage - he can't even have a bowel movement on his own! No matter how much laxative he's given, the nurses have to "pull it out" - poor man! He cannot do much on his own - lower body totally gone, upper not far behind, in major pain in his hips, legs, ankles, and feet.
He receives Atavan and a sleeping pill nightly, has a nitro patch on during the day, and also has an asthma-like treatment every fours hours - also other drugs too numerous to mention. He's not eating much at all either.
Can someone help please?
Thanks,
Beaner
I have a question about breathing, and hope someone could answer it for me. My hubby has been hospitalized for two months now - palliative care unit. Yesterday he was put on a morphine pump for his breathing - he says it helps. How can that be? Doesn't morphine slow down respiration? Prior to this, he's been on oxygen and uses a bipap also when resting. He was originally hospitalized for pneumonia, and a subsequent heart attack. When I asked him why the pump, he said that he was struggling for breath and the doc said it would help. He has also doubled the dose of morphine he was receiving.
What does this mean? I have an appointment to talk to the doc on Friday, but in the meantime I'm scared! Is the end near? He's declined so much in the past two months - still wants to come home, but I have no idea how we'll manage - he can't even have a bowel movement on his own! No matter how much laxative he's given, the nurses have to "pull it out" - poor man! He cannot do much on his own - lower body totally gone, upper not far behind, in major pain in his hips, legs, ankles, and feet.
He receives Atavan and a sleeping pill nightly, has a nitro patch on during the day, and also has an asthma-like treatment every fours hours - also other drugs too numerous to mention. He's not eating much at all either.
Can someone help please?
Thanks,
Beaner