kleptoice
New member
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
- Messages
- 6
- Reason
- Loved one DX
- Diagnosis
- 03/2017
- Country
- US
- State
- California
- City
- San Jose
Hi guys,
My dad got his tracheotomy and ventilator a little over 2 weeks ago. When we were at the hospital, he was doing fine adapting to it. His heart rate was around 70-90.
However, we just moved to a nursing facility that has a subacute section and the first week, he was doing fine. But in the past week, he has been claiming that he was feeling short of breath. I checked his O2 and it was between 96-98, but I still let the respiratory therapist there know. They all said everything was fine but the only thing to worry about is his heart rate which has been between 100 (after he just wakes up) to 135. It is normally between 110-125.
The doctor prescribed him Ativan on Wednesday but his heart rate is still very high even after taking it, and he will claim to still be short of breath and will get frustrated when I don't call the RT. I really don't know what to do. I expressed my concerns to the nurses but they say it's anxiety, which I know. They tell me to wait 30 min until the medicine hits but even after that he still claims to be short of breath until he falls asleep. I am very worried about his heart rate being so high. He recently got a UTI but he is on antibiotics, so one RT said that could be a factor in why his heart rate could be so high.
I just feel very stressed out. I am a college student and my mom and I alternate between watching over my dad, and she stays the night with him everyday and I try to stay once a week. During those times, he will wake us up every few hours saying he isn't getting enough air but I will check his oxygen and it will be high. I have tried massaging my dads head, feet, and back to help relieve some stress. I even played some music in hopes of relieving him from some anxiety.
None of the nurses feel very helpful. I understand their logic but I just get very stressed out when my dad says he feels like he can't breath and the nurses just tell me to wait until the medication kicks in. I do know that at night, he gets very hot and in the morning he gets cold. I am not sure if that means anything. One thing that seems to help are breathing treatments given from the RT.
I would greatly appreciate any help.
Thank you so much
My dad got his tracheotomy and ventilator a little over 2 weeks ago. When we were at the hospital, he was doing fine adapting to it. His heart rate was around 70-90.
However, we just moved to a nursing facility that has a subacute section and the first week, he was doing fine. But in the past week, he has been claiming that he was feeling short of breath. I checked his O2 and it was between 96-98, but I still let the respiratory therapist there know. They all said everything was fine but the only thing to worry about is his heart rate which has been between 100 (after he just wakes up) to 135. It is normally between 110-125.
The doctor prescribed him Ativan on Wednesday but his heart rate is still very high even after taking it, and he will claim to still be short of breath and will get frustrated when I don't call the RT. I really don't know what to do. I expressed my concerns to the nurses but they say it's anxiety, which I know. They tell me to wait 30 min until the medicine hits but even after that he still claims to be short of breath until he falls asleep. I am very worried about his heart rate being so high. He recently got a UTI but he is on antibiotics, so one RT said that could be a factor in why his heart rate could be so high.
I just feel very stressed out. I am a college student and my mom and I alternate between watching over my dad, and she stays the night with him everyday and I try to stay once a week. During those times, he will wake us up every few hours saying he isn't getting enough air but I will check his oxygen and it will be high. I have tried massaging my dads head, feet, and back to help relieve some stress. I even played some music in hopes of relieving him from some anxiety.
None of the nurses feel very helpful. I understand their logic but I just get very stressed out when my dad says he feels like he can't breath and the nurses just tell me to wait until the medication kicks in. I do know that at night, he gets very hot and in the morning he gets cold. I am not sure if that means anything. One thing that seems to help are breathing treatments given from the RT.
I would greatly appreciate any help.
Thank you so much
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