Andy2020
Active member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2010
- Messages
- 84
- Reason
- PALS
- Country
- US
- State
- NE
- City
- Omaha
I am hoping some of you experts can help me figure out what to do for my Dad.
Here is his quick story.
My Dad started going to the YMCA in 2007. He would work out 6-7 days a week for 1-2 hours. He was in great condition.
In January 2009 Dad suddenly had his shoulders and neck curving forward. It was like it happened over night. My whole family was asking him what was wrong with his neck and he said he didn't even notice.
We all thought maybe he hurt himself working out.
He went to a spine Dr and his Xrays were normal.
Dad kept working out, but he said he was "tired" all the time and he was having problems sleeping at night.
In August 2009 my Mom and Dad were on a walk and Dad suddenly said he couldn't breathe.
They rushed him to the Emergency Room and the ER Dr was convinced it was a heart attack. The EKG and MRA were all normal.
The next day the Pulmonary Dr asked Dad if he smoked and he told him that he had quit smoking 30 years ago. He diagnosed Dad with COPD and sent him home with 2 drugs.
Dad continued to decline. He could no longer breathe on his back, so he wasn't getting any sleep. He would go out to the living room and try to sleep sitting up in a chair.
Finally he went to the Dr again in December. He was told that it was his throat and he wasn't breathing correctly. The Dr prescribed speech therapy and physical therapy.
Dad went back for a follow-up January 14, 2010.
He told the Dr the COPD drugs didn't work, he was weak/tiried, and he couldn't breathe on his back.
The Dr said he wanted to do a scope of his throat and lungs the next day.
On January 15th 2010 Dad went in for the scope. At 6:30am they FINALLY took his blood gas levels.
His CO2 was over 70!
They put Dad on pure oxygen and the Dr said he was definitely going to have to stay overnight for observation, because his CO2 levels were so abnormal.
But the Dr went ahead with the scope procedure, where Dad had to lay on his back, even though he had told the Dr he couldn't breathe on his back.
Dad made it through the procedure and seemed to be ok, but around 4:00pm he looked like he was taking a nap, but the nurse couldn't wake him. He was unconscious and unresponsive.
They immediately rushed him to the Emergency Room and put him on a BI-PAP machine to try to expel the CO2 from his lungs.
That didn't work so they had to put him on a ventilator.
Dad spent 3 days in the ICU on a ventilator.
After the third day the Pulmonary Dr said Dad was on the "borderline" of being able to breathe on his own, but he might not be able to.
They asked Dad if he wanted to go with a Tracheotomy or to try to breathe on his own.
Dad wanted to try to breathe on his own and he was able to.
The Pulmonary Dr finally said Dad didn't have COPD, but his left diaphragm was very weak.
They sent Dad home with a prescription for oxygen 24/7 on a setting of 2.
He is also on a BI-PAP machine at night.
I just read the late Dr Oppenheimer's report on not giving Oxygen to ALS patients on JoelC's Blog.
I am confused if my Dad should be on oxygen 24/7 or not?
They also have oxygen hooked up to his BI-PAP machine.
Should the BI-PAP only be using room air right now?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You!
Here is his quick story.
My Dad started going to the YMCA in 2007. He would work out 6-7 days a week for 1-2 hours. He was in great condition.
In January 2009 Dad suddenly had his shoulders and neck curving forward. It was like it happened over night. My whole family was asking him what was wrong with his neck and he said he didn't even notice.
We all thought maybe he hurt himself working out.
He went to a spine Dr and his Xrays were normal.
Dad kept working out, but he said he was "tired" all the time and he was having problems sleeping at night.
In August 2009 my Mom and Dad were on a walk and Dad suddenly said he couldn't breathe.
They rushed him to the Emergency Room and the ER Dr was convinced it was a heart attack. The EKG and MRA were all normal.
The next day the Pulmonary Dr asked Dad if he smoked and he told him that he had quit smoking 30 years ago. He diagnosed Dad with COPD and sent him home with 2 drugs.
Dad continued to decline. He could no longer breathe on his back, so he wasn't getting any sleep. He would go out to the living room and try to sleep sitting up in a chair.
Finally he went to the Dr again in December. He was told that it was his throat and he wasn't breathing correctly. The Dr prescribed speech therapy and physical therapy.
Dad went back for a follow-up January 14, 2010.
He told the Dr the COPD drugs didn't work, he was weak/tiried, and he couldn't breathe on his back.
The Dr said he wanted to do a scope of his throat and lungs the next day.
On January 15th 2010 Dad went in for the scope. At 6:30am they FINALLY took his blood gas levels.
His CO2 was over 70!
They put Dad on pure oxygen and the Dr said he was definitely going to have to stay overnight for observation, because his CO2 levels were so abnormal.
But the Dr went ahead with the scope procedure, where Dad had to lay on his back, even though he had told the Dr he couldn't breathe on his back.
Dad made it through the procedure and seemed to be ok, but around 4:00pm he looked like he was taking a nap, but the nurse couldn't wake him. He was unconscious and unresponsive.
They immediately rushed him to the Emergency Room and put him on a BI-PAP machine to try to expel the CO2 from his lungs.
That didn't work so they had to put him on a ventilator.
Dad spent 3 days in the ICU on a ventilator.
After the third day the Pulmonary Dr said Dad was on the "borderline" of being able to breathe on his own, but he might not be able to.
They asked Dad if he wanted to go with a Tracheotomy or to try to breathe on his own.
Dad wanted to try to breathe on his own and he was able to.
The Pulmonary Dr finally said Dad didn't have COPD, but his left diaphragm was very weak.
They sent Dad home with a prescription for oxygen 24/7 on a setting of 2.
He is also on a BI-PAP machine at night.
I just read the late Dr Oppenheimer's report on not giving Oxygen to ALS patients on JoelC's Blog.
I am confused if my Dad should be on oxygen 24/7 or not?
They also have oxygen hooked up to his BI-PAP machine.
Should the BI-PAP only be using room air right now?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You!