The tapestry of the life of a medically complex family

Archive for the ‘Apnea’ Category

10 Reasons Complex Medical Needs Parents DON’T Drink Wine- But SHOULD

10. If you drink too much you could get a headache & not be able to do the next 11 neb medication series…

9. Frankly, if you TRY to drink “too much” you will only pass out as you take a sip of your second glass- exhaustion will force you into a deep slumber & you will SURELY miss dinner.

8. Your “normal” child is prone to sudden onset severe asthma & she will begin to wheeze when you begin to pour…

7. The corkscrew has been repurposed to open medication ampules and it’s too much bother to clean.

6. The oximeters have “relax-dar” – if you so much as move the milk over to consider taking out the Riesling, they will inevitably alarm repeatedly until repositioned on both twins.

5. The next neb treatment is actually due now…

4. It’s time to blend, heat, set-up & begin the overnight feed so who has time to search for a back-up corkscrew?!?

3. Have you ever been to a home with multiples and had all of the kids well at the same time??

2. BEEP!! BEEP!! ‘No food out’- what the hell??? Didn’t I just flush the GTube 5 seconds ago???

And the number 1 reason parents of complex medical needs’ kids don’t drink wine:

1. He’s making that cough again. THAT cough. That cough that indicates tonight or tomorrow will be the date of the next ER visit.

Category:

"the Ugly", Apnea, Emergency, Medicine, Preemie, Special Needs, Trach

Decline

Decline is a word I hate to use to describe any health behavior in my children. It is a terrifying word implying “active change for the worse”. It is the word I am now using to describe my son’s respiratory status- and I want a different word, a different experience. I am DONE with “decline”- I will settle for “plateau”… can anyone give me a “plateau”?

Since last summer, Tavi has gone from being mostly clear, rarely suctioned, rarely secretions thickening in the trach to a kid who needs suction almost daily and does worse with any level of activity- even when cool. He regularly needs saline nebs every 2 hours when off his trach mist color- and sometimes needs them in addition to the mist. He has declined throughout the winter to having more secretions outside the typical activities where I saw them previously. Outdoor temps have not even begun to rise and he fatigues regularly during low intensity Physical Therapy sessions in the cool playroom.

Since September, Tavi has required a saline neb during each PT session. Since early February he has required oxygen- typically 2L every night, but sometimes as much as 4L. For 4yrs 11mos of life with a trach, Tavish required no oxygen on sleeping unless he was actively ill. He has yet to develop an active illness since the oxygen requirement began. As we head to the sleep pulmonologist appointment next week, I fell like I need to get familiar with forming this word in my mouth as part of the description. HOPING it is just a temporary problem. Tav’s sleep study cannot come quickly enough for me.

Category:

"the Ugly", Apnea, Preemie, Special Needs, Trach, Twins