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Post by jarca on Aug 16, 2016 18:09:09 GMT -5
Hi All! I was hoping that Ozboy would be home from hospital by now and able to update us himself. Saturday & Sunday, I got an update from a mutual friend that Ozboy was still in the hospital, but improving from the pnuemonia.
However, our friend said that Ozboy's 02 has been down around 79-80% & Ozboy is trying to get supplemental 02 as he knows this is too low. The hospital staff is refusing to give him 02 due to his being a C02 retainer. She said Ozboy was very frustrated and hoping that his regular Dr would come in and order the 02 for him & he was hoping to be able to go home on Monday. I have not heard any more, just that Ozboy said when he gets home he will update us about everything.
Ozboy has a lot of knowledge about COPD & has taught me a lot over the years which I am so grateful to him for; so he does know his needs. To have such low blood oxygen levels & "the professionals" refusing to supply 02 for him must be not only frustrating, but (IMO) also rather scary. It is Tuesday evening (5pm) here in Utah so it must be morning in Australia= I hope we will hear some good news from peter on this day.
My prayers continue.
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Post by zellie on Aug 16, 2016 19:10:16 GMT -5
I can't believe they are withholding oxygen and letting his oxygen drop that low. They must be still in the dark ages down there. I hope his doctor will order him oxygen ASAP. Retainer or not his oxygen should still be above 92. Hope he gets back home soon.
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Post by jim on Aug 16, 2016 21:34:29 GMT -5
Thank you for the update jarca, I'm hoping he is home soon.
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Post by jarca on Aug 16, 2016 21:38:51 GMT -5
(yes zellie, I can imagine how frustrated Ozboy was knowing he needed 02 & them refusing it!!!---I know I would be! Knowing how important it is to my body, brain & organs to be that low of 02 & having someone refuse me supplemental would put me into panic mode.; so i could really empathize with ozboys frustration!)
8:30pm Utah time Tuesday evening = wednessday in Australia=
I just got a new update on Ozboy; "he has been transferred to another hospital because the pulmonary rehab facility there at the new one is better. They will monitor him closely before they release him. His wife said he is doing fine"
Whew, I am so relieved to hear that ozboy has been transferred to a different hospital. I assume he is now receiving 02 and his necessary meds as needed now or our friend would have said something. This latest note was a big relief to me, but I will be happy when we all hear from Ozboy himself. My prayers continue & I am sure Ozboy will appreciate any & all prayers to help him thru this.
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Post by David on Aug 16, 2016 21:46:45 GMT -5
I am glad to hear Ozboy is getting better. Hope he gets out of the hospital soon.
I don't know much about being a C02 retainer. I do exercise with a lady that is a retainer and from what she says she has to be careful. She can't do oxygen like I can. To much could kill her. She is on oxygen all the time. I think it is regulated different from mine. I am not an expert on this subject.
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Post by lavishgail on Aug 18, 2016 0:29:21 GMT -5
Thank God, continued prayers Peter. May God be by you're side night and day. Amen.
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Post by TerryDavid on Aug 18, 2016 11:51:32 GMT -5
Thank you for the updates jarca. Peter is a great guy and and I'm glad to hear he is doing better and getting the help he needs.
Terry
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Post by ozboy on Aug 20, 2016 4:29:36 GMT -5
Hi guys....had to copy n paste as no wifi n using what little i have in cell....will get a dongle tomorrow.. Hi guys....first of all thanks for a;ll the prayers n support and for dear Raylene trying to pass messages via Beth who is finding it hard to cope with the situation as she tend to live in denial..I feel it is so hard for her but i have tried many times to get her to face the possibiities ..Anyway she bought the wrong dongle so i am running internet off her cell and the charge is on 45 only...till we buy a new one tomorrow...... I went thru hell once i left Casey ER and got into the ward from hell....the local GP decided to hook me up to a Optiflow for 24/7 at 36 degrees because his theory without even reading the report just done that my ABG was even better than when i checked out....He kept my O2 levels at 90-88% which is totally foreign to me..I could not breathe and before going into a anxiety they refused me my Zanax even though it was written up....by 7pm i passed out from a full blown panic attack and not till 12 midnite, a nite vital stats picked up my level was 85% , disorientated and bleeding from nose thru the heat...He hooked me up to O2 and by 3 am i was ok......nothing was said or done about it as these nurses n docs were like demi-gods on a pedestral....This happened once more till i lost the plot and caused a bit of a scene with one of these foreign w/end docs....Finally to cut the rest of the crap out. my physio and dietician were disgusted and ordered an immediate transfere to Dandenong Inhouse rehab where finally my instructor realised my sats were dropping to 75% over 6 feet walking....so i lost 95% of my mobility over a few days. My own team came down from Monash Hospital and they are in control now......I had a CT dye scan for lung clots but my veins n arteries were so butchered from around 8 ABGs they could not get one done so they will try on monday......i have to go on oxygen as i cannot even walk a few feet now........so they will assess me here...plus i want to start exercising even if it is only a fraction of what once was.....I do feel totally gutted and depressed but i aso have support coming out of the woodwork.....guess they know i aint going to let them get away with what the did ......all over a Flu Virus i picked up in hospital......Lots of stuff happened in between but cant fill u in now.. So I have no idea how long i will remain here but i was told that depends ...... Love you all and once again thanks xxxxxxx
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Post by John on Aug 20, 2016 6:48:55 GMT -5
Great to see you Peter . Boy you have had a go of it . My heart goes out to you
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Post by joany on Aug 20, 2016 7:45:54 GMT -5
Soooo good to hear from you, ozboy. Prayers worked every which way! We'll talk later.....
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Post by barb7330 on Aug 20, 2016 9:48:35 GMT -5
Nice to hear your doing a little better Peter. What on earth is wrong with these Drs. these days. Seems to be the same in Canada. I believe if your a senior you don't get the care you should. I guess because we're costing the tax payers money even though we paid it all our lives. Anyway prayers going out for you ...
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Post by David on Aug 20, 2016 11:46:41 GMT -5
Wow, that is scary there are places out there like that hospital.
I am glad you are doing better and getting better treatment.
Still praying for you
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Post by lavishgail on Aug 20, 2016 18:09:25 GMT -5
Wow, my prayers continue,as my heart goes to you. 😘😘
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Post by TerryDavid on Aug 21, 2016 15:09:36 GMT -5
Wow Peter, I don't know how you could keep up with all of that. I wouldn't be able to remember half of it. I'm sure glad that they finally have things sorted out and you are on the road to recovery.
Thoughts and prayers are with you bud. Hope to hear from you with more good news soon.
Terry
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Post by ozboy on Aug 21, 2016 16:16:39 GMT -5
Almost fixed my net so can report instead of copy......today an O2 assessment here by my own pulmo as i have no idea about oxygen ;;;;Anyway here goes... Hi...besides getting the internet to work n constant interruptions, i am slowly workin thru all the lovely replies......Yes i never in my wildest dreams thought oxygen would play such a huge part so quickly.....I crave to learn now as i feel totally dependent even in a Linus n his blanket capacity....at an estimated drop to around 10-12% it is scary waters....Today i have a kinder exercise program starting at 10AM.....they will also do the oxygen assess from in here as i cannot walk more than 4 feet but as that just graduated local resp. lady could not get an ABG done half hr after CT Scan as my arms are black from all the others we will try today....I think ...So full time....nites....just supplemental ...all take on a new meaning....... ..yesterday they gave me a small portable as i feel really undignified using a bottle ha...but guess after all the drama, i went to try it alone in toilet n after 2 mins, i felt my sats were acting strange...checked again n bottle was empty...made it back to bed n got on the one on the wall..whew....forget the buzzer..i would be in huge strife waiting for them to turn up......lesson learnt,,,trust no one...OK they are doing changeover n need a coffee before they all go missing....talk later..love n thanks...xxxx
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Post by jarca on Aug 21, 2016 17:38:59 GMT -5
i'm so happy that you are out of hospital & on the mend, my dear friend I was so worried about you! It has been a rough year for you and i hope better days are coming. my prayers continue.
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Post by ozboy on Aug 22, 2016 1:14:41 GMT -5
Hi guys....still in a hospital environment but it is more geared to get folks home and able to cope...I cannot do much of my programs as i am being assessed for oxygen as my sats at rest are 92% with 1 ltr O2 but any movement and they drop quick if not hooked up.......so once more they tried for an ABG part of the free oxygen program.......I heard that because my own Pulmo is the Oxygen Tester for our city he can decide to skip the ABG bit.....Funnily he was the one that considered me abnormal compared to others with so much higher sats and much lower performance... .......Anyway lets see but i feel really scared and not adjusting well at the moment.......lost so much confidence.. ha....
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Post by joany on Aug 22, 2016 7:54:24 GMT -5
Good to hear from you ozboy, but...I too have just recently been scared with a loss of confidence. What I know for sure is that anxiety, panic SEIZES oxygen so to an extent we're creating exactly what we're trying to avoid. Try to relax - take a deep breath - count backwards slowly - be aware of every breath you take
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Post by David on Aug 22, 2016 12:53:12 GMT -5
Praying for you Peter.
Joany, well said. When I get out of breath I panic and that makes it even harder to control.
Like yesterday morning, I went to my Sunday School class. It is up on the second floor. I use the elevator. By the time I walk from my car to the class I am pretty much out of breath. I do stop and rest a couple of times.
When I got to the class room there was a not on the door we would be meeting down stairs in another room. The A/C was out upstairs. So there I stood out of breath and after reading the sign I got worse for some reason. I stood there all alone and felt like the walls was closing in on me. I had to concentrate on breathing. Finally I got it together and went back down stairs. It was very scary for a while.
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Post by lavishgail on Aug 22, 2016 16:34:33 GMT -5
Yes, I'm the same way. Dear God I pray for you Peter. Please get well. My heart goes to you. Gail.
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Post by sharon on Aug 24, 2016 6:35:31 GMT -5
glad your doing a bit better. I been in hospital for 2 days because of low oxygen too and pain in chest . they said I may have heart damage from low oxygen levels when I move but then come back up when rest but not much 92-93. they did not give me oxygen in hospital either. scaring me. hope they get you back to a new normal
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Post by jarca on Aug 24, 2016 19:09:22 GMT -5
Gosh, i'm sorry you still aren't home, Peter. ((((HUGS))) just keep putting 1 step in front of the other. Not feeling well today myself, I laid in bet until 1pm and ready to go back to bed at 5 hours later. Even Nellie is just laying around sleeping today so must be "one of those days". Sorry that you're in the hospital, Sharon.My prayers are with you also...I thought you were on 02 already? btw; I went 4 years that i didn't need 02 when sitting, but get up & it dropped like a rock. It seems with COPD 02 is 1st needed at night, then active & last when moving; that's why I always wonder why hospitals & dr's offices always take it while a person is sitting! Peter, I have never heard of Optiflow=from what i have quickly read it is a high flow 02 that is humidified? I thought "high flow" was over 5LPM, which sounds weird that you would go from needing no 02 to high flow?===well that shall give me something new to learn about once my brain starts being able to think again. (when I get sick the brain seems to quit working also) I hope everyone gets well days soon!!!
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Post by ozboy on Aug 25, 2016 5:46:53 GMT -5
Hi guys......I feel so sorry for you Sharon..at least over here if you fail the 6min WT and your ABG is also ''whatever'' then you qualify for Govt Paid Oxygen...... As I am leaving hospital rehab...needing oxygen therapy, today they dropped a brand new concentrator and 4 portable cylinders and bag to my place where they taught the missus how to use it. Hopefully tomorrow the reps will drop in and give me a demo as well. This is free from hospital for 3-6 months and then i see my own pulmonary doc and bee reassessed......If all goes well then i can choose what unit best suits and the govt pays for it.... This optiflow is also a mystery n guess that is why i ended up like this.....basically my ABG was perfect and the hospital acquired bad flu strain which was the culprit, was ignored till much later. Shaz...I was treated for Pulmonary Hypertension via an Echo Scan . First they said all was good.....now on rechecking cos of the oxygen they say it is beating twice the rate so i must keep my sats down to 91-92% to stop the CO2 build up as a ''retainer'' so i am totally confused with this whole lung-heart connection and what sats are good or bad as they keep moving the goal posts....plus the new slow down med needs to be changed as it is not compatible with my Morphine Pain Pills Jarca n those on Oxygen....boy i need to learn from you guys how to deal with this.....it is back to school just when i thought i knew everything bout this disease....the biggest fear factor is i have not much room to play with as i guess my lung capacity is below 15% now...ha Sorry bout the ''poor me'' post but i am truly down and not as upbeat like before.....but i will not give up...Snowy needs me too much......xxxxxxx
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Post by barb7330 on Aug 25, 2016 6:02:43 GMT -5
You hang in there Peter....I'm on oxygen at night and as needed during the day. I am noticing I'm having to use it more often depending on what I'm doing. I hate being dependent on a darn cylinder, but it is what it is. I guess if I want to live I need to use it...
Off to have one of Davids finest....bbl.
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Post by sharon on Aug 25, 2016 15:49:29 GMT -5
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Post by lavishgail on Aug 26, 2016 4:12:44 GMT -5
I believe John can explain more about this to you right John? Just like you did to me, when you came to the hospital to see me when I was there... Take care Peter, maybe you're not getting the canister top put on right and when you turn it on it goes right to red, so you lost all the 02 ? This has happened to me many times, even up to today with the heave cylinder type bottles I use. If this is what you mean? Take care both Sharon and Peter my prayers continue God bless all.
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Post by ozboy on Aug 26, 2016 19:35:49 GMT -5
Hi guys......i fully understand the the connection between lungs n heart but seeing i have had no issues getting oxygen in and using PLB to blow off the CO2.....so sats at 97-98% sounded wonderful.....but what i never considered was as my lung function reached levels of 15% approx....my heart was now overcompensating to help the lungs do this function.....Only an ABG can determine if there is a over build up of CO2 as there are no other tell tale signs to alert you except unusual SOB which then could be just another infection or something that will kill you very quickly if left untreated.........as i have barely survived intubation the only option is NI Bi-Pap which does the job... Unfortunately in my case it is a 60/40 chance and the best scenario is you survive with limited issues, like the one i just did before this recent screw up, end up in a nursing home lifestyle or DNR......so we have our signed copy of Advanced Directives to save any post op drama with family and docs etc..My choice is if i cannot return to some kind of ''normal'' then pull the plug........
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Post by lavishgail on Aug 27, 2016 1:33:18 GMT -5
Ozboy, this same thing happens to me all the time and very fast, they still do not know y? We type of people have to recognize the symptoms and get to the hospital right away not wait. In my case the infection went from one lung to the other within 39 minutes and the doctors told my hubby to get my family is wasn't going to make it through the rest of the day. But I did and you did and here we are!! God bless us thank you God. Hang in their Peter, it's something you have to figure out right away and go, not medicate yourself, bc you just never know.
Glad you're with us, XOXO Gail
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Post by sharon on Aug 27, 2016 16:39:51 GMT -5
Peter , I can understand that and my heart goes out to you. I get tired of living with this too. I talked with pulm nurse and I feel maybe the retention co2 thing was happening with me too. I have found that there are a few symptoms that come with co2 retention. headaches, very sob, increased heart rate and confusion . which all happened to me. I did not know anything about all this or that pursed lip breathing could help. It has been a learning experience for me. hard way to learn with you getting so bad. I pray for you to recover more quickly. and hope you can get back to a normal. breathe well.
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Post by jarca on Aug 29, 2016 22:47:17 GMT -5
when i get low 02% i also get the same symptoms Sharon mentioned="headaches, very sob, increased heart rate and confusion" so I wouldn't go by those alone to judge CO2. I was told that oximeters have 02% & BPM (pulse) because the 2 should be "adjusted" together (for me 95% 02 & heartrate is around 83 BPM lately---used to be 59 BPM so not sure what has "changed") CO2 retainers I thought they were supposed to try to keep their 02 lower, around 90-92% & "their normal" heart rate. Peter question= out of curiosity what was your BPM/02% before all of this? "Now for the question of understanding the readings. Ideally, a reading should show a relatively normal heart rate (between 60-100 beats per minute) and an oxygen reading in the middle to high nineties. If the heart rate is higher than usual, but the oxygen number is normal, it means that the heart is working harder to keep your saturations high which could indicate a problem if it remains that way on subsequent readings. If the heart rate is high and the oxygen reading is low, it could also indicate a problem. The important thing is to not panic! Wait a few minutes, and take another reading. If the abnormal readings continue, and you are feeling out of breath, contact your doctor." www.copdfoundation.org/COPD360social/Community/Blog/Article/309/How-a-Pulse-Oximeter-Works.aspx
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