Bill fell again this week. I think he got his feet tangled in his tubing from the way he landed, and again he was lucky that he wasn't hurt. He was able to get himself up this time, but still had trouble breathing.
His breathing is getting worse all of a sudden, so we're going to start some breathing treatments and see if that helps over the week-end. Last night he went into the bedroom to get ready for bed and came back out and said he was having trouble. I checked his O2 and it was only 77. After sitting for several minutes and using his rescue inhaler it finally made it back to 92 (90) is the target number and I kept the oximeter on his finger while he walked to the bedroom and it stayed in the 90s but dropped when he sat down on the bed.
A respiratory therapist from Lincare, the oxygen supplier, came yesterday afternoon. She suggested that we see about switching nebulizer meds to a new one that she said Medicare would pay for that would help. It does mean that he would have to use it regularly instead of as needed as the one he has now. She also said that there is a new noninvasive ventilator that he could try at night. She said that it basically pulls all of the CO2 out as he's breathing to let more O2 get into his system. She's also going to talk to Dr. Burbeck about that.
We had looked at the mask that Chris had brought and it is for a child, so Miranda, the therapist gave us an adult size one to try and also a book on living with COPD to give some suggestions that may make things easier for him.
McKenna was here most of the week getting help with school. Their church has a fine arts competition this week-end and she wanted to make sure she got all of her work done before they left yesterday. It's also Spring Break next week, so she'll have a good break. Brianna is also on Spring Break and I think she's ready for some down time, too. She's going to be babysitting most of the week for the kids she's keeps after school so she'll make a little money.
Ryan and Amanda came and got Kayden and Kiyann for the week-end for the first time since Christmas. And, they ended up having to have Mistie come and get them. Amanda has had some issues again and the drs. can't figure out what is wrong. Her symptoms all indicate a stroke, but the tests say otherwise. She was in the hospital the first part of the week overnight and Ryan called and said by the time they got home with the kids her entire left side was numb and as soon as he got her into the house and on the bed she was out and he couldn't rouse her. So he called 911 and then had Mistie come get the kids. He was going to meet her halfway, but Mistie told him they would just go to the hospital to meet them. I know Kayden was disappointed because he was going to learn how to use the bow he got for Christmas and Kiyann and Amanda were going to do some craft stuff. But, since they are also on spring break they can always go back during the week. The last report I got from Ryan about midnight was that it was not heart related even though she was having chest pains and her tumor that was removed a couple of years ago has not grown back to cause he headaches, but something is going on with the right side of her brain. I haven't wanted to text this early incase he is getting some rest. She was taken to their local hospital and I don't know if she was going to be transferred to Jonesboro to one of the bigger hospitals or if she was going to be sent home. She did "come to" in the hospital and when Ryan told her the kids had gone home, she told him they could have stayed so she was back to normal thinking.
That's it from here. Happy St. Patrick's Day and don't forget the green! (I don't have to worry about it since my eyes are green)!
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