Pacing

pacing break during the Cubs

game with uncle David

IT'S WORKING!!!

Sorry to keep you in suspense. The morning went like this: Phone call that the nurse won't be here today, [okay], then Josh, a friend from CU, dropped in for a visit, and Grandma & Grandpa J. are here as they didn't want to miss anything, and "get the door... oh it's lunchtime already." Rhonda was here for lunch help, "Someone answer the phone for me." Dan is finally dressed, and waiting for me to get all of his equipment ready, "Hey Josh, can you help Ambu Dan for his suctioning". [Everyone needs to know how to Ambu.] Okay, I think we're ready to start.

We have activated the pacer 5 times today, with 1 hour breaks in between to rest his diaphragm. The first 2 times for 3 minutes and then only 1 minute had Dan's oxygen level drop too fast from 100 or 99 [his usual] to 90. So we called the "technical help desk", aka Dr. Onders' assistant in Cleveland. She had us do a few things differently for now, like keep the trach cap off so that the exhale air does not have to go all the way through the mouth or nose cavities to get out, thus making it easier for the pacer and keeping his O2 level higher. Try the back up unit. Does he need to be suctioned? Use of the diaphragm is loosening up secretions that have built up in his lungs. [That's good]

We stick with the original unit, and have activated the DPS 9 times, each 7 to 9 minutes each, with his O2 level only dropped 2-4 points. Dan is not able to talk as loud as when he is on the vent, but that will improve over time. He is barely able to detect it breathing, but knows something is going on down there. His length of time gets lower later in the evening.

Stay tuned.

Saturday Updates

We've done 8 sessions of pacing today. We are trying different things, like trach cap on or off, breathing through the mouth vs. the nose vs. the trach hole, deep suctioning of his trach and passage way. 11 - 13 minute pacing is the average. Who cares about this pacing stuff anyway, the Cubs are still in 1st place :D

Sunday Updates

Today we started out [noon] with a 28 minute pacing session. His volume stayed at 600 [800 on the vent-cuff up] and his oxygen was at 98 [usually 99-100]. That was encouraging, but he was in his bed, lying slightly elevated. hmmm ?? 2 other sessions today have only resulted in same stats as yesterday.

IT'S WORKING!!!

Dan with his pacer unit, attached to the wires in his chest.
There is a oxygen meter clipped to his right finger. Press the 2 blue buttons to turn it on, and it's sending electronic impulses to his diaphragm, 12 a minute. You can also see 1 of the 4 surgery entry ways that Dr. Ray Onders used for placement of the wires. He wears a waist binder for better blood pressure control and to keep the diaphragm pushing UP and not down or out. Cool stuff.

Thanks for the time to checkinondan.

(We'll keep adding to this blog through Sunday)