Hi Byron! So glad we have been able to offer you some support. :)

+100!

So sorry to hear about your mother Byron, must've been really hard for you. I once had a friend and his father killed himself as him and I were speaking on the phone. He actually saw his dad run into a truck. That boy was never normal again. He was in psychiatry for quite a while too. Always hard for a young kid to lose one of his/her parents:(

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"Life isn't fair?" Surely you jest!
"I never jest. And don't call me Shirley!"

Couldn't resist. But James' comments also reminded me that one of my cousins believes the Brockman/Karohl side of the family is distantly related to the German philosopher Nietscke(sp?), the one who wrote "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and said "God is Dead". I think God had the last word on that one.....

I remember him more for the statement "What doesn't destroy me makes me stronger." I agree with him on that, but I have noticed that dealing with adversity and NOT letting it destroy you is almost instinctive for some, but must be learned by most others. Mostly you learn from others who have been there and done that, and probably got help from someone else along the way....

The guy who said "No man is an island, alone unto himself" was right. We humans are social animals, we need to be part of the community. By reaching out to the community, we find people who can and will help us deal with our problems. We all need that little bit of help sometimes. And it's only right to give some in return, when the opportunity presents itself.

Where's Mark with a link to Bill Withers.......

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

"Life isn't fair?" Surely you jest!
"I never jest. And don't call me Shirley!"

Couldn't resist. But James' comments also reminded me that one of my cousins believes the Brockman/Karohl side of the family is distantly related to the German philosopher Nietzsche(sp?), the one who wrote "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and said "God is Dead". I think God had the last word on that one.....

I remember him more for the statement "What doesn't destroy me makes me stronger."(Agreed) I agree with him on that, but I have noticed that dealing with adversity and NOT letting it destroy you is almost instinctive for some, but must be learned by most others.(Agreed) Mostly you learn from others who have been there and done that, and probably got help from someone else along the way....(Agreed)

The guy who said "No man is an island, alone unto himself" was right.(Agreed) We humans are social animals, we need to be part of the community.(Agreed) By reaching out to the community, we find people who can and will help us deal with our problems. We all need that little bit of help sometimes. And it's only right to give some in return, when the opportunity presents itself.(Agreed)

Where's Mark with a link to Bill Withers.......

Of course I've found there are some people who think humans aren't social creatures, are they insane? If they're harmful, yes, if not, no. But in any case life is only fair in one respect I think and that is each of us has a 50% chance of living or dying, accidents just happen, can they be prevented? In some cases yes, in others where one has no control, no. Humans do have free will, but some things and actions go beyond the pale and threaten all...

+ one million Vic. We can't see it as the survival of the fittest, maybe in biological terms........... There's more to it.

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My mother has been in the ICU now since April 6th, due to pneumonia brought on by her general weakened condition from the lower sacral back fracture. I will keep the stats brief, but she is breathing with a 28% oxygen assist, and is being suctioned for lung secretions at least once an hour. She's going to transfer tomorrow into another hospital that specializes in respiratory care, and they will also ramp up her physical therapy to get her leg muscles back in tone, because she hasn't walked since March 1st.

Her doctors all indicate to some degree that she's probably not going to be able to recover fully. I don't like that prognosis, and as soon as it's practical to get her off the 24 hour treatment, I am getting her home. I can't see her die in a hospital or skilled nursing facility. The funny thing is, I think she would be ok with whatever happens because she is a very pragmatic person who is very at peace with life and death, and doesn't want me to be under stress, but it is crucially important to me that she be at home again as soon as possible. I hate seeing her in the situation she's in.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Gordon, thoughts and prayers for you and your mother.

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Gordan, Is she doing those lung exercises with that gauge you blow in? That does help clear the lungs. Also walking helps to get strength back, If she is allowed to walk that is.

My grandmother broke her hip when she was in her late 70,s. The Dr. said theres a good chance she might give up. Well she did give up when she was 96 and didnt want to have kidney dialisys 3 times a week.

Gordan, We dont know what will happen to your mom. But you can bet we are rooting for her and you.

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Old James

Gordan, Is she doing those lung exercises with that gauge you blow in? That does help clear the lungs. Also walking helps to get strength back, If she is allowed to walk that is.

My grandmother broke her hip when she was in her late 70,s. The Dr. said theres a good chance she might give up. Well she did give up when she was 96 and didnt want to have kidney dialisys 3 times a week.

Gordan, We dont know what will happen to your mom. But you can bet we are rooting for her and you.

First off, I need to correct myself on the 28% part - She is not receiving any pure oxygen assistance. The 28% is actually, if it was explained(and I understood) correctly, just the concentration of oxygen in normal room air, and the T-tube is simply facilitating her lungs' access to that good stuff. The T-tube also acts as a passageway to remove the bad bronchial secretions. She is off the mouth respirator, which really does provide life's breath, but getting her off the throat T-tube entirely is going to take more time, plus she needs to get back on solid food and off the abdominal feed. I need to hear her voice again, too, because she can only mouth words to me right now due to the throat contraption.

As for blowing into a gauge, no, the best she can do right now is cough, but even that is pretty weak, and she can't talk because the tube is constricting her throat. Walking is the goal for PT over the next few weeks. Her back injury that caused this whole mess in the first place should be mending pretty well by now.

My mother hasn't given up at all. Someone described her as "plucky", and I think that is a good way to describe her.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

First off, I need to correct myself on the 28% part - She is not receiving any pure oxygen assistance. The 28% is actually, if it was explained(and I understood) correctly, just the concentration of oxygen in normal room air, and the T-tube is simply facilitating her lungs' access to that good stuff. The T-tube also acts as a passageway to remove the bad bronchial secretions. She is off the mouth respirator, which really does provide life's breath, but getting her off the throat T-tube entirely is going to take more time, plus she needs to get back on solid food and off the abdominal feed. I need to hear her voice again, too, because she can only mouth words to me right now due to the throat contraption.

As for blowing into a gauge, no, the best she can do right now is cough, but even that is pretty weak, and she can't talk because the tube is constricting her throat. Walking is the goal for PT over the next few weeks. Her back injury that caused this whole mess in the first place should be mending pretty well by now.

My mother hasn't given up at all. Someone described her as "plucky", and I think that is a good way to describe her.

This all sounds very positive, Gordon. I hope the forward progress continues. :-)

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TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos

28% is about one and a half times normal atmospheric concentration, it makes the task easier on the lungs without causing most of the complications of pure oxygen.

I would describe your mum as a "fighter", who has a massive support team in behind her, say 250,00 Setizens alone

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

who has a massive support team in behind her, say 250,00 Setizens alone

+1

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who has a massive support team in behind her, say 250,00 Setizens alone

+1

+2

Most definitely :)

+3

who has a massive support team in behind her, say 250,00 Setizens alone

+1

+2

Most definitely :)

+3

Gordan, Now thats what I call being behind you and your mom 100%.

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Old James

Thanks, everybody. It was a nice morning, and I felt good when I left the hospital today. I do feel she's getting better because she asked me where her purse and keys were. ;~}

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Thanks, everybody. It was a nice morning, and I felt good when I left the hospital today. I do feel she's getting better because she asked me where her purse and keys were. ;~}

That's a good sign:) Have you played some of her music yet?

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Thanks, everybody. It was a nice morning, and I felt good when I left the hospital today. I do feel she's getting better because she asked me where her purse and keys were. ;~}

That's a good sign:) Have you played some of her music yet?

That's a very good sign indeed! :)

That's a good sign:) Have you played some of her music yet?

No, actually since she likes ghost stories, I've been reading some of her books to her. She tends to fall asleep, but that's ok.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

That's so nice Gordon, it's like reading to your children, instead it's your parent, listening to you:)

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Yep, it's full circle.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

My best friend found out today that she has cancer of the colon, also, that it may have spread. All she wants is to see her eight year old little grow up. It's not too much to ask is it?

Do hope everyone here is doing okay.

Now that is truly sad to read. We can only hope that they did catch it in time. And that it did not spread.
My dad found out he had colon cancer early. He lived close to 20 years after. He only died of complications of parkinsons.

So Annie we pray taht your friend does get her wish.

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Old James