Update

[Melissa87]

Hi guys,

My dad had his first check up today since being discharged from hospital last Friday. He's on 0.5 litres of oxygen through the day and he has a non-via mask during the night.

Monday just gone I rang his local gp just to see if everything was ok after the weekend, she said she could hear crackling in his lungs but assured us that it would go in due course (after steroids had completed its course) his oxygen level was 90+ and seemed happy with him.

Today the nurse took blood from his ear lobe and made the dreaded sigh sound, she explained that his carbon dioxide was high but his ph was ok which suggests that his body is coping ok (atm) she turned the pressure of his non-via mask up and said we have to go back next week to check again. His oxygen level was 85 and his pulse was quite high too.

She said to keep a eye on symptoms: headaches on waking up : drowsiness: confusion :coughing :sweaty: twitching just to name a few. Throughout the week he has a few of the symptoms not all at once. I don't want to be watching his every move every hour of every day but I can't help myself. I thought things would start to get back to normal especially after reading so many positive things off different people but with similar illness.

Fingers crossed next weeks reading will improve and we can move onwards and upwards.

Love and light

[jimmyg23]

Hi Melissa hope everything goes alright for use once they get everything in order so all the best

[maccas]

Hi Melissa

It sounds like the symptoms they are asking you to keep an eye on could be CO2 retention. Your dad may not get all the symptoms at once.

For me the main ones to watch were if my sats dropped low and if I was incoherent confused etc. Try to relax a little as it sounds like your dad is in good hands. Xx

[jabber]

Hi Melissa, thanks for the update. It sounds as though they are monitoring your dad well. It took a few adjustments of my bipap before they decided I was at the optimum rate, and it took a while before my CO2 dropped to more acceptable levels, though I was feeling better all the time.

My most noticeable symptom before diagnosis was blinding headaches when I first woke up which got better through the day, and also some weakness in my legs which was bad enough for me to decide to give up driving for a while - but I improved so much after some months on the bipap that I started driving again (I can't remember how many months - definitely less than 6). With regard to the 'crackling lungs' my gp has decided that that is just the copd talking and while I'm feeling well doesn't bother about it - which is fine by me.

Your dad is lucky to have you looking out for him. Of course you need to keep an eye on things, but do try not to worry too much. And keep in touch on here. There's always someone available to listen.

Definitely Onwards and Upwards - Jan