Hey guys, my dad has been on a ventilator since Sunday. All vitals are good, oxygen level is good, blood work has all been good. He had been sick at the hospital a month with covid, got better, they sent him home and within two days, had to take him to the ER. He had developed blood clots on his lungs and has some fluid. Of course he had the typical inflammation you get with covid. The first few days on the vent, the fluid went away, inflammation has gotten some better, and they said if there are blood clots now, they’re minimal. I know he’s on 55% oxygen. I know there’s different numbers and settings, but the nurse did say he was on quite a bit of pressure. The last couple days the x-ray has stayed the same. So the inflammation stopped getting better, for now, but hadn’t gotten worse. The nurse said his lungs weren’t healing right now. But I feel it just takes a lot of time. She did say everyone is different and healing is different for everyone. He actually has tried to breathe over the machine, which they don’t want him to do. They want his lungs to recover and heal. But has anyone been in a similar situation, where lungs were weak and they needed to recover and it just took awhile? I worry about lungs getting weaker on the vent. But as I’m taking it, they can get stronger by resting? Is this correct? Thanks for your help or any words of encouragement.
Dad in ICU on vent. : Hey guys, my dad has been on... - ICUsteps
Dad in ICU on vent.
Respiratory physiotherapists will be working on your father. They worked on me from the first day of my induced coma to when I left hospital 120 days later.
I am still working on improving my breathing with very specific movements & exercise.
How will they do that? We haven’t heard anything like that yet, that they worked with him to get his lungs stronger? I didn’t realize they did that, so all hospitals do? I know when he was in the hospital the first time in the covid unit, he went through a lot of PT. Is that what you meant? Or will they have him doing breathing exercises? Sorry. But I do know they had to sedate him a little more bc or the breathing over the machine and they said he got a little agitated yesterday.
I have no idea because for the first 57 days I was unconscious. Later, once I was off the machines - I had very specific strengthening exercises. Each of us has very specific needs - I know that I was worked on from the very beginning because the physios told me. Much of it at the beginning would have been to keep my airways clear, later, it would have been to keep my joints supple. Much later it would have been to help rebuild lost muscle & improve breathing and mobility.
Oh ok, that makes sense. I was thinking you meant some kind of physio therapy on the vent. I misunderstood! Sorry. How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking? Just wondering, my dad is 66. I know the older you get, it can be harder on you. So didn’t know if you maybe pulled through bc you were younger maybe?
They do give physio to patients on the ventilator to aid removal of secretions. They also perform passive movements to the arm and leg joints to prevent them from becoming stiff.
I don’t think they’re doing that with my dad. Maybe because he’s just heavily sedated and they don’t want him to wake any?
It won’t wake him, we suffer dramatic muscle loss. The body needs protein to fight infection or trauma. We have no easy access stores of protein, so the body strips itself of lean muscle. As you can imagine, this leads to weakness & debilitating conditions - to compensate - the physios keep everything as supple & flexible as possible.
Aaah ok. I may ask them about that when I visit tomorrow. I was thinking it would wake him.
We went to see my dad today and I asked about PT. They said he already had an order in for it. So they will be doing that while he’s in ICU. That makes me feel better.
It’s is performed by physios - all the early mobilisation.
They have the tricky job of keeping you strong enough for when the time is right to remove life support even though you have been that inactive.
I’m 57 any minute. I know many older than I who have pulled through just as much - @FamilyHistorian
I was told the deciding factors were that I didn’t smoke, I was fit before admission & that I’m innately pigheaded & stubborn - I refused to die
Not quite the same situation but my husband was on a ventilator for 3 months (not covid related) and made it off the ventilator. We have since been told that there were times when the doctors thought that he wouldn't make it off the ventilator as he took such a long time to get to a point where they could start weaning him but he did it.
After a few weeks off the ventilator, he caught covid. He was too weak to be ventilated again so relied on C-PAP to help to give him the support he needed to get better. Again, they were worried about how he would do but he gradually weaned off of C-PAP, onto nasal oxygen and then nothing.
I suppose what I'm saying is that even if someone is weak, they can still make it through with the right support which I'm sure your dad is getting.
Yes, I believe they’re doing everything they can. They’ve been really nice and told us to call anytime. That’s definitely encouraging. Seems like a similar situation in the sense that they were both sick and got real sick again. That’s what I’m worried about too, is that his lungs were already trying to heal and then back in the hospital we go. I hear it’s a rollercoaster ride though. Is it worrisome that he’s on 50% and getting a lot of pressure with the machine? And does it sometimes take awhile to see improvement in the lungs?
I'm not too sure about all the figures so I can't comment on that. I do know that it seems to be quite complicated as there are lots of different factors involved so even if oxygen requirements might be high then other settings might be lower. I never really understood that side of things.
It does take time for the lungs to heal. When my husband had covid he was on C-PAP for about 3 weeks and then on nasal oxygen for 2-3 weeks just to keep his SATs where they wanted them.
Another relative of mine was in ICU with covid. She is home now but still on oxygen 3 months later. Everyone is different.
And yes, the ICU journey is definitely a roller coaster ride 😒
Was he on ventilator? Or just c-pap? Or does the vent have a c-pap setting?
He was on the ventilator prior to having covid for about 3 months and gradually weaned off it.
When he caught Covid, the most they could do for him was put him onto C-PAP as they felt he was too weak to be intubated again.
I have no idea about ventilator settings, sorry. I'm not sure if Sepsur has a better idea about ventilators and C-PAP etc.
Ooh ok, that’s right. You had said that. Wow. How old is your husband if you don’t mind me asking?
He is 43.
Ok, my dad is in his 60s. Everything seems to be fine, his lungs just need to recover and become strong. So we are hoping and praying for that. The last couple days we haven’t went down on any settings, but we also haven’t went the other way either. Just hoping soon we can see improvement. Any improvement would be good for us. I’m sure it’s just a long, slow process. Glad your husband made it out!
I know I went on various modes moving from ventilation, trachy, CPAP & peep / once trachy was out it was nebulisers & nasal prongs.
I can’t remember any settings I’m afraid.
No problem! And wow! You overcame a lot! That’s wonderful you made it out.
Since then, I’ve been under successful treatment for leukaemia/ which is what put me in ICU in the first place
Hi I am sorry about your dad so my dad was in a similar situation in May last year until late August he was on the vent for about three months when they told me he was on a vent I went into panic mode but the nurses were so wonderful and explained to me that this is absolutely necessary for his lungs to heal. Just like your dad my dad was on the highest pressure setting and they would change the settings daily based on what they thought was needed rest assured that your father is in good hands my fathers nurses were absolutely amazing they prayed with him and for him when he was on a vent they washed him and put chap stick on his Lips when they were dry they would take my calls at all hours when I was nervous and couldn’t sleep and your dads nurses are doing the same keep us posted and my thoughts and prayers are with him and your family
Thank God for good nurses that will take care of our loved ones and explain things to us! My dad was breathing some on his own bc he couldn’t handle the machine doing the breathing. The doctor ended up changing the mode back again and said I want his lungs recover and heal. He didn’t want him breathing any, so of course, they upped sedation. He’s been on that mode a few days now. So that’s exactly what we’re doing, just letting him heal. Thanks for sharing your story and thanks for the prayers! We appreciate that. It’s been pretty rough, that’s for sure!
I forgot to add one nurse once told me to take care of myself and eat right and get rest because we need our bodies strong as this is a long haul situation continue to be patient and strong
So sorry to hear about your Dad. My Dad was ventilated for 48 days. When he was at his worst, he was on 100% oxygen and maximum pressure setting. We were told he wouldn’t survive. However, he did. His lungs started to heal and he was taken off the vent. He is now in a rehab unit working on his muscle strength.
Thank you! Wow. I hear so many of these stories and I know everyone is different, but I am glad your dad made it out and is recovering his strength!
Hi! My husband was on a ventilator for more than 9 weeks! He didn’t have clots though as on medication to prevent them and also getting aspirin as part of the recovery trial. I guess your Dad will be getting the medication to prevent clots which is an injection daily into his stomach so that should help. Everyone is different and reacts to covid differently. You just need to keep strong and hopefully he will get through it. X
We are definitely trying to stay strong, it’s been so hard though. I know they said the blood clots are very minimal now, so that’s good. We just have some scarring, of course, and still some inflammation. Just trying to let him heal and rest. I know there’s been a couple times he’s woken up and gotten anxious or agitated and they’ve had to up sedation. But I know the last few nights he’s had good restful sleep.
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