From OK to CPR in 4 hours!

[Paul_and_Sue_Wood]

How this condition can change your lives so quickly without warning is one of the real worries.

I had been at work all day and come home with my Sue being tired as we had been to hospital yesterday for a plurisy diagnosis. I nip out for a quick.pint with our son and come back and she is till talking but with effort and a chest wheeze has started so I make sure she has her ventolin.

I make some tea and we decide to watch a 2 hour TV program. Sue nods of during the program and at the end I try to wake her. I also notice that her breathing has changed to her erratic and laboured breathing, which does happen occasionally. She will not wake up... eventually I get some vague communication and decide it's ambulance time....

First question"is the patient breathing" yes but erratically..... please tell me when she breathes, which is every 15 to 20 seconds now!!!!

'Can you lie the patient flat.... now".... "yes why"

" you need to start CPR to breathe for your wife"

It's amazing what you can do when you have to...

6 minutes later the street is lit up by 2 ambalances with full sirens and lights. And the crews get to work on Sue. We head to the Alex at Redditch and straight to recus, sue is breathing better with O2 and nebulisers.. Eventually Sue gets on a HDU ward and is communicating so I go home at 12.30.

4am.... phone call...Mr Wood can you come to the hospital now.......... what? why? ....we have a problem come now.....

I meet 3 consultants to be told sue has stopped breathing for herself.......and we need to discuss life , living, benefits, social and family inputs to decide if ICU is viable bearing in mind your wife's condition.....the biggest nightmare has arrived...... I fight the case and get some agreement that we will do ICU.... Back to Sue who starts to come around and takes some breaths on her own..... Thank the lord.....

Now 2 days later Sue still on the HDU ward and is off and on the pressure mask to help her breathe.

Diagnosis is looks like Laryngospasms.... where the larynx spasms closed airways and your CO2 levels poison you...

Moral to this story for you all.... always question what's going on... don't wait to long to act..and a never give up fight your corner we are all worth it...

Update later on the prognosis for the future.

Paul

[Yanno]

Hello Paul. As you say it's our biggest nightmare that conversation we knew would happen one day...but just not yet! Well done to you as well. As arranged, we'll have that coffee and bacon sandwich as soon as you're able.

Take care, Ian

[Kiwimagic]

Paul,

Will keep you in the prayers.

Sue keep fighting.

X

[ChocolatePot]

fingers crossed. This is what I dread most will come to my husband.

[Madauntie]

Prayers for Sue and yourself🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

I hate this cruel disease x

[Tusker1953]

Keep fighting, never give up. My best wishes to you both. x

[Hidden]

Appreciating the clarity of your description of such an intense event. I reckon this clarity, and your detailed knowledge of the condition, will serve you well in dealing with the health professionals.

All the best to you

Kx

[heysunshine]

Paul, prayers for you and Sue. Thank you for posting such a traumatic event... it scares me and comforts me at the same time. I feel that the experiences shared help me to cope better.

Keep on fighting!

[ZoeSweet7]

I’ve only just read this. So similar to my Dad. The CO2 levels for Dad were far too much and he lost his battle. I hope Sue is okay 😞

Unfortunately my dad’s partner left my Dad from 4am to 9am with no help.... She wasn’t the person we needed for my Dad as I never felt like she did enough !!! I keep thinking to myself maybe things could have been different. I always told her if you have ANY concerns, Dad is a specialist and terminally ill patient. You MUST call 999.

Xx

[Paul_and_Sue_Wood in reply to ZoeSweet7]

Zoe, really sorry to hear your woes.

The one thing I will say is that in hindsight this deterioration was happening over a longer period than a few hours, but it built up to the event. I now monitor more closely the 02, pulse, breathing noises and rates.. Thats all i can do. If she becomes unresponsive then its 999 for me again.

[Paul_and_Sue_Wood]

Hi All followers

Sue came home a week ago after a week in hospital.

She has more energy and is more alert.

I am now monitoring her O2, pulse, Breathing sounds and rates and if i see deteriotaion then doctors, 111 or even 999 if she becomes unresponsive.

She has not had a face mask for air at night as she wasnt that bad...yet...

We know that this will reoccur and all we can do is plan and strategise. As Sue puts it another chink in her armour has been knocked off.

The positive thing is that the family have also had a shock and want to get involved!

Keep on fighting

Paul

[Kiwimagic]

Delighted to hear Sue is home ...

Always trust your gut feeling.

Great to hear the family are wanting to get involved.

Sending you both the best wishes x x