Talk about "Tender Mercies" and thank Heavens for Paramedics, ER doctors, and modern medicine!
Monday morning, I got up and went to the bathroom. Suddenly, my already difficult breathing almost stopped altogether!!! After trying to get it under control for several minutes, I managed enough air to call for Kevin's help. He was able to get me started on a nebulizer treatment to open my airway. I was prescribed this treatment to be done once every 4 to 6 hours. We did THREE in the space of a half hour and it barely made a difference.
At that point, Kev and I both realized that we were NOT going to be able to get me to the car and then to the hospital, so he called 911. The paramedics got here in minutes and took me to American Fork Hospital (the one closest to us). The ER doctor consulted with the Ear-nose & throat doctor who performed my tracheostomy last month, and they agreed to have me transported back to Utah Valley Regional Med. Ctr. where I had my surgery in May.
I was admitted and the ENT showed up later that afternoon to try and use a scope to see what was obstructing my breathing. The light on his scope burned out just as he got the silly thing past my vocal cords, so he scheduled a broncheoscomy for the next day.
This is what it showed... *warning, it's icky*
Monday morning, I got up and went to the bathroom. Suddenly, my already difficult breathing almost stopped altogether!!! After trying to get it under control for several minutes, I managed enough air to call for Kevin's help. He was able to get me started on a nebulizer treatment to open my airway. I was prescribed this treatment to be done once every 4 to 6 hours. We did THREE in the space of a half hour and it barely made a difference.
At that point, Kev and I both realized that we were NOT going to be able to get me to the car and then to the hospital, so he called 911. The paramedics got here in minutes and took me to American Fork Hospital (the one closest to us). The ER doctor consulted with the Ear-nose & throat doctor who performed my tracheostomy last month, and they agreed to have me transported back to Utah Valley Regional Med. Ctr. where I had my surgery in May.
I was admitted and the ENT showed up later that afternoon to try and use a scope to see what was obstructing my breathing. The light on his scope burned out just as he got the silly thing past my vocal cords, so he scheduled a broncheoscomy for the next day.
This is what it showed... *warning, it's icky*
The top two pictures are of my vocal cords. The bottom left picture is the opening in my upper trachea (the size it SHOULD be). The bottom right picture is the lower part of my trachea and the area causing all the problems. THAT was what I was trying to breath through...YIKES!!!!!!!! It is shrunk by scar tissue caused by the tracheostomy they installed for my surgery in May. This condition occurs in only 5% of tracheostomy patients. (It figures I would be one of the 5%)
As soon as they realized the seriousness of this condition, they rushed me down to surgery to try and open the airway. Everything was complicated by the fact that since my jaws have been imobilized for the last 6 weeks, I can't open my mouth very far, even WITH the closing bands removed. The ENT almost cancelled the whole thing because he didn't think he'd have room to maneuver! As they were putting me under, I was saying all kinds of prayers that this would work. First question I asked as I came out of the anasthetic was "Did it work????" I was SO relieved when they said it had!!! Then I was saying all kinds of "Thank you, Heavenly Father!!!" prayers that it worked!
They kept me overnight to monitor my breathing and make sure I was ok. This morning they sent me home. My three-day adventure was over! The ENT wants me to follow up with the "Airway-clinic" at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake. He wants to see if their specialists can ensure that my airway stays open...I would like that, too!!!
For now, I'm home and breathing fairly easily! I have to keep a humidifier in whatever room I happen to be in. Dry air is BAD for this scar-tissue situation.
There's just NEVER a dull moment at our house, is there?
1 comments:
Wow! I am so glad you are doing better. After reading through you posts I can't believe what you've been through. You'll be in my thoughts are prayers. Hopefully now you can be on the road to recovery ;)
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