Sunday Morning Update
Marian was able to tolerate the bi-pap machine for two and a half hours last night. Everyone here is very happy with the length of time she was able to use it. The Ativan helped tremendously. She was sleeping so soundly that she really wasn't aware of the machine and, as a result, she wasn't fighting it. She was relaxed and let the machine take over. (Which was exactly what they wanted her to do.)
At the two and a half hour mark, she started to lose some of the sedation effect and experienced a bit of discomfort. She was still pretty out of it, but was starting to fight the machine a little. She was moving around more in the bed and coughing once in a while. She started to shake as if she were getting hard chills. I had been watching her closely and went to get the nurse when I saw the change. The nurse said that two and a half hours was great and she was probably experiencing a mild anxiety attack because, as the sedation was wearing off, she was a little more conscious of the machine blowing air into her. It was making her restless. So they disconnected it and removed the mask. It still took a few more minutes for the shaking to stop. But she settled down and went back to sleep.
That is when I finally laid down and slept (3:45 a.m.). When she woke up this morning, I told her how great she had done and how much the machine had helped her. She couldn't remember anything except the shaking and feeling my hand on her shoulder. I told her everything that happened and she asked, "How many of you did it take to get the mask on me?" I told her just one little person and that she didn't seem to even notice it. She said, "I'd like to sleep that well every night." And she told me that she is willing to be on the machine again as long as she gets to have Ativan.
I think she seems better this morning. She's been awake a couple of times. We've talked. And then she goes back to sleep. Right now she is snoozing again. And any minute they will come get her for the bronchoscopy. She will have light sedation (like when you have a colonoscopy). And I am hoping that after she wakes up from that, she will feel like eating something. Getting her to eat and regain some strength is going to be one of our main objectives today.
I only slept about three hours, but I'm not feeling the lack of sleep so much at this point. The three hours that I did sleep, I slept hard. And I feel rested. I know it will catch up with me later. But right now I actually feel pretty good.
I am very hopeful that today is going to be a turning point for Marian.
At the two and a half hour mark, she started to lose some of the sedation effect and experienced a bit of discomfort. She was still pretty out of it, but was starting to fight the machine a little. She was moving around more in the bed and coughing once in a while. She started to shake as if she were getting hard chills. I had been watching her closely and went to get the nurse when I saw the change. The nurse said that two and a half hours was great and she was probably experiencing a mild anxiety attack because, as the sedation was wearing off, she was a little more conscious of the machine blowing air into her. It was making her restless. So they disconnected it and removed the mask. It still took a few more minutes for the shaking to stop. But she settled down and went back to sleep.
That is when I finally laid down and slept (3:45 a.m.). When she woke up this morning, I told her how great she had done and how much the machine had helped her. She couldn't remember anything except the shaking and feeling my hand on her shoulder. I told her everything that happened and she asked, "How many of you did it take to get the mask on me?" I told her just one little person and that she didn't seem to even notice it. She said, "I'd like to sleep that well every night." And she told me that she is willing to be on the machine again as long as she gets to have Ativan.
I think she seems better this morning. She's been awake a couple of times. We've talked. And then she goes back to sleep. Right now she is snoozing again. And any minute they will come get her for the bronchoscopy. She will have light sedation (like when you have a colonoscopy). And I am hoping that after she wakes up from that, she will feel like eating something. Getting her to eat and regain some strength is going to be one of our main objectives today.
I only slept about three hours, but I'm not feeling the lack of sleep so much at this point. The three hours that I did sleep, I slept hard. And I feel rested. I know it will catch up with me later. But right now I actually feel pretty good.
I am very hopeful that today is going to be a turning point for Marian.
Comments
Dear Shari, I am not very good at prayer but you and your family have been in mine and I will continue to hold you up in prayer!! I love you!