Okay, so here's the issue. I have pretty gnarly pneumonia (bibasilar, left worse than right) and am getting really intensive RT in the hospital...probably the most aggressive schedule I have ever seen. I take Pulmocort BID, Pulmozyme BID (while in hosp), 3% HTS 4 times a day, Colsitin 150 mg BID and dounebs every 4 hrs around the clock with PRN's in between on top of major IV's. Now here's the problem, I am having some serious pain simply breathing, much less vesting.
I am on a vent all of the time with 50% O2 this admission, my sats sucked otherwise, the problem is that I can't guard when I cough, I literally see stars with each breath and cough. Awful. The docs have been trying different things to help me, such as cutting back the HTS (as that one makes me cough explosively and hurts waaaaay too much to do right now as much as they want me to do it), I am also allowed to premedicate prior to my vest with 1mg IV dilaudid (which I gladly do 3 times a day). That measure alone makes it tolerable to some extent, at least I am getting in 15 min sessions, better than nothing, eh?
Okay guys, here's the question: do you get that type of pain with infection/pneumonia and what do you do to help alleviate/make the treatments tolerable? I would love to hear your suggestions, my docs are very open to ideas to just make me comfortable and heal. I have been here for 2 weeks now, no d/c date planned as my lungs are still crap.
Thanks <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Hugs, Jenn
PS, for those who don't know me, I am vented chronically, just not 24/7 when I am well, just nights. When I am sick, that changes very quickly and am full vent support until my lungs start to heal.
I am on a vent all of the time with 50% O2 this admission, my sats sucked otherwise, the problem is that I can't guard when I cough, I literally see stars with each breath and cough. Awful. The docs have been trying different things to help me, such as cutting back the HTS (as that one makes me cough explosively and hurts waaaaay too much to do right now as much as they want me to do it), I am also allowed to premedicate prior to my vest with 1mg IV dilaudid (which I gladly do 3 times a day). That measure alone makes it tolerable to some extent, at least I am getting in 15 min sessions, better than nothing, eh?
Okay guys, here's the question: do you get that type of pain with infection/pneumonia and what do you do to help alleviate/make the treatments tolerable? I would love to hear your suggestions, my docs are very open to ideas to just make me comfortable and heal. I have been here for 2 weeks now, no d/c date planned as my lungs are still crap.
Thanks <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Hugs, Jenn
PS, for those who don't know me, I am vented chronically, just not 24/7 when I am well, just nights. When I am sick, that changes very quickly and am full vent support until my lungs start to heal.