This is the latest info on Lo:
The week before Easter, Lo became very ill. She was coughing so often it was hard to believe she was capable of getting any air in between the coughs. As she said, "I am spending every second focused on breathing." At Rehab, Lo told the team she should probably be admitted into the hospital. Because there wasn't an available room, they had to return home for several hours waiting. When they were finally called back, they reported to admissions. An unfortunate incident in which hospital protocol clashed with a whiny/I mean impatient patient and family resulted in Lo's running out of oxygen right there in the waiting room. Finally, she was admitted into her room. Shortly thereafter, it was decided she needed to be in the ICU. Because she needs so much oxygen these days, hospital protocol demanded she be transported by ambulance from her private room to the ICU. An ambulance wasn't available until 2 a.m. the next morning. When they arrived, a ventilator was offered to Lo which she didn't want to use. So, they put a Bi-pap on her. This is basically a non-invasive ventilator that forces air in and out, allowing the muscles a much-needed rest. By the next morning, Lo's breathing was much improved (relatively speaking), to the point that she was able to breathe on her own again.
Joanne Schum
luckylungsforjo@aol.com
The week before Easter, Lo became very ill. She was coughing so often it was hard to believe she was capable of getting any air in between the coughs. As she said, "I am spending every second focused on breathing." At Rehab, Lo told the team she should probably be admitted into the hospital. Because there wasn't an available room, they had to return home for several hours waiting. When they were finally called back, they reported to admissions. An unfortunate incident in which hospital protocol clashed with a whiny/I mean impatient patient and family resulted in Lo's running out of oxygen right there in the waiting room. Finally, she was admitted into her room. Shortly thereafter, it was decided she needed to be in the ICU. Because she needs so much oxygen these days, hospital protocol demanded she be transported by ambulance from her private room to the ICU. An ambulance wasn't available until 2 a.m. the next morning. When they arrived, a ventilator was offered to Lo which she didn't want to use. So, they put a Bi-pap on her. This is basically a non-invasive ventilator that forces air in and out, allowing the muscles a much-needed rest. By the next morning, Lo's breathing was much improved (relatively speaking), to the point that she was able to breathe on her own again.
Joanne Schum
luckylungsforjo@aol.com