How my Dad stopped using an oxygen tank to breath.

How my Dad stopped using an oxygen tank to breath

by Dexter Hansen

You are visitor number

Click here to download a free trial copy of SmartDraw.

Index

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Class

Links to Sites with Medical Information

Books on Asthma, Chronic Bronitis and Emphysema

Introduction

Folks who think that the Golden Years are a great time must have just retired or were fortunate in avoiding any serious medial problems. I thought my Dad, Curtiss Hansen, had problems when he injured his back and they fused five vertebrae. That was a long haul for him to recover from that, but he did. He just doesn't bend at the waist anymore.

[Back to Top]

Can't Catch His Breath

Besides the back problems, he had also lost about 25 percent of his lung capacity due to industrial asbestosis and fibrosis from his years as a carpenter where asbestos was used for insulation as well as in ceiling tile. His breathing problem escalated around Thanksgiving last year in 1998. He said "I'm really tired, I just can't seem to get my wind." When my mother tried to get him to go to the doctor, he refused. Even though he was out of breath and had severe head aches, he still didn't want to got to the doctor's office. He also thinks it was triggered by a flu shot and I doubt he can be convinced otherwise, but that's another story.

[Back to Top]

In the Hospital

Several days later, when he could no longer get up, my Mother had him taken to the hospital in Menomonie, WI by ambulance. He was immediately put on oxygen. His lung capacity had decreased to a 75 percent loss and rapidly deteriorating.

He was then transferred to Luther Hospital in Eau Claire WI where he was put under the care of a doctor who specialized in respiratory problems. His lung capacity deteriorated to a 90 percent loss within 10 days. The doctor had told him there was no cure and the best that could be hoped for was to stop the deterioration, which the doctor was able to do.

[Back to Top]

Home is the pits

After he had been in the hospital for a little over 10 days, he was sent home with an oxygen tank and had a ventilator system put in the house to provide him oxygen when he was at home. Life for him was living at the end of a 50 foot plastic hose. He couldn't even go out into the yard or mow the grass with his riding lawn mower. At times he was so exhausted that he had a hard time breathing even with oxygen. It scared him.

My mother had been told that to expect that he will always be on oxygen and he would need to accept it. Most folks, once on oxygen, never get off it. He had a hard time accepting that he had to be tied to an oxygen tank. He didn't want to leave the house because he didn't want to be seen dragging an oxygen tank around. He was fairly depressed, but then who wouldn't be.

[Back to Top]

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Class

When my Dad had left the hospital, the doctor had said that he should take a pulmonary rehabilitation class at the Myrtle Werth Hospital in Menomonie WI. He didn't want to go, but my Mother twisted his arm. His thought were that he had 70 some years of breathing and they weren't going to teach him anything he didn't know. My mother thought that at least it would get him out of the house and in contact with other people. It seemed that he only saw the neighbors, family and friend who dropped by. He seldom left the house.

The class where he attends is at Myrtle Werth Hospital - Mayo Health System in Memomonie WI. The course is called the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program. Only physician referred participants are accepted. Most of the other folks that attended with him had respiratory problems such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. The Myrtle Werth course meets twice weekly for six weeks. A total of 12 sessions. The objective of the course is to get the patients restored to the optimal physical, emotional and social status. Basically, it helps the participants get as far as they individually can go. According to my Dad, most who attend don't get off oxygen, however, the course seems to help them adjust to their situations.

[Back to Top]

Results for a While

My Dad started the class in March of 1999. Three months later, he was able to send the accumulator and oxygen tank back to the medical supply company. He mowed his yard, walked a mile and went to town without an oxygen tank until September of 2001.. He took the classes twice a week. It gives him something to do and kept him aware of what he needs to do to keep his blood level oxygenated at around 95 percent.

In September of 2001, he came down with a cold and ended up needing hospice care at home in October. His lungs may have been deteriorating all along. He was back on oxygen until October 7th, when he passed away at home with the family there.

While his situation was unique to him, it shows the importance of exploring other opportunities for health care. Had he not been encouraged to try the "breathing classes" as he calls them, he'd have been tied to an oxygen tank for two years, five months longer than he needed to be. Anyone wanting to try one of these classes should check with their doctor. As I said, he was back on oxygen in the end, however, he was grateful for the time he spent untethered.

[Back to Top]

Links to Sites with Medical Information

Web sites for more information on pulmonary problems are as follows:

http://www.healthanswers.com/centers/disease/overview.asp?id=lung+cancer&parent=cancer&filename=000118.htm

http://www.dailylung.com/Interstial.htm

http://www.lung.ca/copd/management/coping/breathing.html

http://members.aol.com/SOBnSA/home.index.html

http://www.mediconsult.com/ (Do a search on COPD)

http://lungusa.org/diseases/lungchronic.html

http://lungusa.org/diseases/lungemphysem.html

http://www.california.com/~emile/Index.html

http://www.internet-health-directory.com

[Back to Top]

This page is linked to Amazon.com. Click on books of interest for additional information or to order.

Didn't find your book? Type in the name of the title or subject to search the Amazon.com selections.

The ABC's of Asthma : An Asthma Alphabet Book for Kids of All Ages Kim Gosselin (Illustrator), et al / Paperback / Published 1998
Airways and Vascular Remodelling in Asthma and Cardiovascular Disease : Implications for Therapeutic Intervention : Based on the Scientific Program,

All About Asthma William Ostrow(Contributor), et al / School & Library Binding / Published 1989

All About Asthma (An Albert Whitman Prairie Book) William Ostrow(Illustrator), et al / Paperback / Published 1993

All About Asthma : Stop Suffering and Start Living Irwin J. Polk / Paperback / Published 1997

All About Asthma : Stop Suffering and Start Living Irwin J. Polk(Introduction), Joseph Bellanti (Introduction) / Hardcover / Published 1997

All About Asthma and Its Treatment Without Drugs David Potterton / Paperback / Published 1996

American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 1998 Annual Meeting (Cd-Rom For Windows & Macintosh, Individual Version, 4 CD-ROM Set, Volumes 1-4) Michael S. Blaiss / CD-ROM / Published 1999

The American Lung Association Family Guide to Asthma and Allergies : How You and Your Children Can Breathe Easier The American Lung Advisory Group(Contributor), Norman Edelman (Contributor) / Published 1998

Ask the Doctor : Asthma Vince M.D. Friedwald, Vince Friedewald / Paperback / Published 1995

Asthma (Diseases and People) Alvin Silverstein, et al / Library Binding / Published 1997
Asthma (The Millbrook Medical Library) Wendy B. Murphy / Library Binding / Published 1998

Controlling Allergies Fighting Asthma With Herbs (Healthy Healing Library ; Vol. 10) Linda R. Page / Paperback / Published 1996
Conversations About Asthma Lawrence M. Lichtenstein, et al / Paperback / Published 1998
The Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema Handbook Francois Dr. Haas(Illustrator), et al / Paperback / Published 1990

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease : Practical, Medical, and Spiritual Guidelines for Daily Living With Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis, and combinat Mark Jenkins / Paperback / Published 1999

Living a Healthy Life With Chronic Conditions : Self-Management of Heart Disease, Arthritis, Stroke, Diabetes, Asthma, Bronchitis, Emphysema & Others Kate Lorig(Editor), et al / Paperback / Published 1994 Chronic Bronchitis in the 90s (Supplement 1 : Journal : Respiration)) D. Olivieri(Editor) / Paperback / Published 1991

Cor Pulmonale in Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema M. L. Murphy / Hardcover / Published 1984

Inflammatory Indices in Chronic Bronchitis Hardcover / Published 1990 (Special Order)

Inflammatory Indices in Chronic Bronchitis (Agents and Actions Supplements, Vol 30) Carl G.A. Persson, et al / Hardcover / Published 1990

The chemotherapy of chronic bronchitis and allied disorders John Robert May

Coming to terms with chronic bronchitis John Hargreaves Harley William

Early detection of chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema Dan C. Stæanescu Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis. Stanton. Belinkoff

For Those Who Live and Breathe; A Manual for Patients With Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis, Thomas L. Petty

How not to get chronic bronchitis J. G. Scadding

Living Well With Chronic Asthma, Bronchitis, and Emphysema Myra B. Shayevitz, Berton R. Shayevitz
Average Customer Review:

The Natural history of chronic bronchitis and emphysema : an eight-year study of early chronic obstructive lung disease in working men in London

Pathology of chronic bronchitis and emphysema Brian Edyvean Heard

Social and emotional effects of chronic bronchitis M. F. Rubeck

Social problems of chronic bronchitis: a study in remedial action Moira Johnston