Skip to main content

Solution or Death Warrant?

The problem is caregivers that leave me on my back too long, don't support my arms when I'm between 45 and 90-degrees and lift the bed legs up. They over challenge my diaphragm and lungs. Gravity pushes down on my diaphragm. (I'm not strong enough to fight against gravity anymore.)  Elevating my head without, first, boosting me up in the bed, forces air out of my lungs. Folding me up, or "taco-ing" me, in the bed, by elevating the legs, forces even more air out of my body. Then, when four people stand around looking at me, "waiting for me to my calm down", feels like murder. I cannot get enough oxygen into my body. How long can you survive being "burked"?

They say that new care directions are in place. Indeed, this is noticeable in some of staff and I appreciate the heightened attention to detail. However, there remains individuals who remain unchanged and that is frightening. Particularly, when I get two at the same time. Then, I am forced to speak and repeat, repeat, repeat, and exhaust myself.

It was suggested that I wear my bipap mask during changing events and I agreed to try it. However, my one resource to alert caregivers to my distress, has been my volume. If I'm wearing a bipap mask, nobody can hear me.

I'm a sitting duck.

Now, I'm reconsidering my DNR...

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Kate

I think about my friend, Kate Struby, who died from this horrible disease in 2013. She lived here at Bailey Boushay House before I did. I reached out to Kate online through FaceBook because I loved her photograph with her head thrown back in laughter. I also loved her posts. I guess I just loved her spirit. I got to finally meet her one month before she died. I happened to be at the University of Washington Medical Center for my quarterly appointment when I saw her FaceBook post. She was awake and in the medical ICU. She was a mere few floors down. I would not be stopped. Relativeor no, I would meet my FaceBook friend. Thank God I did. I rolled into the room to find a beautiful, ethere.al woman flanked by two friends. Although it was an impromtu visit, she said she knew me immediately.I was in awe of her with her fiery spirit despite the ravages of our shared disease. She, unable to lift even a finger, lifted my spirit.

Gratitude For Reading

People are reading my blog! I cannot express my gratitude enough. My heart is soaring! Before I got ALS, it was a minor interest amongst many varied interests. Today, I am unable to physically participate in many of my prior interests, like motorcycling, photography, knitting and other handicrafts, hiking, traveling, painting, drawing, going to the gym, working in the garden, doing housework, canning, and cooking gourmet or ethnic foods. Therefore, I am more focused on the ones that are most accessible to me, such as reading via audiobook or e-book, television, movies, meditation, music appreciation, and writing. Like the blind man who's sense of hearing and smell is heightened, I'd like to think my crippled body has made me more attuned to things more on the spiritual and sensual level. Initially, when some members of my family read my blog, they chose to focus on what they viewed as negative. The feedback I got was harsh and personally critical. .I was told that I was ...

Disrespected, Again...

It's 10 pm, I've accomplished nothing to speak of. I watched one movi, "The One I Love", a Twilight Zone-esque story on a couple trying to reconcile. And, one television show, "Running Wild with Bear Grylles" guest starring Channing Tatum. OMG!!! And, I ate some dinner. Tonight was chicken gumbo, chili, cornbread, oatmeal cookies and ice cream. Not much of a day. Nope. I was looking forward to my husband's visit but when he called at 5 pm, he mentioned that he was in Ritzville (by Spokane) working on his trailer with Darryl (the other jerk that took my cruise without me).  I do not begrudge my husband having a life away from me. However, as I keep telling him, I don't appreciate being purposefully left out of loop and disrespected by being left waiting for his disrespectful ass. Any questions?