#CPAP and respiratory

[tricaremedical]

Buy Sleep Therapy CPAP Mask - Respiratory CPAP Mask

The Sleep Therapy CPAP Mask is designed for optimal comfort and effective sleep apnea therapy. Made with soft, breathable materials, it ensures a secure fit while minimizing leaks. The mask is compatible with most CPAP machines, offering reliable support for uninterrupted sleep. Ideal for individuals using Tricare Medical, it promotes better airflow and reduces discomfort, helping you get restful sleep while managing your respiratory health. Easy to adjust and clean for convenience.

[cerecdepot]

Explore in-depth expert insights, tips, and the latest innovations in CAD/CAM technology and dentistry supplies through our comprehensive CEREC® blog. Stay informed on industry advancements, learn about cutting-edge digital dentistry techniques, and discover practical solutions to enhance your dental practice. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, our blog provides valuable knowledge on maximizing the benefits of CEREC® technology and optimizing the use of top-quality dentistry supplies.

[emmaameliamiaava]

CPAP Machines and Home Healthcare Solutions - Arabian Homecare

Explore Arabian Home Health Care's diverse range of medical equipment and healthcare products, including CPAP machines, mobility aids, respiratory support, physiotherapy tools, orthopedic solutions, bathroom safety essentials, bedroom furniture, maternity care items, physical fitness equipment, and wellness products. Find comprehensive home healthcare solutions tailored to your needs.   https://bit.ly/3VcMQD3

[mideltainternational]

Yuwell BreathWear YN02 Nasal CPAP Mask Available . . . 📞9811464331/ 081303 00415 📩marketing.midelta@gmail.com

[briarpatch-kids]

Looks like you can buy "cpap" specific creams as well that are petroleum free if you don't want use a petroleum based cream like aquaphor or Vaseline.

Hi! I have a CPAP and getting moved to a BiPAP. I know that isn’t NOT AT ALL the same as your ventilator, but I think the mouthpiece/nose pieces are made out of the same material. Do you have issues with contact dermatitis? I’m getting eczema patches around where the nose/mouth pieces are, and I’m not really sure what to do. Ive talked to my doctors about it too, and they said as long as it isn’t painful, the best option may just be putting up with it because all of the soft ones are made of the same material. I’ve had it for over a year, so I don’t think time will resolve this unfortunately.

I hope you find the bipap easier to breathe with, I know I did! I don't normally have skin issues with my mask, but there's a nasal mask called the resmed airfit p10 that only touches the inside of your nostrils rather than the area around your nose and you might find that better for your skin. I kept getting the leak alarm going off, but your machine may not have that problem with the mask. (If it does the problem is not enough air leaking rather than too much) Another thing that might be worth trying is something like aquaphor applied around where the mask touches before you put it on to provide a barrier between the mask and your skin.

[carnelianfoxx]

When I got my auto-cpap machine and he turned it on and I tried breathing with it for a minute, I noticed I felt kinda... weird? Like I was hyperventilating, but I was breathing at a normal rate? So I asked "is it normal to feel light-headed?"

and the respiratory therapist was like "it's because your brain is oxygen deprived and you're actually being oxygenated, so your brain chemistry isn't used to it"

so i think this is gonna be literally life changing

[gallifreyshawkeye]

It's a weird feeling to know you've stepped into the breach, as it were. Stepped between someone and death itself and were definitively the reason that person did not die. It actually happens significantly less in my job (as a paramedic) than you'd think.

Most of the time people call us because they simply want to "get checked out", or they can't tolerate throwing up after four hours and puking a couple times. Or it's for a real medical/injury thing, but it definitely wasn't a life and death matter. Or it it is a life and death matter and there wasn't any real chance of tipping the scales of life in their direction from the outset. But every once in a rare while, we get to be that person in the unique right situation and unique exact moment to be the reason someone doesn't die just yet.

I had a call yesterday where someone with underlying, chronic breathing problems tried toughing out significantly increased trouble breathing for a week before finally being unable to tolerate it any longer and calling 911. From the time we showed up on scene to the time our patient had completely fatigued on the way to the hospital and I had to hook up advanced equipment, even after giving them medications and the whole nine yards, was only 20min!

That's it.

That's how close they were to dying if they hadn't called when they did.

And I don't know, I've been doing this for 20yrs now. On the technical side of things I don't have to think twice. I can be recognizing all the intangibles that indicate impending respiratory failure even though all the numbers on the monitors haven't budged and are technically fine and be reaching for the CPAP while pulling out my phone to call the hospital and update/upgrade all at the same time without consciously spending any time deciding any of those courses of action. And yet in retrospect, the significance of those actions and decisions is actually huge.

It's not in the least that I'm psyched out by out it. More kind of.... stunned disbelief? sometimes of the position I find myself and just how unphased I am by it, and yet how huge and privileged of a position it really is sometimes.

[dragonbleps]

Dad's all settled in the ICU and said he already feels more confident with how coordinated the nurses and doctors are, so that's a nice sign. The nurse seems very kind and attentive and not dismissive like some of the others

We're just waiting for the doctor to come in and the Respiratory person to hook up his Cpap so he can sleep

[meret118]

Tainted CPAP machines and ventilators went to children, the elderly and at least 700,000 veterans despite internal warnings. Company insiders said the devices posed an “unacceptable” risk.

The first complaints landed at the offices of Philips Respironics in 2010, soon after the company made a fateful decision to redesign its bestselling breathing machines used in homes and hospitals around the world.To silence the irritating rattle that kept users awake at night, Philips packed the devices with an industrial foam — the same kind used in sofas and mattresses. It quickly became clear that something had gone terribly wrong.

The reports coming into Philips described “black particles” or “dirt and dust” inside machines that pump air to those who struggle to breathe. One noted an “oily-like” substance. Others simply warned of “contamination.”

Yet Philips withheld the vast majority of the warnings from the Food and Drug Administration, even as their numbers grew from dozens to hundreds to thousands and became more alarming each year.

. . .

Instead, as the complaints continued to pile up in company files, Philips waged aggressive global marketing campaigns to sell more machines, including new models fitted with the hazardous foam.The sales pitch worked: The devices went to infants, the elderly and at least 700,000 veterans. The company also promoted machines meant for some of the sickest people in the country, rolling out a new ventilator filled with the foam in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

. . .

All the while, people using Philips machines were suffering from illnesses that no one could explain: vomiting, dizziness and headaches, along with newly diagnosed cancers of the lungs, throat, sinuses and esophagus. One man in Philadelphia coughed so hard that he broke his ribs, and a Florida woman with a hacking cough was hospitalized for days and placed on oxygen.

. . .

Studies published in scholarly journals showed the foam broke apart in heat and moisture. The company used it anyway, even though the machines send air for hours at a time into the lungs of users.

. . .

As news of the problem spread, customers and others stepped forward by the thousands, describing emergency room visits and sudden illnesses in reports submitted to Philips and the government. The reports detailed nearly 2,000 cases of cancer, 600 liver and kidney illnesses and 17,000 respiratory ailments.

. . .

The company acknowledges that the foam tested positive for genotoxicity — its own experts described “uncontrolled cellular replication” — but said that a third-party assessment still concluded the machines are unlikely to cause harm.

The three experts consulted by the news organizations said that’s not possible. While safety thresholds for chemical emissions vary and findings can be open to interpretation, genotoxicity means that one or more chemicals are changing cells, the building blocks of the human body.

“You can’t make the argument that it’s safe. That’s bad science,” said the engineer familiar with the Philips testing. “It’s a real-life failure that shows you have a problem. There’s no ambiguity. There is unacceptable risk. Full stop.”

The company’s ventilators also tested positive for genotoxicity; Philips said the devices are still being assessed.

. . .

More details about the health risks are expected to emerge through the ongoing federal lawsuits in Pittsburgh. Earlier this month, the company reached a settlement in one of the cases, agreeing to pay at least $479 million to reimburse customers and others for the costs of the defective machines.

Other legal challenges are still ongoing, including more than 600 personal injury claims and a class-action suit seeking ongoing medical monitoring and research on the dangers posed by the devices.

------

They knew the foam would break down when they decided to use it. Tests within the company after complaints came in showed how dangerous the devices were, but they refused to even change the design for new sales, much less recall the old ones. For every official complaint, how many more people were harmed that weren't reported?

They didn't recall them until 3,700 official complaints had been made. Until after they sold over 5 million life-threatening machines. There's no way to know how many people they killed.

If they think the products are so great, then they won't mind being forced to use them.

Companies will keep doing this until the financial cost of hurting people is greater than the profits from doing so.

Trigger warning for disturbing medical details, descriptions of suffering, and an image of a permanent feeding tube, in the article.

[maryellencarter]

okay so! As I mentioned, I have the Covid. Given how much shared air I have to breathe while being homeless, it was probably inevitable.

My blood oxygen is good, I'm not feverish, and I don't seem to have any complications (yet). My main symptom is a horrible hacking cough that feels like dry heaves but in my lungs, along with just enough sniffles that my nose is getting raw from blowing it on terrible shelter toilet paper.

(Weirdly, I feel fine when I'm not coughing. I can even sing. But the coughing gets worse when I lie down and a lot worse with my CPAP mask on, so sleeping is an adventure.)

I was able to get temporary state insurance to cover the hospital visit and the Paxlovid at no cost to me. But there's nowhere I can isolate. The hospital didn't even keep me overnight.

I can still sleep in the shelter bunkroom as long as I keep my mask on except when I change to my CPAP mask for the night. I have to be out of there from 9am to 5pm though because they spray everything down daily (which is smart, I haven't seen a single bedbug). And I can still get meals -- I asked for a bag lunch and they said just eat in the cafeteria but wear a mask while not eating -- so there's, uh, that? I guess. Jesus, the covid response in this country is *so bad*.

Also, between buying tissues (the kind with aloe, because my poor nose), cough drops (they're not actually doing much but they get the coughing down from like... "surprised I'm not literally coughing up parts of my respiratory system" levels), food last night because the ER doesn't serve dinner, and so forth, I'm flat broke. Of fucking course.

(I also managed to forget my big box of KN94s down at my partner's place, and I can't receive packages or "large envelopes" here. So I'm getting by with crappy Walmart masks and the slightly better one I begged from the ER nurse. We're arranging to get me some proper N95s or equivalent through a friend's address, but obviously that's gonna take a bit.)

One thing I *can* hypothetically do, or would like to, is not take transit while I'm actively contagious. Which means I need gas money. And parking money -- I had to pay $6 for parking just to sit at the hospital for five hours and find out I had Covid, and that was the discount rate. Parking prices around here are outrageous. (I've been, uh, just not paying the meters around the shelter, and I haven't gotten towed yet, but most other places require payment.)

Uh. Where was I? (Very brain-foggy, is where. I keep having to go back and edit in things I forgot to say.) Right. So if anybody would like to chip in on "help JT not infect any *more* people than necessary", my PayPal is ethanrabbits at gmail or my Ko-fi is here.

God, everything happens so much. (Also, I appreciate y'all's good wishes.)

[nursingscience]

Medical Abbreviations on Pharmacy Prescriptions

Here are some common medical abbreviations you may see on pharmacy prescriptions:

qd - once a day

bid - twice a day

tid - three times a day

qid - four times a day

qh - every hour

prn - as needed

pc - after meals

ac - before meals

hs - at bedtime

po - by mouth

IV - intravenous

IM - intramuscular

subQ - subcutaneous

mL - milliliter

mg - milligram

g - gram

mcg - microgram

stat - immediately, right away

NPO - nothing by mouth

cap - capsule

tab - tablet

susp - suspension

sol - solution

amp - ampule

inj - injection

Rx - prescription

C - Celsius

F - Fahrenheit

BP - blood pressure

HR - heart rate

RR - respiratory rate

WBC - white blood cell

RBC - red blood cell

Hgb - hemoglobin

Hct - hematocrit

PT - prothrombin time

INR - international normalized ratio

BUN - blood urea nitrogen

Cr - creatinine

Ca - calcium

K - potassium

Na - sodium

Cl - chloride

Mg - magnesium

PO2 - partial pressure of oxygen

PCO2 - partial pressure of carbon dioxide

ABG - arterial blood gas

CBC - complete blood count

BMP - basic metabolic panel

CMP - comprehensive metabolic panel.

ECG - electrocardiogram

EEG - electroencephalogram

MRI - magnetic resonance imaging

CT - computed tomography

PET - positron emission tomography

CXR - chest x-ray

CTX - chemotherapy

NSAID - nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

DMARD - disease-modifying antirheumatic drug

ACE - angiotensin-converting enzyme

ARB - angiotensin receptor blocker

SSRI - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

TCA - tricyclic antidepressant

ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

CAD - coronary artery disease

CHF - congestive heart failure

DVT - deep vein thrombosis

GI - gastrointestinal

UTI - urinary tract infection

OTC - over-the-counter

Rx - prescription

OD - right eye

OS - left eye

OU - both eyes.

TID - thrombosis in dementia

TDS - ter die sumendum (three times a day)

BOM - bilaterally otitis media (infection in both ears)

BT - body temperature

C&S - culture and sensitivity

D/C - discontinue or discharge

D/W - dextrose in water

ETOH - ethyl alcohol

FUO - fever of unknown origin

H&P - history and physical examination

I&D - incision and drainage

I&O - intake and output

KVO - keep vein open

N&V - nausea and vomiting

PERRLA - pupils equal, round, reactive to light and accommodation

PR - per rectum

QAM - every morning

QHS - every bedtime

QOD - every other day

S/P - status post (after)

TPN - total parenteral nutrition

UA - urinalysis

URI - upper respiratory infection

UTI - urinary tract infection

VO - verbal order.

XRT - radiation therapy

YOB - year of birth

BRBPR - bright red blood per rectum

CX - cervix

DVT - deep vein thrombosis

GB - gallbladder

GU - genitourinary

HCV - hepatitis C virus

HPI - history of present illness

ICP - intracranial pressure

IVP - intravenous pyelogram

LMP - last menstrual period

MRSA - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

MVA - motor vehicle accident

NKA - no known allergies

PEG - percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

PRN - pro re nata (as needed)

ROS - review of systems

SOB - shortness of breath

TAH - total abdominal hysterectomy.

TIA - transient ischemic attack

Tx - treatment

UC - ulcerative colitis

URI - upper respiratory infection

VSD - ventricular septal defect

VTE - venous thromboembolism

XR - x-ray

w/c - wheelchair

XRT - radiation therapy

ASD - atrial septal defect

Bx - biopsy

CAD - coronary artery disease

CKD - chronic kidney disease

CPAP - continuous positive airway pressure

DKA - diabetic ketoacidosis

DNR - do not resuscitate

ED - emergency department

ESRD - end-stage renal disease

FFP - fresh frozen plasma

FSH - follicle-stimulating hormone.

GCS - Glasgow Coma Scale

Hct - hematocrit

Hgb - hemoglobin

ICU - intensive care unit

IV - intravenous

JVD - jugular venous distension

K - potassium

L - liter

MCH - mean corpuscular hemoglobin

MI - myocardial infarction

Na - sodium

NGT - nasogastric tube

NPO - nothing by mouth

OR - operating room

PCN - penicillin

PRBC - packed red blood cells

PTT - partial thromboplastin time

RBC - red blood cells

RT - respiratory therapy

SOA - short of air.

SCD - sequential compression device

SIRS - systemic inflammatory response syndrome

STAT - immediately

T - temperature

TPN - total parenteral nutrition

WBC - white blood cells

ABG - arterial blood gas

A fib - atrial fibrillation

BPH - benign prostatic hypertrophy

CBC - complete blood count

CO2 - carbon dioxide

COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

CPR - cardiopulmonary resuscitation

CT - computed tomography

CXR - chest x-ray

D5W - dextrose 5% in water

Dx - diagnosis

ECG or EKG - electrocardiogram

EEG - electroencephalogram

ETO - early termination of pregnancy.

FHR - fetal heart rate

GSW - gunshot wound

H&P - history and physical exam

HCG - human chorionic gonadotropin

I&D - incision and drainage

IBS - irritable bowel syndrome

ICP - intracranial pressure

IM - intramuscular

INR - international normalized ratio

IOP - intraocular pressure

LFT - liver function test

LOC - level of consciousness

LP - lumbar puncture

NG - nasogastric

OA - osteoarthritis

OCD - obsessive-compulsive disorder

OTC - over-the-counter

P - pulse

PCA - patient-controlled analgesia

PERRLA - pupils equal, round, reactive to light and accommodation.

PFT - pulmonary function test

PICC - peripherally inserted central catheter

PO - by mouth

PRN - as needed

PT - physical therapy

PT - prothrombin time

PTSD - post-traumatic stress disorder

PVC - premature ventricular contraction

QD - once a day

QID - four times a day

RA - rheumatoid arthritis

RICE - rest, ice, compression, elevation

RSI - rapid sequence intubation

RSV - respiratory syncytial virus

SBP - systolic blood pressure

SLE - systemic lupus erythematosus

SSRI - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

STAT - immediately

TB - tuberculosis

TIA - transient ischemic attack.

TID - three times a day

TKO - to keep open

TNTC - too numerous to count

TPN - total parenteral nutrition

URI - upper respiratory infection

UTI - urinary tract infection

V-fib - ventricular fibrillation

V-tach - ventricular tachycardia

VA - visual acuity

WNL - within normal limits

AED - automated external defibrillator

ARDS - acute respiratory distress syndrome

BID - twice a day

BP - blood pressure

BUN - blood urea nitrogen

CAD - coronary artery disease

CHF - congestive heart failure

CVA - cerebrovascular accident

D/C - discontinue

DKA - diabetic ketoacidosis.

DM - diabetes mellitus

DVT - deep vein thrombosis

EGD - esophagogastroduodenoscopy

ER - emergency room

F - Fahrenheit

Fx - fracture

GI - gastrointestinal

GTT - glucose tolerance test

HCT - hematocrit

Hgb - hemoglobin

HRT - hormone replacement therapy

ICP - intracranial pressure

IDDM - insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

IBS - irritable bowel syndrome

IM - intramuscular

IV - intravenous

K - potassium

KVO - keep vein open

L&D - labor and delivery

LASIK - laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.

ROM - range of motion

RT - radiation therapy

Rx - prescription

SCD - sequential compression device

SOB - shortness of breath

STD - sexually transmitted disease

TENS - transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

TIA - transient ischemic attack

TSH - thyroid-stimulating hormone

UA - urinalysis

US - ultrasound

UTI - urinary tract infection

VD - venereal disease

VF - ventricular fibrillation

VT - ventricular tachycardia

WBC - white blood cell

XRT - radiation therapy

XR - x-ray

Zn - zinc

Z-pak - azithromycin (antibiotic).

AAA - abdominal aortic aneurysm

ABG - arterial blood gas

ACS - acute coronary syndrome

ADL - activities of daily living

AED - automated external defibrillator

AIDS - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

ALS - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

AMA - against medical advice

AML - acute myeloid leukemia

APAP - acetaminophen

ARDS - acute respiratory distress syndrome

ASCVD - atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

BPH - benign prostatic hyperplasia

BUN - blood urea nitrogen

CABG - coronary artery bypass graft

CBC - complete blood count

CHF - congestive heart failure

COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

CPAP - continuous positive airway pressure

CRF - chronic renal failure.

CT - computed tomography

CVA - cerebrovascular accident

D&C - dilation and curettage

DVT - deep vein thrombosis

ECG/EKG - electrocardiogram

EEG - electroencephalogram

ESRD - end-stage renal disease

FSH - follicle-stimulating hormone

GERD - gastroesophageal reflux disease

GFR - glomerular filtration rate

HbA1c - glycated hemoglobin

Hct - hematocrit

HIV - human immunodeficiency virus

HPV - human papillomavirus

HTN - hypertension

IBD - inflammatory bowel disease

IBS - irritable bowel syndrome

ICU - intensive care unit

IDDM - insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

IM - intramuscular.

IV - intravenous

LFT - liver function test

MI - myocardial infarction

MRI - magnetic resonance imaging

MS - multiple sclerosis

NPO - nothing by mouth

NS - normal saline

OCD - obsessive-compulsive disorder

OSA - obstructive sleep apnea

PCOS - polycystic ovary syndrome

PMS - premenstrual syndrome

PPD - purified protein derivative

PSA - prostate-specific antigen

PT - prothrombin time

PTT - partial thromboplastin time

RA - rheumatoid arthritis

RBC - red blood cell

RSV - respiratory syncytial virus

SLE - systemic lupus erythematosus

TB - tuberculosis.

It is important to remember that medical abbreviations can vary based on location and specialty. 

Healthcare professionals should use medical abbreviations with caution and only when they are familiar with their meanings. 

Patients should always communicate any questions or concerns they have about their medications or medical care to their healthcare provider or pharmacist to ensure they receive safe and accurate medical care.

[mideltainternational]

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[mayalaen]

saturday story time #3

The third and final story time to sum up the last few months!

This one isn’t so much my family as the main cause, but rather their reaction to what happened that’s made life.. interesting.

My psych doc started out as a regular doc and got into psych when she worked in a hospital with lots of behavioral health admissions (across the street from the state prison for the criminally insane).

She’s taken care of my whole family for like 15 years now. She’s got a very strong personality, and when we need something, she makes sure we get it.

She fought Phillips Respironics (the biggest manufacturer of CPAP and other respiratory therapy products in the world) bc they were going to make my mom wait for 2-3 years before replacing a CPAP machine that was leaking little pieces of rubber into the hose and going into patients’ lungs.

My pdoc got them to replace it within 3 weeks of us telling her they wanted us to wait.

And she’s done tons of stuff for us including helping to get a few of us on disability for mental issues even when none of us thought we were in need of it (haha yes we thought we were just normal enough to get by but apparently the government was like OH NO here have this disability please and don’t work for a company ever!)

She calls me a lot and we talk. She probably tells me way more than she should, but she knows I don’t spread stuff, and we kinda leaned on each other when it came to work and family and the medical system itself.

She would even talk about tough medical cases with me that they were having trouble solving and it was exciting to be involved in all that again. I helped a few people get treatment for things that I remembered from working all over the country but the docs where she worked didn’t know about. The way my brain links things and sees patterns definitely comes in handy with medical stuff.

Anyway, a few months ago she called me and was like “give me 3 weeks to get through what’s happening right now and then change your PCP to someone else.”

She didn’t explain, but I knew she was having trouble with the last few places she worked at. She made sure all our meds were refilled for three months, which was very cool of her, but it was weird to just hear nothing else from her!

Back when the pan/demic hit, she decided to stay home to work bc her mom has a bad immune system, and she’s been doing Co/vid test results and teledoc for 2 years. One year ago she started working at a Co/vid clinic.

And boy howdy were Co/vid clinics corrupt! Within weeks she was telling me so much shit it was blowing my mind.

All these places popped up at the beginning of the pan/demic and were milking the government for money while not doing 95% of the things they said they did and a lot of places were selling vac/cine cards to people who didn’t get vac/cinated.

The government wasn’t checking into it because they had enough going on, and all these corrupt business people got away with it for almost 3 years. They were taking government loans and aide too.

Until they started talking about dropping the federal emergency (it didn’t end until last month, but they were talking about it for a while).

And then the shit hit the fan.

Corrupt doctors and and business owners left in the middle of the night! Like seriously just abandoned these places over the course of about 2 weeks, taking everything of value and locking the doors.

They didn’t inform the employees, so the employees, non-corrupt docs, and nurses showed up the next morning to locked doors on these businesses with weeks of labor left unpaid.

My pdoc and a bunch of others got together, got a lawyer, who realized how big this was and got other lawyers involved, and this quickly became a country-wide case.

But then I didn’t hear from her for a few weeks.

And then came the call where she hurriedly said to change my PCP.

It’s been four months since then and none of us have been able to get a hold of her. Her website has been down ever since, her phone is being answered by someone new who has her number and doesn’t know her, and all the insurance companies say she just isn’t registered anymore.

So I don’t know if shit got really bad to the point where even the good guys went down or maybe she took a settlement and retired with the agreement that she not speak to anybody? Or maybe she actually was one of the corrupt ones? I just don’t know.

Suddenly the family was left without a doctor, but I wasn’t freaking out because I figured I’d just get me, my mom, and my dad to a new place and that’s that. A pain in the ass but doable.

That’s when the rest of my family called and was like HALP!!!

They had no idea what to do because my pdoc had taken care of everything for so long that they didn’t understand insurance and the medical system anymore, which I do.

So they all expected me to get everything of theirs changed and make them appointments and get them meds and...

I was like uhm no. You’re adults. I’m taking care of enough stuff. If you get stuck and need help I’ll answer questions, but you have to do this.

So for weeks they were running around like the sky was falling, but they got everything worked out eventually.

I’m starting to catch up on 3 years of missed doc and specialist appointments now with me and my parents, so that’s a relief.

But yeah that federal emergency thing dropping last month means a lot of those places are being investigated now, but I have no idea how many they’ll catch given the fact that everybody who saw the axe coming took off.

[briarpatch-kids]

hi, i love your blog!

no pressure to answer this if no energy or if it's too personal!

I was curious about your ventilator, as I have some similar health issues i think (I have severe ME/CFS, with weakness requiring power chair & often being too weak to breathe well--my O2 is good but I can get out of breath from the overexertion it takes to breathe, haha)

I searched and can't find what the ventilator is specifically for (maybe I'm just not seeing it)

If you're okay answering, what is the ventilator for, and maybe what was the process of getting it? How much does it help?

Thank you, no pressure, appreciate your blog, have a lovely day!!! 💖

It's for co2 build up due to mitochondrial disease weakening my trunk muscles including my diaphragm. I don't breathe often enough or deep enough, so while my oxygen is good, I get paranoid and start to hallucinate. I also just kinda... blank out and spend a lot of time in a haze without it as well. Plus, any kind of respiratory illness just takes forever to go away and turns into pneumonia really quick. (Took me four days to go from rsv to pneumonia, and my oxygen sats dropped to 90 while I was sick for example.)

I would look into getting a sleep study and/or a pulmonary function test if you think you might need one, generally it shows if you aren't breathing enough and shows how your breathing changes when you fatigue. I went from needing a cpap at night only, to needing a bipap at night and having to use it more and more often during the day, to needing a ventilator on bipap 24/7. A lot of people who fatigue out like that, using bipap at night gives your muscles enough of a break and they won't need a portable ventilator during the day. I'm just kind of a weird case because I have a neuromuscular disease.

[k--havok]

15 Questions, 15 Mutuals

@ceph-the-ghost-writer tagged me in this game which I am so happy for since I've seen it being passed around for a bit now!

A lot of my mutuals have done this game but I'll see if I can tag some new people: @dogmomwrites @atlasprieto @saintedseraph @rachaellawrites @menagerie-of-monsters @faelanvance @winterandwords @writing-moth and an open tag for you!

Alright, let's get to it then!

1. Are you named after anyone?

I am named after a Star Trek character since my mom is a huge trekkie!

2. When was the last time you cried?

Um probably the other day when I yawned really big, it makes me tear up haha. Before that, not sure. Probably when I had a meltdown back last Sunday if that doesn't count.

3. Do you have kids?

Nope, not at the moment. And unfortunately due to the yeehaw state this choice has been taken away from me :) thanks Greg.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

It's my main language unless I'm at work.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

This is gonna sound bad but usually their age and physical ability. But I also work in a hospital so usually I need to immediately see whether or not the patients will be needing any assistance on any given day. Beyond that, I'm a face person so usually a person's facial features.

6. What’s your eye color?

Boring brown unfortunately.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

You say this as if scary movies cannot have happy endings. But honestly it matters on my mood. Scary movies are like a comedy to me so even if it's not happy for the characters, I'm usually busting a gut.

8. Any special talents?

I can fold my tongue backwards and flat against itself. I think that counts?

9. Where were you born?

North Texas (yeehaw)

10. What are your hobbies?

Well... writing, reading, digital art, Magic: The Gathering, video games (I like a wide variety), cooking/baking, building Legos, and sex/BDSM if I'm being honest lol

I want to get into painting mini figures too altho my hands shake. Haven't had the time to sit down and start yet tho!

11. Have you any pets?

I currently have two wiener dogs that are the loves and lights of my life.

12. What sports do you play/have played?

...Marching band IS a sport and it is a hill I AM willing to die on. I played clarinet! But that's it... I am hopeless when it comes to most sports due to how clumsy I am.

13. How tall are you?

65" or 5' 5"

14. Favorite subject in school?

So high-school wise that's easily History if I am being honest. (Partially because it was the only class that wasn't "flipped classroom" and I didn't have to write bullshit essays). I also really liked biology but unfortunately my teacher(s) HATED me since I never paid attention in class but still got all As.

In college... I really enjoyed my Anatomy and Physiology class. I also took a class on ECG/arrhythmias and I really liked it as well. I also really enjoyed my American History classes in college and my Creative Writing elective.

15. Dream job?

I am blessed to be currently working my dream job. It's a tiny and niche field tho so I'll leave it up to ya'll to figure out what I do based on context clues.

That being said, in the future I do want to eventually get my license to do EEGs. Also debating on getting a degree in Respiratory Therapy as well, but mainly to make more money if I continue to work with CPAP patients. I lean more into the neuroscience of my field rather than the respiratory/cardiovascular side tho. Plus I wouldn't have to go back to school to get licensed in EEG, which is nice.

Lots of decisions but I have the rest of my life to figure it out so I'm in no rush.