Kristina Tracey
kltracey@gmail.com
My father had knee
replacement surgery,
which lead to aspiration
pneumonia then ARDS. He
has been in the ICU in a
coma for last 33 days.
posted 12/22/2008 |
E. Rudin
erudin@sbcglobal.net
On November 30th 2008,
my uncle had pain and
had his blood pressure
checked while they were
in Wal-Mart and it said
155 over 122 so he
immediately went to the
hospital. He had
suffered a heart attack.
They tried to give him
Plavix and after that he
had an emergency
transfer to St. Joseph
in St. Charles. He had
angeoplasm and triple
bypass surgery on
December 4th. He was
actually doing okay from
the open heart surgery
for the next couple of
days, but he got worse
and he now had
pneumonia. He was
running a fever and
eventually he had to be
sedated and put on a
ventilator. It is now
December 21 and every
day it is up and down
and you never know who
to believe. Some doctors
give us hope and some
make us think that he
has no hope. The nurses
for the most part have
been wonderful. Today,
his lung collapsed and
we are all here in the
ICU waiting room
wondering what that
means and what happens
next. We have said so
many prayers that God is
bound to help Kurt. Our
family has been here
days and nights; the
strength of your family
is the key and the
prayers. After the lung
collapsed they had to
put the ventilator on
90% and his blood gas
levels are in the 90's,
so is this God letting
us know that he needed
to have his ventilator
decreased. The doctor
said that he has a lot
of good things going for
him all his organs are
functioning good with
the exception of his
lungs. He told us this
will be a long process
and he has been holding
his own for the past
couple of days with the
exception of his lung
collapsing. They put a
tube in his lung to
release the air from the
ventilator around his
lung and he is stable
now. Every thing we have
read on this site has
given us hope, but it
also scares us that this
will keep going up and
down for months. Please
say a prayer...
posted 12/21/2008 |
Geri Bellis
gericatwoman@yahoo.com
Julie received 3
mechanical heart valves
& had a hole in her
heart repaired on12/5.
She has a history of CHF
and COPD. She is
presently on a
ventilating oscillator,
on paralytics &
drug-induced coma. The
doctors are presently
working on lowering her
nitrous levels. She is
off the cardiac meds,
and it's now a waiting
game with ARDS. Waiting
is hard, but we talk to
her, play recordings of
her beloved
granddaughter, rub her
extremities with lotion,
gave her pedicure, etc.
My son had ARDS 8 years
ago and told me you hear
all around you but can't
tell what is really
happening and it felt
like a very realistic
dream. I know she'll
make it, with prayer and
the knowledge God has
provided for the medical
staff. Take heart,
folks. Where there is
life, there is hope.
posted 12/13/2008 |
Susan Howe
courtneys1nana@alltel.net
My husband had a bone
marrow transplant in
August of 2008 and was
doing well until 3 and a
half weeks ago. He had
very few side effects
from the high doses of
chemo he received prior
to the transplant. To
make a long story short,
he now is in the ICU
with ARDS. Has anyone
else seen this after
having chemo? The
doctors are giving him
only a 10 percent chance
of pulling through this.
posted 11/30/2008 |
Stacy
stacy80@cfl.rr.com
My mother has been
diagnosed with ARDS as a
complication of severe
pancreatitis. She has
been on a ventilator
since November 17th, and
in the hospital since
November 11th. Today she
was able to be awake for
a long time, but there
is still talk that she
is not doing well. We
will find out more
tomorrow after another
CT scan. The doctors are
thinking about
airlifting her to
another hospital in case
she needs surgery
related to the
pancreatitis. All of
this has been extremely
difficult on our family.
Some of us live quite a
distance away (including
myself) so it is even
more of a helpless
feeling. Our family is
strong and so is our
faith in the Lord, which
is getting us all
through this.
posted 11/20/2008 |
Kenda L.
kendaflynn@sbcglobal.net
On October 24th my
mother, who was visiting
for the week, had a
follow up with her
rheumatoid doctor, then
was going to head on
home. My husband came
home to find her still
in bed, breathing hard,
and confused, with a
fever of 103.6. I called
an ambulance and they
took her to our local
hospital for assessment.
Later, she was flown to
St. Joe's. Here she
remains in ICU in
critical but stable
condition, which seems
to be improving as she
is responding well to
antibiotics. Initially
they diagnosed her with
pneumonia; however, a
pulmonary specialist
believes she may also
have ARDS.
posted 10/27/2008 |
Jeff O'Toole
jotoole@sfsu.edu
My mother Mary Ann
checked into the Kaiser
hospital emergency room
on Thursday October 2nd,
with difficulty
breathing. The diagnosis
was pneumonia. On
Saturday, after several
hours of acute
difficulty breathing,
the doctors put her on a
respirator to help her
breathe. We have been
staying with her
overnight and throughout
the day. This is
affecting the whole
family very much. A few
nights ago it was good
to see her eyes open and
get a squeeze from her
hand after so many days
of her being knocked out
from the drugs and
sickness. We were
hopeful yesterday when
for 24 hours she was
taken off the
ventilator.
Today we had a setback
and her lungs started to
fill with fluid again,
so today they had to put
her back on the
ventilator. It is hard.
Thank you for the
website!
posted 10/14/2008 |
Debi
pizza-haven@hotmail.com
My mother was admitted
to our local hospital on
September 16th, 2008
after treatment for what
we thought was asthma.
On the 17th, she was
flown by STARS
helicopter transport to
a larger hospital an
hour away. We were told
that she had pneumonia.
Now we have been told it
is ARDS. It has been 3
and 1/2 weeks now and
after a few "sedation
vacations" we feel that
she is improving. While
on "vacation" she is
responsive and even good
humored despite having a
tracheotomy. The
hospital staff, however,
is trying to prepare us
for a not so favorable
outcome. HELP! We need
support and
encouragement to keep on
keeping on.
posted 10/11/2008 |
Theresa Griffiths
flsensation@aol.com
My husband David had his
appendix rupture and
walked around like that
for 24 hours. He had his
appendix removed and he
became septic and had
pneumonia. The pulmonary
doctor said he had ARDS
and his prognosis was
very dim. His oxygen sat
is 70 at 100 percent
oxygen on life support.
No other organs have
been affected. He has
been in the hospital for
2 weeks and 3 days and
they just put a trach in
3 days ago. I cry myself
to sleep every night .
They are keeping him
sedated. He tries to
communicate, opens his
eyes when he hears
voices, and will do what
is asked on command. I
fear the ringing of my
cell or home phone that
it will be the hospital
with awful news. The
doctors say there is
improvement but very
little. To me every
little bit counts.
posted 10/3/2008 |
Tron Sutton
tronstr@gmail.com
My 3 year-old daughter
had no history of lung
issues. She had a fever
one day, and the next
day she was in the ER,
then ICU with ARDS. We
have no idea how it came
about, and we are
looking for answers.
My wife also posted
here, but I wanted to
part of a solution also.
posted 9/13/2008 |
Jennie
jenbommarito@peoplepc.com
Jim started out with flu
symptoms; a week later
we went to the doctor
because he couldn't
breathe and his color
was a weird bluish grey.
The doctor gave him a
B-12 shot and sent us
home. A week later, he
was air lifted to a
large hospital put on a
vent, and had lung,
kidney, and liver
failure, bilateral
pneumonia and he is now
in a drug induced coma.
I have never heard of
ARDS, and now the love
of my life is fighting
for his life and we have
no clue what caused it.
posted 9/12/2008 |
Larry Rankin
rpl47@comcast.net
Five weeks ago, my
sister was admitted for
insulin shock (her
insulin pump had quit
working). They saved her
life and stabilized her.
When they thought she
could stand it, they
removed the vent tube.
Very soon, they realized
they had to re-intubate
her. That was when she
aspirated stomach
contents and the ARDS
begin. We are now in
week six and they want
to do the trach. I agree
with them due since they
will be able to remove
Deb from the drugs. I
think this will give her
a fighting chance. While
drugged, I feel she has
no chance. Some ask what
her quality of life will
be, while I say there is
still life. It appears
we have a long road
ahead of us with no
guarantees, but my
sister will not be on
that road alone.
posted 9/9/2008 |
Carrie Sutton
me@booplover.com
My 3 year-old daughter
Nora had no previous
injury or illness. I
took her to the doctor
and the doctor said to
go home and watch her
fever. Twelve hours
later, she was panting
like a dog. Later she
was intubated and put on
life support.
posted 9/9/2008 |
Brenda Jackson
bree.j2333@yahoo.com
They said my mother was
having a heart attack,
and it turned out her
stomach twisted behind
her heart. The surgery
was successful, but her
lung took a hit and we
are are having
difficulty removing the
vent.
posted 9/2/2008 |
Sherry
sherry@sittersondds.com
My husband was diagnosed
with ARDS yesterday. He
had MRSA about a month
ago but it was removed
from his knee and he was
doing well. Last weekend
he was feeling tired and
had shallow breathing.
The hospital said he had
a severe case of
pneumonia that has led
him to this. Yesterday,
his breathing had not
improved on BiPap so
they now say based on
his x-ray, he has ARDS.
They do not know the
cause. He is in a drug
induced coma with an
oscillating ventilator.
He has improved a little
bit, but based on what I
have read so far if he
makes it it's going to
be rough.
posted 8/30/2008 |
RajaSekar
jazztrichy@yahoo.co.in
I need one answer
please. Can an appendix
operation leads to ARDS?
Please provide me
examples. Thanks.
posted 8/2/2008 |
Raj
rdevaraj@hotmail.com
My father has been
battling with ARDS for
the last four months
(which he developed from
pneumonia). He has been
going through cycles of
battling infection from
bacteria and fungus
during this period. This
has led to renal failure
and he is on dialysis
support even though his
kidney has recently
opened up. Just 45 days
back he had a brief
episode of bradycardia
that reduced oxygen
supply to the brain.
Since then he has been
in a vegetative state
and the doctors are
calling it hypoxia
encephalopathy. He is a
69 year-old diabetic;
otherwise he is healthy.
The doctors are
concerned about the
repeated onset of the
Candida fungus that is
making recovery
difficult. He is on and
off the ventilator,
depending on the
infection cycle and I am
desperately trying to
find help to cope with
his condition. Is there
anyone who can offer any
suggestions on his
treatment? Any help will
be deeply appreciated.
posted 8/22/2008 |
Jynifer Gassiott
jynifer34@aol.com
My son had a horrible
truck accident on July
28th. He sustained
massive internal
injuries and is now
battling ARDS. I am so
devastated...I have no
idea what to do. I have
a lot of faith in the
Lord, which is what is
carrying me right now. I
have never heard of this
disease until now.
posted 8/14/2008 |
Tiffany
trinitytyla@hotmail.com
My mother had Gastric
Bypass Surgery on July
23rd. Following her
surgery she was put into
the ICU overnight
because she received a
pint of blood and she
also has severe asthma
and they wanted to watch
her closely. On July
24th, my mother started
to project a dark strong
smelling sewer color
fluid over and over. The
doctors said that she
aspirated this into her
lungs and now she has
ARDS. My mother was on
vent for a week and a
half and they decided to
give her a chance to
breathe. She surprised
all the doctors and a
half and she breathed
with just a Nasal
Cannula for a day and a
half. My mother started
vomiting that fluid
again, so they had to
put her back on the
vent. My mom underwent
surgery yesterday where
a tube was placed in her
stomach to drain this
bile out. In 24 hours,
they have gotten over 5
liters of fluid out of
her. Doctors have gone
back and forth on the
idea of a trach and they
have decided they will
go ahead and do the
trach tomorrow. They
said her lungs are great
and that they are doing
it more to protect her
lungs from this bile. I
don't feel 100% OK with
what they are saying; in
fact, I would like to
get a second opinion but
Dad feels comfortable
where we are with her. I
feel this could be the
beginning of a leakage
from her old stomach
from surgery. Anyone
with any similar cases
or any ideas, please let
me know. Thank you so
much. I'm so afraid I'm
going to lose my mother.
posted 8/7/2008 |
Liz
lizard@cox.net
My sister has long
battled a disease called
Cushing's (since she was
12). This week she
started to feel sick,
and it turned out she
had an e-coli infection,
which was followed by
ARDS. She is currently
on the ventilator. Stats
are starting to look
good.
posted 8/1/2008 |
Tina
foreverfriendz08@gmail.com
My brother was surfing,
had a heart attack, and
was revived and brought
to the CCU in Shands
Hospital. He seemed to
be doing well and making
improvements. He had a
stint put in; two days
later, he started
regressing. He started
having trouble
breathing, etc. He is
currently intubated with
the machine breathing
90% for him. We are
awaiting tests to find
out what caused it.
posted 7/23/2008 |
Cynthia Atchison
cynthiaatchison@kemet.com
I
wanted to talk with
other ARDS family
members to ask what they
did to help with the
recovery for their loved
one. My husband has ARDS
and is on ventilator and
has been in the hospital
since May 16, 2008. I
have read all the
letters on the website
at ARDS.org and I am
delighted to know that
some loved ones have
survived and would like
for some to contact me
if they would like.
Thanks for all the
encouragement on the
website. I have to work
at the same time so I am
not able to spend that
much time with him
during the day. During
the afternoons and
evenings, I have lots of
time and talk to him and
play music. I would like
to start taking a book
to read soon.
posted 7/9/2008 |
Cathy Ruddy
cathyruddy1@btinternet.com
Patrick is a very close
family friend who has
been on a ventilator for
the last 8 months at a
hospital in London. His
wife and 16 year old son
are two of our close
friends and we are doing
all we can to support
them at this difficult
time. Pat originally had
a heart attack and
during an angiogram his
main artery burst. The
surgeon did a triple
bypass and Pat was sent
to intensive care. He
did come around from the
operation, but then got
an infection and
contracted ARDS. Since
then his lungs have
remained stiff and the
scans have not shown any
improvement. His CO2
levels remain at around
9-10 most days. He is a
awake and can
communicate with us but
his muscles are not
moving properly yet
though the physios do
get him up and sit him
in a chair. His
condition is no better 8
months later and we are
all so worried. Can you
let me know if any of
you have a similar story
and if any treatment has
proved positive? My
friend's son Sean has
sadly started to rebel
as a consequence of his
fathers illness and his
mother Teresa is unable
to cope with his
behavior. I would love
to hear from any
survivors of ARDS who
may have a similar
story.
posted 7/3/2008 |
Deepa
deepa.de@rediffmail.com
It started with a fever,
so we took daddy to the
family doctor, but the
fever did not come down.
He stopped having food &
had problems breathing,
so he was admitted to a
hospital. All the lab
reports were negative.
Then he was shifted to
another hospital with an
ICU facility in Bombay.
There he was diagnosed
with ARDS (we had never
heard of it before). The
x-ray shows severe lung
infection (the cause was
not known - he does not
smoke). He is still in
the ICU on a ventilator.
The doctors had told
that he was critical,
but now he is stable.
The doctors have told us
that he might be on the
ventilator until the
infection disappears (he
has already been on the
ventilator for 9 days).
posted 6/5/2008 |
Jennifer Peavey
crowbearcottage@aol.com
My father recently
underwent knee
replacement & apparently
aspirated during
surgery. Within hours
his lung function began
to deteriorate & he was
placed on a respirator.
My father took a
terrible turn for the
worse & my 3 siblings &
I were called to
immediately fly to
Arizona to say our
goodbyes. My father,
however, is a strong,
stubborn Finlander &
fought his way back! He
is now off the
respirator & on the road
to recovery. We are
hopeful that he will
fully recover lung
function & go on to live
a happy, productive
life. Thank you to
ARDS.ORG for giving us
an informational
resource that answered
so many of our
questions.
posted 5/20/2008 |
Matthew Henry
yrnehma@hotmail.com
My sister was diagnosed
with ARDS after going to
the doctor for
pneumonia. Although she
has been sick most of
her life with diabetes,
we thought this was just
an "average hospital
stay" only to find out
it would not be. We are
currently on day 12 and
today they have fully
paralyzed her. We
thought we have lost her
a couple of times but
she continues to fight.
My family wants is to
understand this monster,
and to be in the
thoughts and prayers of
others.
posted 5/16/2008 |
Ellen Kimball
ellen@retirement.org
My 19-year-old stepson
has stage III malignant
melanoma. He had surgery
to remove lymph nodes
and was into his second
week of interferon
therapy. Last week, he
got a staph infection at
the site of his "port",
which turned into
pneumonia then sepsis,
and finally as of
yesterday they told us
it was ARDS. He is now
in the hospital sedated,
intubated, all the rest.
I'm wondering if anyone
else has had this
happen. I'm wondering if
he will ever be able to
eventually progress to
interferon therapy for
the melanoma? This seems
so hopeless!
posted 5/15/2008 |
Rana
rhoward530@adelphia.net
About 5 days ago, my
mother was on a
4-wheeler for the first
time. She pushed on the
gas instead of the brake
and the 4-wheeler took
off and threw her off.
She suffered 4 broken
ribs and two fractures
in her neck. She also
had contusions that led
to her ARDS. These have
been the worst 5 days of
my life. I have cried
enough to last me a
lifetime. I guess the
unexpected is what
scares me. She has
gained 56 pounds of
fluid in only 5 days.
They say she has turned
a corner and is doing
better but I am so
scared. She has been in
a drug induced coma for
3 days now. They are
thinking about waking
her up in another 2 days
or so. I am scared
because I don't know
what to expect. Is the
swelling normal? Will
she survive this? If
anyone has any advice or
help, please email me.
We have been praying so
hard that the Lord will
touch her and heal her.
I am not sure what all
the settings mean on the
vent so I never know
when she is doing
better. Please keep us
all in your prayers!
posted 4/15/2008 |
Carla O'Neill
cahouse5@aol.com
My mother went into the
hospital for a hip
replacement. By the
second day she was in
the ICU. They treated
her for pneumonia, and
she started to aspirate.
They sent her to a
nursing home for a week
in full blown ARDS. We
finally got her to a
major hospital and she
has been in the ICU for
two weeks and on a vent
for 7 days. We are
terrified that we could
lose her like this.
Reading up on ARDS has
been helpful. I would
like to hear from people
who have recovered.
posted 4/4/2008 |
Eduardo
edo.soriano.hewitt@gmail.com
My mother went into the
hospital for a liver
resection related to the
neuroendocine tumor she
has had for the past
year or so. She has been
in the hospital since
February 20th. As of
today, she is breathing
on a trach, liver
function is fine, but
she has severe
difficulty breathing on
her own. As of today the
medical staff hasn't
been able to conduct a
thorough analysis of her
lungs. They have treated
her with top tier
antibiotics and have
removed her from the
oscillating ventilator.
For the past 30 plus
days, it has been an
emotional roller coaster
for my younger brothers
and me. We are taking it
from day to day.
posted 3/30/2008 |
Jennifer McCarty
jennthemermaid@gmail.com
My mom was just
diagnosed with ARDS
yesterday. She has been
on a ventilator for 3
days now. She has
recurring esophageal
cancer that has come
back in her left
bronchial tube (Feb 1 we
found out). She had been
free and clear of the
cancer for 2 years. She
had a partial (60%)
esophogectomy 2 years
ago. She is prone to
aspirating vomit into
her lungs; she vomits
because of her shorter
esophagus frequently.
She was brought into the
hospital 1 week ago with
pancreatitis, then she
got pneumonia in both
lungs. She was fighting
for air too much, so
they put her on the
vent�this is her 4th
time on a vent since
2000. I have just read
up on ARDS and I had no
idea how serious it was
until now. They seem to
think they can keep her
on the vent for a couple
of extra days so she can
heal from it and then
wean her off. They have
her sedated with
Propofol and she is fine
when she is out, but
when she wakes up it is
TERRIBLE. I just want
them to keep her asleep.
It is so terribly
stressful for all of us.
posted 3/26/2008 |
Lisa
garyslisa@bellsouth.net
Steve was diagnosed with
a viral infection, which
turned into viral
pneumonia and eventually
he developed ARDS.
posted 3/10/2008 |
Carol Ward
carol_ward55@yahoo.com
My mother became ill on
March 1, 2008. She
started vomiting as we
were trying to get her
to the hospital. She had
a history of Angina so
we thought she may be
having a heart attack.
She passed out just
before getting to the
hospital. With no
apparent pulse, the
staff shocked her twice,
bringing her back. She
was then life flighted
to Tulsa. The doctors
there confirmed she had
a massive heart attack
to the front part of her
heart. She was put on a
ventilator. This was bad
enough, but then on
March 5, they put in a
swan catheter to
determine why she had a
build up of fluid in her
lungs. Today we received
the horrifying news that
she has ARDS and that
there is basically
nothing they can do.
They have been treating
her with antibiotics but
to no avail. I am at a
loss, I don't know what
to do. I am a believer
in healing and I know
that GOD can do
anything. My mother is a
very devout Christian
and I know she is ready
to go, but I'm not ready
for her to leave us.
Please I would welcome
any comments, prayers
and advice that you can
give me. THANK YOU!
posted 3/6/2008 |
Matt
monty2017@hotmail.com
My wife has had RDS for
4 years now. She
recently had her gall
bladder taken out. she
has severe malnutrition,
and she went to hospital
for it. After one week,
her blood pressure
bottomed out. They
flooded her with fluid,
and to maintain her
blood pressure, she was
put on 100% oxygen then
finally vented.
She now has ARDS.
posted 2/12/2008 |
Barbara Hatfield
hatfield225@sbcglobal.net
My stepmother is in the
ICU with a trach and
vent, plus a PEG/feeding
tube. The doctors are at
a loss to explain why
ARDS has attacked her.
She was diagnosed with a
light case of pneumonia
in late December and was
on antibiotics. She was
experiencing shortness
of breath and visited
her family practitioner
who admitted her to the
hospital on January 14.
Her condition has
deteriorated to the
point where she is now,
three weeks later. I
would like to
communicate with those
who currently have or
recently have had a
loved one in crisis.
posted 2/4/2008 |
Chris Lamb
clamb@admin.clio.k12.mi.us
My dad went in for two
bypasses of his heart.
He pulled through fine,
then days later couldn't
breathe. We are on day
40 since surgery. He has
a trach for ventilation.
He has lost all muscle
strength. He was
paralyzed and sedated
but now he is just
sedated. His CT scan
showed a "white out." We
are in such turmoil. One
day he is doing well,
then the next, his stats
are up/down. It is so
difficult to keep the
hope and faith.
posted 12/28/2007 |
Susie Kayser
kayserthree@yahoo.com
My husband worked for a
co-op as a grain
specialist. He was
attempting to harness up
to load a rail car and
fell 15 feet onto the
rail. The doctor says it
was like falling 3
stories. He broke his
back and will never walk
again. If that is not
devastating enough, he
also bounced onto his
chest and broke 8 ribs
on the left side. They
had to remove 1 and a
1/2 ribs on the right
side. He broke and
displaced 7 ribs,
punctured a lung, and
had 2 chest tubes in due
to air pockets in the
chest from his fall.
This led to pneumonia.
The chest injury was so
devastating he now has
ARDS.
posted 12/17/2007 |
Diane Uda
fitmodel@aol.com
My brother-in-law
contracted bacteria
pneumonia. After being
admitted to the
hospital, he quickly
became an ARDS patient.
We are currently in
experimental drug
therapy on a ventilator
in a drug induced coma
on a bed that turns 180
degrees. Is there
anything else we can be
doing to get his lungs
to breathe on their own?
Has anyone used a ECMO
machine?
posted 11/29/2007 |
Tina
canuckgurl10_1@hotmail.com
My dad was brought to
the hospital with
stomach pains. It turned
out to me a perforated
ulcer of the duodenum.
He went into surgery 2
days later. He was
intubated, then
extubated, then
re-intubated. He has
since been diagnosed
with ARDS, he had a
heart attack and they
are concerned with a
battery of other things
since he is diabetic and
has hypertension. Does
being diabetic hinder
any sort of recovery?
What kind of questions
should I ask his doctor?
My dad has been
chemically comatose
since his ordeal has
started. I need some
help.
posted 11/18/2007 |
Lisa
thesketchpadink@aol.com
My mother was diagnosed
with metastatic breast
cancer on October 9,
2007. On October 29th,
she had VATS and was put
on a ventilator within
48 hours. On November
6th, we were told she
has ARDS. I am just
trying to find out as
much as possible and
maybe find someone who
knows what questions to
ask and what to be
prepared for.
posted 11/6/2007 |
Carol Smith
carolsmiths@yahoo.com
My 81 year old father is
in his second week in
the ICU, and is
currently on Peep. He
has not had invasive
ventilation, but it is a
standing order in the
event his oxygen sats
drop again. A week ago
he was returned to nasal
oxygen tubes, but has
regressed to this point.
Morphine, prednisone,
blood thinners, and
insulin are being used
for his treatment. He
has mental confusion and
unbelievable physical
weakness. He still has
pneumonia after 3 weeks
of IV antibiotics, which
was the original
illness. My mother died
6 years ago, and he
married a childhood
friend 1 1/2 years ago.
He has big plans for
them.
posted 10/25/2007 |
Martina Spears
martina.spears@insightbb.com
My mother recently
underwent surgery to
remove cancer from her
upper left lobe of her
lung. The surgery was a
success and she came
through it like a champ.
Seven days after
surgery, she was
released to rehab, which
was on a Thursday.
Friday, right before
lunch, I stopped in to
see her. She was
excited, she had just
had a shower and
couldn't wait to get to
the dining hall for
lunch. Less than four
hours later, she was
sobbing on her bed
complaining of trouble
breathing. I soothed
her, checked on her
oxygen and told her to
just stay calm and
breathe. She settled
down to sleep, so I
left. A few short hours
later, we were notified
that mother had been
transported back to the
hospital with low oxygen
stats. Thus the battle
began. Quickly mom had
to be ventilated and
none of us knew. On
Saturday morning we were
informed that she had
been transferred to ICU
and was on a ventilator.
It is now Tuesday. I
talked to the lung
doctor and her
infectious disease
doctors this morning and
they pulled out the
acronym ARDS. Of course
I came running home to
figure just exactly what
it is. And we are now
taking it one day at a
time and still trying to
figure out what exactly
caused the trauma or
illness that has mom by
the tail. Hopefully in
48 to 72 hours we will
have the preliminary
results of a scope they
did yesterday.
posted 10/2/2007 |
Calvin Walker
calvin@walkersecurity.org
My wife is Cathy Walker.
She was diagnosed with
malignant melanoma in
November, 2006. In
January, 2007, all the
cancer removed and she
started Interferon
treatments. This is a
very toxic drug that
kills the immune system
but is supposed to give
an additional 2 to 3
years before cancer
returns. Following is a
short rundown of where
she is today:
August 1st: took Cathy
to doctor she was having
pain in her chest when
ever she took a breath.
He sent her to the
hospital with a mild
case of pneumonia.
August 3rd: Moved to
intermediate care unit
and put on a positive
pressure air mask.
August 4th: Moved to
critical care unit, put
on a respirator and I
was told she hade very
little chance of living
out the night.
August 5th: Bay Area
Hospital has done all
they could do for her.
She was airlifted to
University Hospital ICU
who diagnosed her with
ARDS. She has been given
very little chance of
survival.
August 12th: It has been
a week long
rollercoaster ride.
Cathy is showing some
signs of improvement.
The doctors and nurses
are now saying "when"
she goes home instead of
"if." I'm also being
told to expect her to
remain in critical
condition in the ICU for
another 2 weeks and in
the hospital for
probably 3 months
barring any
complications!
(Interferon appears to
be directly related to
ARDS in this case.)
posted 8/13/2007 |
Joyce Kober
joykober@gmail.com
On June 27th, my husband
had laparoscopic gall
bladder surgery. He went
home after 2 nights in
the hospital; he
immediately returned
because he could not
breathe. They said he
had pneumonia in the
right lung, gave him an
IV for 5 days and sent
him home. Five days
later, he was back in
intensive care; by now
the left lung was so
infected it could not be
seen. We live in Costa
Rica and only came to
Pennsylvania to see his
kids and grandkids. They
think he aspirated
during the gall surgery.
He will get a trach next
Tuesday. He is totally
sedated; he has had 6
surgeries including a
bypass and prostrate
cancer in the last 5
years. This far
surpasses any of them.
My friends call and
email, but I am totally
alone with him and God.
I know the only true
thing that will work is
prayers.
posted 8/4/2007 |
Rene
r_dunfee@sbcglobal.net
My mother-in-law went in
for gastric bypass
surgery on June 20. She
was supposed to be in
the hospital after
surgery for 2-3 days,
but was having
complications. The
surgeon believed that
she had a leak in her
intestine and took her
back in for a 4 hour
long surgery to find and
repair the leak. After
she came out of the
surgery, they put her on
a respirator. They said
she should be off it in
a couple days. She
started having trouble
getting off of it and
they did some tests.
They found that she had
an infection, but they
are not sure exactly
where. They also found
that she has ARDS. They
tried to put a trach in
today because she has
been on the respirator
for 2 weeks, but she was
not stable enough for
the trach. We are all
very worried and praying
a lot.
posted 7/6/2007 |
April and Steve
benenatism@comcast.net
Our daughter Pollyanna was eating a snack
at 9pm, and her mother
and I went to bed. I
awoke at 1am to find her
on the floor of the
kitchen laying on her
back, unconscious and
barely breathing. I
called 911, and they
were here in minutes.
She aspirated, while
unconscious from a
mixture of drugs and
alcohol. We're not too
sure what happened. She
has been in ICU on a
ventilator since June
17, 2007. She has been
on 100% oxygen, but the
last few days, the
doctor gave her steroids
and her oxygen assist is
now down to 65%. This is
good. We are taking it
hard and need support
from you.
posted 7/6/2007 |
Jennifer Burns
jjburns66@hotmail.com
My daughter Colleen flew
from Milwaukee to
California to visit her
father on Monday June
11. On the morning of
June 14, I got a frantic
call from her stepmother
that they had been
unable to wake Colleen
that morning and that
she had vomited in her
bed. They called 911 and
she was taken to North
Bay Medical Center in
Fairfield, where she was
originally treated for
aspiration pneumonia,
but moved to John Muir
on June 16 when it was
clear that ARDS had
developed. As of June
29, she remains in ICU,
on a vent and heavily
sedated.
Her status changes from
day to day and hour to
hour. I flew out right
away, stayed 8 days,
went home for 3 days and
came back because she
was crashing. She is
still with us making
baby steps of progress,
but in worse shape than
last week.
posted 6/29/2007 |
Allison
allisonj76@yahoo.com
My brother Jon's
situation is a little
difficult to describe.
Basically he was
misdiagnosed by his
primary doctor, and
subsequently has
developed ARDS as a
result of a rare
life-threatening form of
a fungal infection
called blastomycosis. He
is currently undergoing
treatment at
Northwestern Memorial
Hospital and is in their
ICU. He has been there
about 9 days. He was
flown there after the
doctors at our area
hospital had exhausted
their options. Our
family is devastated and
we would like to get
involved with any
support groups that may
be able to help us
through this difficult
time.
posted 6/20/2007 |
Carol Robinson
crobb1120@comcast.net
My daughter has been in
the ICU, heavily
sedated, since May 11,
2007. Her diagnosis is
constrictive
bronchiolitis. My
husband and I are living
in a nightmare. They
have put her in a
rotoprone bed. She is
improving.
posted 6/14/2007 |
Connie Graham
cgraham103@aol.com
My husband Roy was
diagnosed with cancer in
the beginning of April
and started his chemo
treatment in mid-April.
He had been through 2
cycles of the chemo
getting 3 drugs
Etoposide, Cisplatin and
Bleomycin. He got a
treatment of Bleomycin
on Tuesday, May 29, 3
weeks ago today. By
Thursday he had
shortness of breath and
as he also has
cardiomypathy. We took
him to the emergency
room. They diagnosed
pneumonia and admitted
him and started
antibiotics. By the
following week, he still
had not improved so the
did a scope of his lungs
and took samples to
test. The next day, May
31st, they started him
on steroids. By
Saturday, he was in
intensive care and on a
breathing machine. By
Wednesday of last week,
he was really struggling
to breathe and was put
on the ventilator. They
have him on a rotoprone
bed and are giving him
65% oxygen down from
100% from when they put
him on the ventilator.
Yesterday they put
breathing tubes in each
lung because air was
starting to leak into
his chest and they were
afraid he would not
survive a collapsed
lung. The doctors have
decided the most
probable cause of the
lung injuries was the
Bleomycin. There has
been no improvement in
the chest x-rays so far.
They found no sign of
infection. His heart is
doing well and all his
other body systems are
good. He was conscious
and understood what was
going on when they put
him on the ventilator. I
know he is getting good
care and there is not
much that I can do for
him at this time. I know
we are in for a very
long hard time and hope
to just get myself
through so that when he
comes home I can take
care of him.
posted 6/12/2007 |
Greg
oligodude@verizon.net
My mother is currently
in a hospital in LA. She
developed ARDS or a
similar condition after
her initial
hospitalization for
unrelated heart
problems. After
progressing from CCU (on
a ventilator around 2
weeks) to cardiac rehab,
she apparently aspirated
on some vomit and had to
re-enter ICU care. Her
overall medical issues
are resolved, but she
has been back on the
ventilator (now via
tracheotomy) for about 3
weeks, and apparently
will require extended
pulmonary rehab to try
to wean her off. We are
considering transporting
her back home to CT for
this phase of
recuperation. My
question is: Does anyone
have advice on
appropriate facilities
in CT to handle my
mother's care for this
upcoming phase of
treatment, or know of a
resource to help gather
this information?
posted 6/11/2007 |
Deanna
jessndee@cox.net
My
father walked himself
into the hospital on a
Monday and was put on a
vent by Tuesday (a week
ago today). I live in
Arizona and was able to
fly to California for
the weekend, but I was
devastated when I
realized this is a ride
I can be on for a while.
My reality is that I
cannot afford to stay
there for 3-4 weeks.
Leaving was the hardest
thing to do. It is a 12
hour drive for me and a
2 hour flight. I want to
be there as much as I
can, and it hurts to
know I have to leave
him. We do have other
family there, but they
do not spend the time
with him I would like.
posted 5/1/2007 |
Stacy
stacysteely@yahoo.com
My dear friend and
mentor has reached the
point where she can no
longer live on her own.
ARDS, scleroderma and a
multitude of other
issues have her
constantly hospitalized
or in need of friends
and family to be with
her. How do we tell her
it is time for something
more permanent where she
will have constant care?
And where might that be?
posted 4/22/2007 |
Heather Blevins
honeybee0820@yahoo.com
My Aunt Jane has
been sick for some time
and when she was
admitted to the
hospital, I thought she
was finally going to get
the help she needed. She
was admitted with
dehydration, but with
every treatment came a
new diagnosis. Soon, she
was sent to ICU to be
more closely monitored.
She remained in ICU for
some time, and they were
trying to regulate her
blood pressure. She was
soon diagnosed with ARDS
brought on by pneumonia.
The ventilator followed
closely behind. She has
been off the ventilator
once, but she got worse
quickly and is now back
on the ventilator for O2
assistance. My family is
discussing the
possibility of a
tracheotomy. I'm a nurse
myself and even I'm
scared of the outlook.
posted 4/9/2007 |
Alicia Sauer
asauer@surfect.com
My husband had heart
surgery (aortic valve
replacement) on January
31, 2007. The right side
of his heart was fine
prior to surgery. After
Byron had his heart
surgery at 7:30 am, I
was unable to speak to
my husband coherently
until Saturday, February
17th. My husband
remained in an induced
coma and suffered liver
and kidney failure, with
the doctors racing to
figure out how to spare
his life. On February
4th, the liver enzymes
finally started
declining from 5K to the
1500's; he remained on
dialysis for another
week and then his
kidneys kicked back in.
The doctors never told
me he was suffering from
ARDS, but after reading
the web site, they
followed the treatment
plan to a T with
Ventilators and the
Treatment of ARDS. My
husband went into a
second surgery on Friday
night (Feb 16th) for a
trach and a feeding tube
and to also re-wire the
sternum, which had come
apart during induced
coma as my husband
fought the ventilator
for 16 days. He now is
recovering at home on a
wound vac for his chest
and suffering from PTSD
from everything that
occurred in the Cardiac
Unit. We were not told
if the reason was septic
or trauma from the heart
surgery. We are stressed
and have no answers,
nevertheless grateful
that my husband survived
the terrible odds. We
have a long way to go
and need some support.
Thank you.
posted 4/6/2007 |
Rosie Santiago
777500@hanger.com
My husband had lung
cancer for the second
time in six years. After
the first surgery, he
was out of the hospital
in 4 days; this time he
had post op
complications, one after
another. A pulmonary
artery was cut and
stitched, During
recover, my husband was
waking up and started
coughing. As they were
taking out the tube from
his mouth, they opened
up that stitch. He then
was rushed for a second
surgery to repair that
artery. After that, he
had some type of
allergic reaction and
his vitals were going
crazy. We almost lost
him again for the second
time that day, which was
March 5, 2007. On
Tuesday, he woke up
feeling fine. By
Wednesday, he had a
fever and that evening
he started having
trouble breathing. After
that, it was going down
hill. By Sunday they
said he may have ARDS,
and that's where we are
now. After four weeks,
there have been many ups
and downs with fevers
and chest tubes and a
trachea. I feel lost
with out him. He does
not know who I am, but
shakes his head yes and
no with memories of the
kids. He smiled for me
the other day and that
melted my heart, but the
days that he can not
reply just hurt so much.
The doctors really did
not say much of what
ARDS is, but I looked it
up and really understand
a little more of what is
going on with him. I
just don't know how long
will he be confused. Is
this normal for someone
with ARDS to be so
confused for this long?
Three weeks and not much
of improvement. But
nothing else is going
wrong so I thank God for
that.
posted 4/3/2007 |
Lori Duvall
glasgowduvall1@aol.com
My mother has ARDS and
this is so hard! She had
surgery for a bowel
blockage on March 19,
2007. When she came out,
she was OK, except in a
great pain. Then
everything went downhill
on March 21st when the
doctors talked to us
about a staph infection.
Then they told us she
has blood poisoning in
her blood system, urine
and lungs. They told us
that a breathing mask
would help, but she was
breathing too fast, so
they recommended a
breathing machine. She
has had a port located
in her chest for the
past 8 years. The
doctors have always had
trouble getting blood
out of her for testing
in the past, so this
would benefit her for an
emergency if it ever
came up. The surgeon, my
mother's angel, tested
the port and it was very
infected! She removed it
and took a biopsy, and
they determined that is
how she was infected
with ARDS. She is
sedated and just lies
there like she is in a
coma. She was in Barren
County Hospital in our
home town, and in and
out of the hospital for
3 weeks. She was told
she had pneumonia, and
she was vomiting bile
from her body. She was
so weak that she could
barley walk. The doctors
down here said she was
not in critical
condition. I called Dr.
Glendiac in Louisville
and told her nurse about
her situation. She said
to transfer her here and
keep the IV's in her.
The doctors here said
that she was not
critical enough to take
her by ambulance, so my
brother and I took her
by car. Dr, Glendiac
said she couldn't read
the x-rays at all, and
said If she had stayed
any longer she would
have died. So they did
the surgery and that's
all good now. It's the
ARDS and blood poisoning
in her body that the
doctors are worried
about. They are all
focused on the lungs
right now. Please pray
for us! My father has
been up there, and has
been so sick and tired,
and my brother and aunt
have stayed up there as
well. I have my son
Joseph, and he has
school, so I have to
take care of him, but I
will make it up there
tomorrow. Our church,
and family and friends,
are praying for her
recovery.
posted 3/26/2007 |
Colleen
denmimah@aol.com
My good friend of 37
years went in to have
gastric bypass surgery.
She came home the very
next day. The second day
she was home, she was in
severe abdominal pain.
Ann called another
friend of hers, who is a
nurse, and asked, "What
does a heart attack feel
like?" Her answer was
"Call 911". They did,
and she was taken by
ambulance to the
hospital, and they were
told she just had
gastric surgery. They
gave her charcoal
amounts for a regular
stomach. They thought
she had overdosed on the
pain medication. Ann
threw up, since that's
what charcoal makes you
do. Ann aspirated and is
now in the ICU with
ARDS. The pain was from
a hernia. They operated
on her for that too. She
was on the vent, and now
she has a trach. She has
also been on the
rotoprone bed. They
found an abscess in her
stomach and drained
that. Now they are doing
CAT scans, and they know
she has another
infection somewhere
else. It is up and down.
This started on March 2,
2007, and now it's March
21st. She was in a coma,
and now she is sedated
and doesn't even move. I
can only leave this in
God's hands.
posted 3/21/2007 |
Sharon Chagnon
sharchag@adelphia.net
My daughter had the
flu for a week or so,
and when she finally
went to the doctor, she
couldn't speak at all.
She was diagnosed with
laryngitis. The doctor
put her on antibiotics
and sent her home. That
was on a Tuesday. On
Friday morning, she was
life flighted to the
hospital. She is now on
life support with 9
different IV's in her
neck and arms. Every day
something new appears,
and it is not good news.
She has blood clots in
her legs and lung along
with those collapsing.
Now she has 5 chest
tubes in her, a fever of
103 for a week now and
her body is swollen and
bruised. I am taking
care of her daughter (my
granddaughter) until she
gets home. She has been
in the hospital a little
over a month now.
Basically it's one step
forward and 5 steps
back. I have this guilty
feeling leaving her
there in the hospital
and me back at home,
which is about a 2 hour
drive.
posted 3/14/2007 |
Tanya
tkutenics@telus.net
My Dad had the lower
lobe of his right lung
removed on the 28th of
February. He developed a
massive blood clot after
3 days and was intubated
with a ventilator for
about 24 hours. He
showed slight
improvement over the
next couple of days
until Monday, March 5th.
He was once again put on
the ventilator to help
him breathe. The doctor
phoned this morning
(Thursday, March 8th)
and informed us that Dad
has ARDS. We are soooo
scared!!! Both lungs are
involved, his better
(left) lung being the
worst. This web site has
given us the first
information on this
terribly frightening
condition. He is
currently on 40% oxygen,
and PEEP??? The doctors
are giving him steroids
and antibiotics. Dad is
awake and aware of
everything that is going
on. I can't imagine how
frightened he is. I
write this looking for
support, answers, and
comfort. Please reply!
posted 3/9/2007 |
Thigee Pather
thigee@aapt.net.au
My father-in-law
went into the hospital
on November 8, 2006 for
a simple hernia
operation. However, due
to complications arising
from the operation, he
ended up with
septicemia. It is now
nearly 4 months later
and this week he
developed ARDS. The
doctors first thought
that it was heart
failure, but have since
ruled that out. He is on
a machine providing him
with oxygen and today it
was decided that
palliative treatment
will be given and there
seems to be no hope of
him recovering. He is
now on morphine and
other drugs to make him
comfortable.
posted 3/7/2007 |
|
Myra Adriano
nars2k@yahoo.com
Hi,
I'm Myra. My 4 year-old
daughter Iyana was
diagnosed with ARDS just
yesterday. She is our
only daughter, and my
husband Larry is at the
bedside with her now.
She is on a paralytic
agent for the
oscillator, and other
medications to support
her vital signs. We
almost lost her
yesterday, but now she
is stable and they are
slowly titrating the
meds she is on.
posted 3/3/2007 |
|
Nicolas Hoots
nic_hoots@earthlink.net
My 4 year-old daughter
went to the hospital
with upper airway
problems, and they
thought it was croup.
They gave her breathing
treatments and steroids
and it didn't help. She
stopped breathing and
was revived, and then
she vomited. She
aspirated her vomit and
was then rushed by
helicopter to the
nearest Children's
hospital. Now she is on
her third ventilator,
really an oscillator, 3
chest tubes, 7
medications, has a hole
in the lung, and tubes
in both nostrils. Her
cO2 level keeps
elevating and they can't
seem to get it down, her
pH level is below 7.2,
and her oxization is
only 85%. Her settings
on the oscillator are at
the highest setting for
her and nothing seems to
be helping.
posted 2/25/2007 |
|
Anthoni
ahmore1@yahoo.com
I'm not sure if my mom
has ARDS, but she has
bronchitis, a fib,
osteoporosis, hiatal
hernia, and she is only
58! I am the oldest son,
and my mom has been in
the ICU for 3 weeks now.
She was in one hospital,
where she had been
intubated, and then sent
to a nursing home, and
then to another
hospital, where she was
re-intubated again. Her
O2 level had been
dropping and that's why
she was placed on the
vent. She had a
tracheotomy and is on 30
percent O2 on the
pressure machine. I am
very confused. My mom is
also heavily sedated and
really red and swollen.
I call and try to go
every day, but they all
said she is the same.
her PCP and lung doctor
say she is stuck. I miss
my mom and the guilt of
my behavior is driving
me crazy. Can anyone
tell me how easy is it
to be weaned off a
respirator with a
tracheotomy? She is on
insulin, feeding tube,
the trach, all kinds of
antibiotics, and her
labs haven't really
changed. Doctors don't
know if she is too tired
to try to recover of if
her bronchitis has
gotten worse. Please
help and keep her in
your prayers. I'm
turning to alcohol for
relief because I feel
consumed. My family here
in the US and in
Colombia is praying!
posted 2/24/2007 |
|
Dale Swanzer
dale.swanzer@thrivent.com
My brother was in an
accident a little over a
week ago that broke the
upper and lower part of
his leg. He underwent
surgery for the upper
portion of his leg on
2/16/2007. Later that
evening he became ill
with a low BP reading,
fever and low oxygen; on
Saturday morning he was
placed into the
intensive care unit. He
has been sedated and is
on a ventilator. At this
time we are not seeing
much progress. The
number is on the machine
is at 70 and his oxygen
level is at between
89-92. They lowered the
oxygen level that they
are giving him to 55
yesterday but now they
increased it back up to
70. I have come to
believe that this is
going to take a very
long time and was
wondering if anyone can
give me some insight on
what to expect in the
coming days.
posted 2/23/2007 |
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Susan Streight
suzyk8855@sbcglobal.net
My friend, Jackie, fell
and broke her hip in
November, 2006. The next
day she developed a
fatty embolus that
located itself in her
left lung. All this led
to ARDS. She got over
the first bout in
December, and was doing
much better until a
month ago, when the ARDS
came back in force. Now
both lungs are involved.
She has been on a
ventilator for over 3
months now. Now there is
talk that there may or
may not be brain damage.
Her husband is about to
have a nervous breakdown
from the ups and downs
she has encountered.
Please, if anyone can
help me help her family
in understanding and
continuing to keep hope.
posted 2/20/2007 |
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Darryl Bush
darrylpix@sbcglobal.net
Dion hasn't been given a
diagnosis. The patient
has severe respiratory
difficulty, and is on a
respirator. The lungs
are stiffening, and the
patient is taking
steroids and
antibiotics. The doctors
offer little help and
say they're doing all
they can. The patient
had a recent staph
infection, but the
hospital says it isn't
related.
posted 1/20/2007 |
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Jason Harrison
j.harrison@picoworld.com
My mother was in an
accident three weeks ago
and had injuries to her
lungs, ribs, and liver.
Her right lung was
slightly bleeding but
was repaired internally.
Her liver had a grade 4
laceration but healed on
its own shortly after
the accident. Mom was
awake and talking to the
doctors when she was
brought to the hospital.
She is on a respirator
and was given sedation
and paralytic drugs to
keep her stable. She
developed pneumonia as
well. The pneumonia has
been cured with
antibiotics and she is
no longer on the
paralytic or sedation
medication. She still
has a central line IV
giving her antibiotics.
She is only given pain
medication as needed.
The main issue is that
she still requires the
respirator and she is
not as responsive as the
doctors would like. She
has her eyes open and
can open and close her
mouth and will
occasionally try to move
her head and eyes toward
the person who is
talking to her. She has
not moved any other body
part and seems
paralyzed. A few days
before they gave her the
paralytic medication,
she was able to move her
arms and head and seemed
more responsive. The
doctors have done a CAT
scan and it didn't show
any signs of a stroke.
All blood flowing to her
brain is unobstructed.
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