04.03.2006
02:45 PM - 06:15 PM EDT
ALSchat / LivingwithALS

dannyd -- {welcome dannyd}
dannyd -- Be back in a little while
mr.-edwards -- {welcome mr.-edwards}
mr.-edwards -- And I thought "I" was late!!!!!!
veronica_t -- {welcome veronica_t}
mr.-edwards -- hello veronica.
mr.-edwards -- how are you today, veronica
veronica_t -- pretty ok!
mr.-edwards -- I think this time change has everyone going different ways today.
veronica_t -- true, haven't seem to have caught up on sleep yet.
mr.-edwards -- I don't believe I know what state you are in.
veronica_t -- michigan
mr.-edwards -- How is the weather and what part of Mi?
veronica_t -- rainy, but, nice.
veronica_t -- between lansing and flint
mr.-edwards -- I finished my masters at UM.
dannyd -- Hi folks I'm back
veronica_t -- I go to the u of m clinic, super nice there
mr.-edwards -- greetings danny.
veronica_t -- {goodbye veronica_t}
mr.-edwards -- Are you still here, Danny???
dannyd -- I'm here
mr.-edwards -- What's happening with everyone today?
dannyd -- I don't know where everybody is
dannyd -- Nobody logged on yesterday
mr.-edwards -- I could not get in to the chat and neither could db.
dannyd -- It wouldn't let you log in?
mr.-edwards -- No; I tried off and on for 2 hours and db tried for an hour and it just would not work!!!!!!1
dannyd -- Can you tell me what happened when you tried?
dannyd -- I'll email Penny at MDA and find out why
mr.-edwards -- The screen showed that the page was not available or something to that affect; adjust browser or maybe having technical difficulties.
catsman -- {welcome catsman}
mr.-edwards -- I thought it had something to do with the time change Hello Brian.
dannyd -- Hi Brian
catsman -- Hey, Bill
catsman -- Danny, what up?
catsman -- Life still beating you up, Bill?
mr.-edwards -- Please, let's not get into that. But now that you mention it, I had to move into another apartment last Wednesday; major sewer break; all of the tenants in that building have to move out!!!
catsman -- Man, you're gettin' beat up regularly
mr.-edwards -- But I still have some muscle to fight back; not much.
catsman -- Any muscle is good
catsman -- Danny, what do you know of breath stacking & breathing exercises?
dannyd -- Breath stacking is a way to deeply expand your lungs to prevent mucus and collapse of the lower lung airway
dannyd -- They usually do them in groups of 3
pigiron308 -- {welcome pigiron308}
pigiron308 -- hi all
dannyd -- Hi Jim
catsman -- hmmmmm
mr.-edwards -- greetings from sunny Florida, Jim
catsman -- hi im
pigiron308 -- Sounds good E.
pigiron308 -- we are under a tornado watch until midnight
catsman -- lots of storms out y'alls way
pigiron308 -- yep
mr.-edwards -- Which one is worse; Tornado, hurricane, earthquakes, etc????
dannyd -- Depends on the strength of each
pigiron308 -- I can breath stack by plugging the exhaust on the vent-- lol
pigiron308 -- At max strength I would guess earthquakes
catsman -- does breath stacking help, pigiron?
catsman -- Hurricanes don't make it out my way often
catsman -- We have had minor earthquakes & lots of tornados here
pigiron308 -- I think so but I have to deflate the cuff or it creates a lot of pressure
catsman -- Maybe I should try it. How is it done? I'm not on vent
dannyd -- You have a BiPAP right?
pigiron308 -- feel like a balloon
catsman -- I do
dannyd -- Does it have a back up rate?
catsman -- I'm sure but not sure what it is?
dannyd -- In other words in gives a breath on it's own at timed intervals
catsman -- yes, if I don't breathe it will
pigiron308 -- do those have an exhaust port in the hose
catsman -- no exhaust on the hose
dannyd -- You can manually set the breathing rate
pigiron308 -- volume?
dannyd -- How about an exhaust on the mask?
catsman -- My RT does that for me
catsman -- yes on the mask
dannyd -- Do you have an RT come to the house?
catsman -- volume 10-8-10
catsman -- If I need him, he'll come out
dannyd -- You can put your finger over the exhaust and it will inflate your lungs deeply
pigiron308 -- If you can can increase the volume for a short period
pigiron308 -- I set my vent myself
catsman -- I suppose I'd have to relax for that to happen.
pigiron308 -- I do what is comfortable for md
pigiron308 -- me
pigiron308 -- I have volume a 1000 and 12 bpm
pigiron308 -- I started at 800 and 10 bpm
pigiron308 -- not getting enough 02 makes me tired
mr.-edwards -- I am going to sign off now; almost fin ished with my (book) be back later; I hope.
dannyd -- What happens when you close off the exhaust hole?
catsman -- I'm usually good most of the day but tired by nightfall
mr.-edwards -- {goodbye mr.-edwards}
pigiron308 -- bye E.
catsman -- the machine forces more air or trys to
catsman -- I usually resist
dannyd -- If you don't resist it will be very similar to stacked breathing
dannyd -- The bottom line is that you want air to get as deep as possible to help keep open the tiny little alveoli in the lower part of the lung
dannyd -- That is where oxygen and carbon dioxide are traded out and if the alveoli collapse or get mucus plugs you don't exchange well and you have the potential to get an infection
pigiron308 -- If I close the exhaust with the cuff up it balloons me until the high pressure setting shuts the air off
catsman -- I'll give it a try
dannyd -- Being on a vent is a little different in that there is a setting to allow for what is called PEEP
dannyd -- the helps keep your lower airway open
dannyd -- So there should really be no need to stacked breathing on a vent
pigiron308 -- I have a cap that slips over the exhaust - like the cap on liquid dish soap so I can adjust it
catsman -- gonna go guys, y'all have a great week
catsman -- {goodbye catsman}
dannyd -- take care Brian
pigiron308 -- my machine does not have PEEP
dannyd -- I wonder why?
pigiron308 -- with the cuff up all you need to do is increase the volume
pigiron308 -- never had a need for it
pigiron308 -- I believe it keeps it slows the exhaust
pigiron308 -- that is supposed to improve blood O2 by staying in the lungs longer
pigiron308 -- keeping the air in the lungs longer
pigiron308 -- my abg has always been good without it