Talk to a Respiratory Therapist Who Knows?

    • Anonymous
      April 21, 2007 at 5:38 pm

      Hi folks.

      It’s been awhile since I have been able to post, and it’s good to be back.

      I have been a Respiratory Therapist for almost twenty years, and have suffered through two bouts of GBS. Both were slow onset lasting over a year. The last incident left me laid up for almost two years. I still have residual (and bizzare) symptoms.

      My question to you folks is “How was the care you received from your RT?” and I’m also here to answer any questions you might have for me.

      As of today, I am back at work, specializing in neonates and pediatrics. They don’t mind if I hobble 😉

      Bless you all.

    • Anonymous
      April 21, 2007 at 7:43 pm

      Good question and welcome 🙂 I was never given appropriate care for the GBS (obviously didn’t need a vent) but 5 months later I presented with “BOOP” ~ that horrible lung disease. No one knows how I survived but I had the best pulmonologist in the country (my opinion:) ) and the respiratory group took special interest in my case (no one had seen this disease before). It took 7 1/2yrs. of steroids, other suppressants, and “stuff” to save my life. If it wasn’t for the amazing “sticktuitive” care of “the Group”, I couldn’t have survived. They are my heros!!!

      What a thrill that you are able to be back at work. I’m just happy to be alive and to be able to hold the grandkids (I was still to weak just 3+ years ago).

Talk to a Respiratory Therapist Who Knows?

    • Anonymous
      April 21, 2007 at 5:35 pm

      Hi folks.

      It’s been awhile since I have been able to post, and it’s good to be back.

      I have been a Respiratory Therapist for almost twenty years, and have suffered through two bouts of GBS. Both were slow onset lasting over a year. The last incident left me laid up for almost two years. I still have residual (and bizzare) symptoms.

      My question to you folks is “How was the care you received from your RT?” and I’m also here to answer any questions you might have for me.

      As of today, I am back at work, specializing in neonates and pediatrics. They don’t mind if I hobble 😉

      Bless you all.

    • Anonymous
      April 21, 2007 at 9:44 pm

      What exactly is a respiratory therapist? Pardon my ignorance, I am in Australia and we somethimes do things a little different down here! I know there have been a few people enquiring about weaning long term vent patients so maybe you will be able to give them some specific advice if that is the kind of thing you are involved in (or at least know more than the rest of us)

    • Anonymous
      April 22, 2007 at 8:18 am

      Hi Randy

      Sorry to hear you’ve had two bouts, one is bad enough. Good to hear you’re back at work.

      I had an excellent team of respiratory therapists who worked on me twice daily while I was in ICU. I got to know them really well and we had an excellent rapport. They always communicated with me and treated me like a person, not an object. If need be, they even stood up to the Doc’s and Nurses if they felt my needs weren’t being met and also educated the Nurses on how to lift me, roll me, handle me in general because I had really bad neuro-pain. I can’t thank them enough for what they did for me. I think I was doubly fortunate that one of the girls was very experienced with GBS so she had a plan in place from day one and I was monitored very closely my whole time I was in hospital. I must say I did not know physiotherapy involved your chest area, probably like many other people I thought they worked on sore muscles and bad backs etc so I’ve learnt something new that I wasn’t aware of.

      Thanks for offering your services, I might have some Q’s down the track. Keep 🙂

    • Anonymous
      April 22, 2007 at 11:32 am

      Hi Randy. I had Miller Fisher and never went on the vent but it seems as if my ability to breathe was checked hourly. The problem was that my face was limp and my hands didn’t work. Creating a seal around the tube was nearly impossable so they could not get a accurate reading. The RT were great but my inability to be of help always seemed to come as a suprise to them. It left me feeling that my condition was unimportant to them and they were just filling in there 8 hours. You have to remember that I was crazy at the time.

      Jim

    • Anonymous
      April 22, 2007 at 1:52 pm

      While I was hospitalized my RT’s were great. They did breathing paremeters every 8 hours to make sure I didn’t need a vent. When the numbers weren’t so good they helped reposition me and pulled out the incentive spirometer and told me to get busy! My best experience was when one of my RT’s came in one night and I was in intense pain and she gave me a back massage that felt like heaven! They were a great part of the team.

    • Anonymous
      April 23, 2007 at 2:55 pm

      My RTs were great also. I had facial paralysis and couldnt get a good seal around the tube either and I also had a biopsy of the lip to rule out sjogrens disease. My main RTs were great about that and did the tests taht they could and were also patient with me when I got really dizzy after doing the tests. I had one fill-in person who didnt have a clue how to handle a person like me that couldnt get a seal. They didnt even know anything about that special rubber piece that they add on to the end of the tube to help with the seal. My normal RTs though helped hold it on my face though since I couldnt do that, which was nice.

      I guess the one thing that I would say its important for RTs is to know how to handle a person with facial paralysis so they can get somewhat of a seal to do the tests a bit anyways. I know I didnt get good readings at that time but they were able to take into consideration how much air was escaping along with what my reading showed to determine if everything was ok or not. If all of the RTs new that, that would be great… but the fact is they dont.

    • Anonymous
      April 23, 2007 at 3:36 pm

      GBS started feb of 2006 with Miller Fisher, was on vent for 2 weeks. RT’s were great, very understanding and helpful. Went home April of 2006 doing fine.