“Rest” OX/HR Alarm Chapter 168

The DC VA hospital ALS clinic just changed the game and Veterans with ALS (VALS) can sleep safer now.

After being on my ventilator for over 3 years now, I can't believe I'm writing this! When I first came home with the ventilator, we had an emergency where the trachea clogged and I turned blue. The settings on the vent were also wrong, so the alarm didn't sound. On top of that, my eye gaze died so I had no way to communicate that I was in trouble. Double whammy. BAMM!

We got the vent settings adjusted appropriately, but another time the vent showed a "Service Needed” alarm. Since I was breathing fine, we did what we all do when the check engine light goes on - we ignored it . After the alarm went off for the third time the same night, though, we called the service number. When the technician showed up at 1a.m.,  the first thing she said was, "where is your backup vent?” 😱 Now we have two.

When I was having constipation issues, my heart would spike to over 150 and my O2 would drop. The only way Laura would know something was wrong was when I told her, or by the sound of my breathing.  This means Laura wasn't sleeping well because she's always listening to me breathe. And sure enough, eventually I was having another “shit fit” when my eye gaze died again. BAMM!

We had no way to tell when I was having a shit attack because we didn’t have an OX or HR alarm at home. Laura called the VA and explained our situation, and we were sent a portable alarm that clamps to my finger. Now with the new alarm, we both sleep better at night because we know we'll be notified if there is a problem.

So how does the VA ALS clinic help you ask? After using us as a case study, the clinic decided every VALS with a trach will be issued an OX/HR alarm. Laura says that she sleeps better because she doesn’t need to sleep with her ears open..

Love and Blessings

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