xixippy
01-31-2008, 03:32 PM
Hi,
I am a new member and I am desparate for information. My daughter, who is 36 and developmentally disabled, had a trach tube put in on Nov. 28, 2007. It was supposed to be temporary but it looks now like it will be long term. Until Nov. 13th, she was physically doing okay except that she kept getting kidney stones and she did have some oxygen level concerns although at that time she was without oxygen, etc. She has lived at home previous to all of this. Anyway, she needed surgery and I told them she would probably have trouble getting off the breating tube as we had already expierenced that in March of 2007. Well, they couldn't remove the tube and 2 weeks later they gave her a trach. She was moved to a convalescent hosp in early Dec.. She just had an appointment with the Lung Specialist who informed us that he feels it is necessary to leave the tube in in case she needs surgery again in the near future. She is extremely depressed. She wants to come home and of course that is what I want too but we are so unfamiliar with the tube that we don't know what to do. On Feb. 5 they are going to downsize her tube to a small tube, flush with the neck. If anyone has experience with this size of tube, I need to know if she will still need to be suctioned as often (currently a couple times a day). I want to bring her home but I need to work everyday and I am about 30 miles from home so she will basically be alone. Can she suction herself? We are not rich, she has Medi-Cal coverage and is on SSI. So we can't really afford for any in home help. Please let me know what to expect. The nursing home is depressing, scary, etc. I need to get her out of there.::confused:
I am a new member and I am desparate for information. My daughter, who is 36 and developmentally disabled, had a trach tube put in on Nov. 28, 2007. It was supposed to be temporary but it looks now like it will be long term. Until Nov. 13th, she was physically doing okay except that she kept getting kidney stones and she did have some oxygen level concerns although at that time she was without oxygen, etc. She has lived at home previous to all of this. Anyway, she needed surgery and I told them she would probably have trouble getting off the breating tube as we had already expierenced that in March of 2007. Well, they couldn't remove the tube and 2 weeks later they gave her a trach. She was moved to a convalescent hosp in early Dec.. She just had an appointment with the Lung Specialist who informed us that he feels it is necessary to leave the tube in in case she needs surgery again in the near future. She is extremely depressed. She wants to come home and of course that is what I want too but we are so unfamiliar with the tube that we don't know what to do. On Feb. 5 they are going to downsize her tube to a small tube, flush with the neck. If anyone has experience with this size of tube, I need to know if she will still need to be suctioned as often (currently a couple times a day). I want to bring her home but I need to work everyday and I am about 30 miles from home so she will basically be alone. Can she suction herself? We are not rich, she has Medi-Cal coverage and is on SSI. So we can't really afford for any in home help. Please let me know what to expect. The nursing home is depressing, scary, etc. I need to get her out of there.::confused: