please help

   Hello. I am in need of some advice. My Mom just had a triple bypass done on 8/21/07. well ever since the surgery she has been having trouble getting off of the ventilator. She has C.O.P.D and she also has bipolar disorder. I guess they are saying that every time she wakes up she is in a very agitated state. she is trying to pull stuff off and her blood pressure shoots up so they just keep re sedating her. She is down to 5 on peeps but they said that they had to increase her oxygen today. She does have bipolar and i know she is a very anxious person so i am sure she is having anxiety issues waking up with the tube.  ( I think) Just wondering if anxiety can cause low oxygen levels in the blood? cause they say they dunno if this is due respritory failure. or anxiety.? and also any advice on  what to due about her panicking? is this normal or could it be something else? she is on lithium and other stuff and she did not get her pills for almost 3 days cause she had no feeding tube, but does now. Sorry so long i just don't know what to do or think. oh and one other thing just wondering if it is better that one of her children are there when she is starting to wake up to calm her? some nurses are saying its better to stay away some are saying its up to us? i dunno what to do cause i don't wan't to upset her. but if she needs me there i would like to be there. thanks so much Lisa. has anybody ever experienced this situation after surgery

[Jack54]

I have searched for an hour and finally found a world of information. It is a lot to take in, but some important clues are plainly stated. I have been around a few relatives coming off of these ventilators, and they do struggle. Imagine feeling the tubes going to your lungs :(

I have felt this myself, and also kept on forgetting to breathe for awhile afterwards...

I really hope that your Mom gets back to normal soon,

Jack

http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/cgi/content/full/88/6/1272

[giggles3537]

Hi Jack thanks for the response. I was up there earlier tonight to visit her. we are just getting no answers.. They keep saying that she was lowered to 5 on her peeps but she was set to 60 on the ventilator last night  when she was at 50. Alot of the trouble is she is waking up so agitated  That her blood pressure went up to 253 tonight. she just keeps waking up like that struggling and they just keep sedating her cause they are concerned about her heart  and they keep saying that her lungs arent ready.... I am just really confused on how they are gonna get her off this ventilator if she keeps waking like this and they keep putting her under.

[giggles3537]

   Hi Jack thanks for the response. I was up there earlier tonight to visit her. we are just getting no answers.. They keep saying that she was lowered to 5 on her peeps but she was set to 60 on the ventilator last night  when she was at 50. Alot of the trouble is she is waking up so agitated  That her blood pressure went up to 253 tonight. she just keeps waking up like that struggling and they just keep sedating her cause they are concerned about her heart  and they keep saying that her lungs arent ready.... I am just really confused on how they are gonna get her off this ventilator if she keeps waking like this and they keep putting her under.

[islandmomma]

PLEASE, get a psychiatric consult while your Mom is on a respirator, especially with COPD. Any stress on the body and especially anoxia can affect management of bipolar disorder, let alone extraordinary stressors for several days (that is, no lithium with a triple bypass invasive surgery!!)... Also get a respiratory consult re the lithium levels and make sure that associated blood level readings are taken frequently...

Maybe also consider bringing calm and supportive familiar voices to bring her off the ventilator more gently and smoothly. Trust me (having vbeen there), thart may help...

Good luck!!

B.

PS And PLEASE, keep us posted!! She is scared and confused when she awakes...Think of music and calming people for her... How old is your Mom?

[giggles3537]

Hi Thank you. for responding. My Mom is 57. I would have to say this is the scariest situation i have even been in. They tell us that if we are there we may upset her more.. But That is why i came on here to get advice outside the hospital.. I thought to that we should be there.. As far as her lithium she was without it for about 4 days and they said her lithium levels were fine and she has been back on it. and they also started her on zantax hmm don't know how to spell that sorry.. Also her thyroid was low. I just don't know what to do about this agitation. there is no doubt in my mind its from the tube. But they keep telling us her lungs aren't  ready. its so frustrating cause i feel so bad for her. She is really upset when she awakes. her BP goes in the 200's. . i am going there tonight . so i will see what they say. they are talking about putting a tranchea in also. Well thanks for the advice. I will check on later

[giggles3537]

Hello well i just got home a lil bit ago, Well she is still at 5 on the peeps they got her down to 50 on the ventilator now. But she was down to this before. The Dr wants to give her atleast one more week on the ventilator... so if they do a trach it wont be for another week. The whole time we were in there tonight  was so hard cause she was waking up almost every 10 min agitated. They say it is real high agitation cause she turns red and she lifts her legs and clinches her fists.. that is when her BP goes up to the 200's and then goes down. They are trying to lower her on the sedation  now and it seemed tonight like she was up more but we are not sure if she knows who we are or not. she looks at us and a couple of times it looked like she wanted to cry.. I just hope she isn't suffering right now. and is aware of her tube cause she was gagging tonight. it was just awful. I feel so horrible cause i told her she wouldn't even wake up with a tube.. cause she was nervous about that before the surgery

[afraid70]

I am going for bypass surgery in 5 weeks.  I am so terrified of the ventalator.  I was hoping you wouldn't know when you woke up.  Is it hard to get out.  Are most people off soon?  I can understand why this woman is agitated, I would be too.  I think she is trying to say, get this the he-- out.

[Jeffro101]

Hi Giggles,my mom also had triple bypass surgery July of this year.She is diabetic but recovered pretty well,she was put in a nursing home for about 3 weeks for rehab. and is now home. It seems after reading alot of the forums of people having had the surgery that there are quite a few different side affects on people. As for my mom she has trouble with her vision now,she claims that her sight is kind of in a fog and she is very emotional. The doctors have her on all kinds of meds.She just wants her vision back 100%. I don't even think that the doctors know what is going on with her! If anyone has any info. on what could be causing this or has experienced this can you please let me know? Giggles I will pray for your mom,I feel for you and your family. Hand in there things will get better thru the power of God! Gotta have faith!

[pjajmv]

Hi Giggles,
I just went through the ventilator with my husband and after 4 weeks he is home.  Your mom sounds like she is having similar conditions as my husband (he was on ventilator for 2 weeks).  I now you feel very emotional about this but my husband says he doesn't remember a thing about the tubes and that might be the  way your mom will be.  Stay strong and learn everything you can.  Believe it or not the hard part is when they wake up.