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9880688 tn?1414115647

Air Way Gurgle...what does all this mean?

Hi.  My husband has been through a lot in the last 10 years.  10 years ago he had a liver transplant, 2 years ago and quadrupal bypass, last August he had to have one of the bypasses replaced and his valve was replaced with a pig valve.  While doing surgery they found cancer in his right lung.  The lobe was removed.  He then had 3 months of radiation.  In January he started chemotherapy.  All of a sudden he needed oxygen...and what is weird is that his O2 level will show good on the finger monitor but his airway is constricted so he doesn't get enough oxygen to his brain.  They now have him on prednisone and mucinex plus duoneb to keep things open.  He also gets an awful gurgle (started after his first chemo treatment).  After the 3rd treatment they quit...they said if they gave him one more it would kill him.  I know he was stage 1...they got most of the cancer out via surgery.

Is this airway thing normal?  Is it normal to have good O2 levels everywhere in your body except going to your brain?  Will the gurgle (I don't know what else to call it) ever go away.  Whenever he's been sick and in the hospital and put on i.v. antibiotics the gurgle goes away for a few weeks and then slowly comes back.

Any information or advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!
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9880688 tn?1414115647











Well, when oxygen doesn't get to the brain the first symptom is confusion....if your brain continues to not get oxygen you basically go into dementia...where you don't know where you are, what day its, etc etc....so it was pretty easy to figure out.

The chemo doctor is no help.  I told him you must know why he is getting this gurgle and why he keeps getting this oxygen thing because it did'nt start until the chemo.....he says I'm not sure  Hah!

Next stop...will see his pulmonary doctor next month.  Maybe they can give us some answers!







Helpful - 0
8976007 tn?1413330650
how did they determine just his brain was not getting O2?
my O2 levels show good with the sensor, but i am always short of breath to the point i feel like i will pass out at times.

there could be so many reasons why he is having so many problems with his throat.  
i would let him have a break after all he has been through and then figure out what is going on.  could be he is having a really hard time relaxing those muscles,  i don't know.
keep us posted
Helpful - 0
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