Monday, November 23, 2009

Looking for some Improvement

I have not been here in a while. But am still around. I have been helping my mom out and working a lot of hours. Which leaves me with less time to do my favorite thing..
What is that you may ask,
Well blogging of course what else lol


I was reading some on-line material about using oxygen at home. my mom has been using at home oxygen since she was discharged from the hospitial on October 14th. We dont know if this is temporary yet or long term she will be returning to the chest Doctor on December 1st to see what is the next step. The whole family is keeping her in prayer. She has been having her emotional ups and downs but I always try to cheer her up and make her laugh when she is feeling down.

Oxygen is an invisible gas that your body needs to live. Your lungs take the oxygen out of the air you breathe and put it into your blood. Your blood takes the oxygen to your brain and all of the cells in your body. Your cells use oxygen and nutrition from the foods you eat to make the energy they need to function. If you have problems with your lungs, heart, or blood you may need extra oxygen. Your body may also need extra oxygen after some injuries, such as burns. You may need extra oxygen when traveling to high altitudes or traveling by plane. You may need oxygen if you were exposed to a toxic substance, such as cyanide or carbon monoxide. Supplemental oxygen is thought of as a drug. You must have a prescription  from a doctor for oxygen therapy in order to get it. The prescription will include how much oxygen you should have, and how often. Getting too much oxygen may be dangerous. Always use your oxygen as directed by your caregiver..

My mom needs the supplemental (extra) oxygen because she has a lung disease that the doctors cant determine, they think that the cancer may have spread to the lungs as well as the bones but the also said it may be 2 other things. As a result, she has a breathing problem, doctors can not do a biopsy because she may go into cardiac aresst. Oxygen therapy is suppose to make my mom feel better. She should sleep better, be more alert, and be in a better mood. She should be able to carry out her daily activities without feeling as tired or as short of breath. But that has not been the case she has not been feeling any better. She seems to still be out of breath a lot she says.

She uses a Nasal cannula: A nasal cannula is made of lightweight, flexible plastic tubing. One end attaches to the oxygen source. The other end has two curved prongs that fit just inside your nostrils. The tubing can be held in place by looping it around your ears, or attaching it to your eye glasses.

I feel I  have the right to help plan her care. To help with this plan, I try to learn about her health conditions and how it may be treated. I discuss treatment options with her caregivers. I want them to decide what care may be used to treat her. But if the treatment given isn't showing improvement I will have to backtrack with her doctors and she what else can be done, and this is exactly what I plan to do on December 1st.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Everything falling into presecptive


Mom got her Home health aide. The aide started Friday and my mom will have her six hours a day, five days a week. Now my mom moved into Brooklyn so she could be closer to me and plus all her treatments are in Brooklyn. Everything is getting better. My mom gave me the low down on her knew helper as soon as I walked in her door Friday evening...I said sheesh ma what are you an investigator...lol, One thing for sure the home health aide has an easy job. she has to do all the basics of a homeworker but my mom don't require much because she don't want no one to bath her or cook for her. I don't blame her,my mom is sick but you cant tell her that...lol.  The head nurse also came by on Friday to review my mothers case and if all goes well my mom will get her wheel chair so she can get back and forth to her appointments easier and a chair for bath times.

Due to her lung disease it is very difficult for her to move around without getting shortness of breath,  and that is why she is taken O2. She also have her Access-a-ride, Which is a pain in the butt already she has had her first Chemotherapy treatment on Wednesday the drop off trip was on point, but the pick up was a mess she had to take a cab home. So we came to the conclusion that we will just use them for drop off services ONLY. They are really strict we have to schedule an appointment too days before the appointment and we have to know the exact pick up and drop off time because Access-a-ride don't do same day scheduling, Geezzz. So since most of her appointments are doctor appointment we don't know what time she will be done at the doctors. We will just use it to our benefit and call it a day.

Last but not least she got her insurance cleared on 10/21, and I was able to get her to keep her community medicaid, because Medicaid choice had contacted her trying to force her to take an HMO, but with a HMO they limit her services. Plus two different people That I spoke to,  including a social worker at the hospital told me with her illness she is entitle to straight Medicaid and that I should ignore the HMO issue. When I called up Medicaid after tryin to get in contact with them for four days and I was able to speak to someone, and she told me that my mom IS ELIGIBLE for the straight community medicaid. So all is good.

Look at the nation,

Look at the nation,
that's a crooked smile braces couldn't even straighten!