Sunday night, my dad was rushed to the ER. My mother said he was gasping for air and kept trying to say that he couldn’t breathe. After tests, they found that his oxygen intake was only 10%. They rushed him in for four steroid breathing treatments and a shot of steroids, which brought his breathing up to 58%.
Unfortunately, during this time, I was working and no one could get a hold of me. I made it to the hospital last night at around midnight after my shift and Aaron met me there after his shift because he couldn’t find anyone to cover. We stayed until 3AM and then went home for some sleep.
This morning, I came back to the hospital to find that they were doing some tests on his heart. By the time I left for dinner, which was roughly thirty minutes ago, his breathing was up to 94%.
About a month or so ago, my dad was diagnosed with emphysema. Because I didn’t know what it was when he was diagnosed, I’ll give you the short. Emphysema is a COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) often caused by exposure to tobacco. When my dad exhales, air gets trapped in his lungs because his small airways collapse. It’s irreversible and degenerative, meaning it will constantly get worse. The best part is that my dad stopped smoking a few months prior to being diagnosed and my mom now takes her cigarettes outside.
What we were told while we were at the hospital is that the condition is putting a severe strain on his heart. So far, out of all the tests that have been done, one of them came back normal. We’re still waiting on the other ones. As far as my dad’s condition, he’s much better while he’s on the massive amount of steroids. Once he comes off of them though, he collapses quickly. Last night, he had an episode that nearly made him pass out. To be honest, it’s a hard disease to watch him go through, because when he’s not caught in an episode, you can’t really tell that he’s sick. He’s pretty spry for 55 and jokes just like normal. But when he starts wheezing or gets into a coughing fit, he nearly passes out from the lack of oxygen. And the coughing doesn’t sound like your typical smoker’s cough. It’s very different, and frightening.
Emphysema is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. I remember that every time he has an episode.
They’re keeping him at least another day. We’re looking at his release from the hospital probably being Wednesday. After that, he’ll have to go see his specialist who will run more tests.
The good part is that this isn’t the end for my dad. He still has many months ahead of him. My scare is that they’ll find something from the tests that will complicate the condition, or that dad will have a final episode. We’re working hard to prevent that.
I really appreciate all of the kind comments and prayers for my dad. He’s had a rather rough life medically. Between scoliosis, his hiatal hernia, colon cancer, the beginning signs of spinal cancer and emphysema, he’s seen more hospitals, doctor’s offices and specialists than I can count in the past three years. However, my dad’s stubborn. He won’t go down without a fight and he’s got a great family supporting him. Your thoughts and prayers will only help strengthen his will to fight.
