Tag Archives: Better Breathers support group

TREE OF LIFE hosts Better Breather’s Support Group Meeting on (COPD Equipment!)

Better Breathers meets tomorrow in Silverdale Harrison’s TREE OF LIFE room from 1 pm – 3 pm.

Sorry – change of topic.  Stat Home Care is bringing the different machines Lung folks use  and explain the use of each.  Example:  I’m on a BIPAP and Concentrator bleed in and not entirely sure how they work together.  Can a concentrator work without the BIPAP and how does it affect the patient?  It will be exciting to see the very latest The topic is Neuromuscular Disease, which includes Lou Gehrig Disease and a review of respiratory medications.

The speaker is Respiratory Therapist Christine Bromell.

It takes muscle to breathe and I’d like to understand how these diseases work on the body…including the Sleep Apnea and COPD progression work.  going because it takes muscles to breathe….we’re getting educated!

The fastest way to the TREE OF LIFE room is through the Labor and Delivery Baby entrance and down the long hall by the elevators.

Look for a table and chairs set up and friendly Harrison folks…Joyce is the RRT Harrison volunteer Better Breathers liaison…we are lucky to have her.

Neuromuscular Disease      COPD equipment including CPAP, BIPAP, CONCENTRATORS…

Speaker:  Respiratory Therapist Christine Bromell

Wednesday, 17 August 16, 2011

1:00pm – 3:00pm

TREE OF LIFE room – Harrison Silverdale

1800 NW Myhre Road – Silverdale, WA 98383

Better Breathers Support Group

“Our Better Breathers support group encompasses community members and their caregivers who live with chronic respiratory disease and lung disease. Better Breathers is designed to provide support, education, networking, and tools to improve the daily lives of those living with these health conditions.

We welcome any community member with asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, sarcoidosis, asbestosis, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis and the many more lung diseases affecting our population, pediatric or adult.

Please email or call if you will need assistance with parking at the meeting.”

Contact: Pamela O’Flynn   – 360-744-6687 – respiratorycare@harrisonmedical.org

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Thanks for reading… Sharon O’Hara

Good Sleep Health and Sleep Apnea – Tomorrow!

Good Sleep Health and Sleep Apnea

Speaker:  Jess Lackey of Pacific Pulmonary Inc.

Wednesday, 20 July 2011

1:00pm – 3:00pm

Rose Room – Harrison Silverdale

1800 NW Myhre Road – Silverdale, WA 98383

 

Better Breathers Support Group

“Our Better Breathers support group encompasses community members and their caregivers who live with chronic respiratory disease and lung disease. Better Breathers is designed to provide support, education, networking, and tools to improve the daily lives of those living with these health conditions.

 

We welcome any community member with asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, sarcoidosis, asbestosis, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis and the many more lung diseases affecting our population, pediatric or adult.

Please email or call if you will need assistance with parking at the meeting.”

Contact: Pamela O’Flynn   – 360-744-6687 –  respiratorycare@harrisonmedical.org

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My sleep apnea story in short form:  Some ten years ago the Sleep Study and bi-pap machine enabled me to get back into a bed after a few years of sleeping in a chair…I could not breathe lying down so had to sleep in a recliner chair…comfortable though it was, it was not a bed.

During this last year after an at home study I discovered my saturation numbers hit the basement while sleeping – bottoming out into the low 70’s.  100 is normal and nobody knew it…who knows how long that went on?

One of the questions I will be asking tomorrow:  Why don’t the c-pap or bi-pap machines monitor the patient’s blood/oxygen level during sleep to alert the doctor there is a problem.  Hint: After a length of time without oxygen, brain cells die.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001435.htm

During sleep how low can the blood/oxygen levels go and for how long before brain cells die?  Personally, I want to hug and cherish my brain cells from a distance and keep them going as long as possible.

A sharp Harrison Medical Center ER doc caught a problem and had me put on a concentrator that gathers oxygen from the room and bleeds it into my bi-pap – leading to better sleep.  Except when the RLS bounces me right out of bed to move my legs and walk around.

Ignoring Sleep Apnea can lead to serious stuff – we need to be aware.

Tomorrow is the opportunity to ask the questions and have fun at the same time.

Refreshments!

See you Wednesday!  If anyone needs a ride, let me know.

Following are photos of my concentrator connected to the bi-pap and connected to the facemask that goes over my nose and blows air into my airway.

Some folks say the c-pap and bi-pap is too noisy.  I call it the sweet song of life.

Thanks for reading… Sharon O’Hara

Kitsap’s JELLY ROLL BLUES – Part Two: Smiles, Giggles, Tears at Harrison’s Emergency Preparedness BB Meeting

Kitsap’s  JELLY ROLL BLUES – Part Two:  Smiles, Giggles, Tears at Harrison’s Emergency Preparedness BB Meeting

We live in earthquake country.  We’ve jellied to varying degrees in the past and no doubt will again in the future.  So far we haven’t had a quake over magnitude 7.0 and that was in 1949.

More jelly jiggles and Shake, Rattle and Roll are in store for Kitsap County and surrounds.  What are we doing to prepare to take care of ourselves at least 72 hours?

Another quake or natural disaster – such as the last freeze and two day power outage in Silverdale is coming.  I don’t want to repeat the last one where everything we counted on, failed, including the generator and we lived inside where the temperature dropped to 40 degrees over the two days without heat or bi-pap and concentrator.

Smiles, Giggles, Tears at Harrison’s Emergency Preparedness BB Meeting

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“Earthquake activity:

Kitsap County-area historical earthquake activity is slightly above Washington state average. It is 235% greater than the overall U.S. average.

 

On 4/13/1949 at 19:55:42, a magnitude 7.0 (7.0 UK, Class: Major, Intensity: VIII – XII) earthquake occurred 26.2 miles away from the county center, causing $80,000,000 total damage

On 2/28/2001 at 18:54:32, a magnitude 6.8 (6.5 MB, 6.6 MS, 6.8 MW, Depth: 32.2 mi, Class: Strong, Intensity: VII – IX) earthquake occurred 36.5 miles away from the county center, causing $2,000,000,000 total damage and $305,000,000 insured losses

On 4/29/1965 at 15:28:43, a magnitude 6.6 (6.6 UK) earthquake occurred 25.1 miles away from the county center, causing $28,000,000 total damage

On 7/3/1999 at 01:43:54, a magnitude 5.8 (5.4 MB, 5.5 MS, 5.8 MW, 5.3 ME, Depth: 25.2 mi, Class: Moderate, Intensity: VI – VII) earthquake occurred 47.5 miles away from Kitsap County center

On 5/3/1996 at 04:04:22, a magnitude 5.5 (5.2 MB, 5.3 MD, 5.5 ML, Depth: 2.5 mi) earthquake occurred 44.2 miles away from the county center

On 2/14/1981 at 06:09:27, a magnitude 5.5 (5.1 MB, 4.8 MS, 5.5 ML) earthquake occurred 84.8 miles away from the county center

Magnitude types: body-wave magnitude (MB), duration magnitude (MD), energy magnitude (ME), local magnitude (ML), surface-wave magnitude (MS), moment magnitude (MW)”

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/county/Kitsap_County-WA.html#ixzz1CFUSNERU

A few key points from the outstanding and powerful program put on by Pamela O’Flynn, RRT, MBA Respiratory Care Department, Harrison Medical Center and the American Lung Association’s, Better Breathers (BB) caught my attention.  For a super reference booklet – get the 12-month Preparedness Calendar for the full story.

Contact your local hotels/motels for their pet policy.  Next time, should the generator fail us again, we’ll pack up the dogs and head for a dog friendly hotel and drag the bi-pap and concentrator along.

We were told to pack what we generally eat for our 72 hour Comfort Kit – the total opposite of what I used to pack and take in the mountains during the old horse packing and hiking years.   Food that was lightweight, easy to cook and nutritious for the weight was key in what I chose for such trips…not necessarily what I ate at home.

The difference will show up in our bodily functions – “Eat what the body is used to…” And the interesting Poo Bags were mentioned.

The go anywhere toilet kit includes:

  • Waste bag pre-loaded with Poo Powder gelling deodorizing agent.
  • Outer zip-close disposal bag.
  • Natural odor control and decay catalyst
  • 1 hand sanitizer
  • 1 toilet paper

I bought mine online at REI, but they are probably sold locally at any of the sports stores.

Our homes should be earthquake proofed including anchoring furniture to the walls. Laura Jull, CEM, CHSP, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Harrison Medical Center, uses Museum Wax to anchor down small items to the shelf.

600 thousand pets were never found or missing after Katrina – no one was prepared for the magnitude of the storm.  A lesson learned there carries over here…and provisions are being made for our pets in case of a disaster.

For those on oxygen, bi-pap, c-pap or concentrators, register to be on a Special Needs list and shelter.  Contact the Fire Department and get on the Power Company list.

Contact your Oxygen Company and ask what provisions they have in place for their clients during a disaster.

Additional information and to get your 12-month Preparedness Calendar:

‘Our Better Breathers support group meets quarterly monthly  in the Rose room at Harrison Silverdale. Please call 360-744-6685 for dates and information. ‘   http://www.harrisonmedical.org/home/calendar/4885

Sheriff Boyer is Kitsap County’s emergency coordinator – I hope he/department will see Pam’s Katrina slide presentation and get her viewpoints based on her real life experiences working in a hospital so badly affected during and after Katrina – as were they all badly affected.  Her hard earned insight should prove helpful for that day coming in our future….in my opinion.

I am still unable to get the photos here from this computer … later

More later… Sharon O’Hara