I can top that slightly. I had an emphysema patient who was struggling to breathe and the doctors said his life would be extended if he would just give up his two pack a day habit. He had us wheel him to a smoking area, remove his oxygen for a mome

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I can top that slightly. I had an emphysema patient who was struggling to breathe and the doctors said his life would be extended if he would just give up his two pack a day habit. He had us wheel him to a smoking area, remove his oxygen for a moment, (which caused him to turn blue) and light his cigarette for him because he was too weak to light it himself. Every two hours he made this trek to feed his habit. I would not do it, so my nurse's aides had to. I spent so many hours with him as he panicked when not able to breathe and would look at me with fear in his eyes. He died that way too, fearful and struggling because he would not accept any medication that might drug him and make him miss his smoking break. Unbelievable. Carolynarmede wrote: Beth said; Standing 2 feet away from me and talking about me as though I'm not there, as though using O2 makes me deaf. LOL! That is so true. Good for you Beth, keep educating!!! I sometimes amazes me - the things people say that could have just stayed in their brain. Things they do, say that I could have gone a lifetime with out being party to!!! A few weeks ago a woman joined me ( in full o2 regalia) in the dining room of a friends home, she sat down, pulled out a cig, lite it and procceded to ask me if I'm "making sure to meditate in order to get well"? Now if thats not a candidate for the "Darwin" awards - I do not know who is. > > >> > > I went to my palm. yesterday. Sats were 82, even though I use > > > oxygen continuously. Am having a real difficulty now with getting > > > in and out of chairs, doing simple things in the house. I just get > > > so out of breath. The Dr. said the increased SOB is because of my > > > pulmonary hypertension, which is worsening. There is a new med. for > > > it but Cigna does not approve it and therefore I have to pay > > > privately. I am going to do that for a while. But I wonder what is > > > the use? My dr. told me yesterday that he knows of nothing else >

> > that can be done and that I need to start accepting things. He said > > > that with a terminal illness, I should expect to get worse instead > > > of hoping. He said the time for hope is over now and that maybe I > > > need to see a therapist to help me through this. He then wanted to > > > write me a script for Zoloft to "help". He did say that I would > > > probably need to think about going into the hospital again soon, to > > > drain some of the fluid out of me. I have already done that but it > > > just comes back. I read that with the hypertension, that your legs > > > can get very large and heavy. And that is what is happening. Also > > > having a problem with my portable oxygen. Since I am now on liquid > > > oxygen, the tank I have to carry is so heavy that it takes all my > > > energy to carry it. Evidently the

office called the supplier and I > > > just got a call from them stating that Cigna does not authorize the > > > really small one. I am calling Cigna. I know I sound depressed in > > > this post. I know I am discouraged. Really really tired of > > > everything. Tire! d of the tube in my nose, tired of calculating what > > > I can do because of limited breath, tired of sitting. Just tired. > > > Tired of being told that I have lived longer than most people with > > > my disease.> > > I dont know how to be a sick person.> > > Thanks for listening.> > > > > >> >>