Theo is having trouble keeping his right lung as clear as it should be. They are increasing his respiratory therapy which includes what they call "bopping". Basically that means that they are firmly patting his chest and his back to break up the gunk that is accumulating in his lung.
My son gets "clapping" basically the same thing but our pulmonologist recommended using a preemie size respiratory mask with tape on the top to make a suction cup basically to echo/vibrate his lungs. Maybe ask to talk to the therapist or have a pediatric pulmonologist consult with him and the doctors???
ReplyDeleteTalk to them about what? He is doing better. Cardiologists and respitory therapist visit him every two hours. He is in the cardio vascular intensive care unit. It isn't a pulmonary problem.
ReplyDeleteHey I wasn't trying to frustrate you or confuse you. I am sure they are taking good care of him. Bailey had therapist coming to her room too in the hospital as ordered by the neonatologist- she never saw a pulmonologist as of yet although I am sure she should have (her care got really messed up moving to OH- long story).
DeleteThe post was about Theo having problems keeping his lungs clear. I wasn't sure if the form of "bopping" was helping him and I just thought I would offer what our pediatric pulmonologist (lung doctor) suggested we do for our son's congestion issue with his lungs/upper airway. He had a lung that was collapsing just from the congestion alone and the therapy really helped. A lot of the respiratory therapists just use their hands, but the doctor specifically suggested the respiratory mask as I said above to be used instead of hands. If he is having problems with his lungs then it would be a pulmonary problem even if the main condition is for his heart. My son's main condition is his brain damage (HIE) which he sees a neurologist for, but because of what it did to his body he has seen a cardiologist, pulmonologist, nephrologist, ENT (ear, nose and throat), Comprehensive Care doctor (besides the normal pediatrician he sees for "normal" stuff), and a nutritionist.
Unfortunately surgeries and such can cause other problems in different parts of the bodies. It is like getting a virus and then getting an ear infection because of all the symptoms-congestion, inflammation, etc. It is secondary to the main problem but still its own condition.
I hope he gets better. I am sorry if I am bombarding you with advice or information that doesn't seem relevant to his case. I thought it was help is all. If you just need silent support I can do that too. It just always helped me figure out things to talk to the doctor's about if another mom from my support group blogged about what their child was going thru. If it was similar then I researched it a bit and talked to the doctors about it. I hope the rest of his/your week is better and brighter.