Journal Entry Nine
Air Hunger in the Wee Hours of the Morning...
I had awakened breathing normally, but unable to take a deep, lung filling breath. After a few minutes of this I began to panic. I’d had a couple of these spells earlier in the week, and thought that I had eliminated the problems through changes in medication
So, Julie, Megan, and I spent four hours in the hospital at OHSU Saturday. The four Tualatin Valley paramedics and the two ambulance paramedics standing are around my bed at 1:30 a.m. had been very efficient, determining that my oxygen and carbon dioxide levels were good, my heart rate and blood pressure were good, and my chest was clear. We decided that I should go to the hospital anyway.
This was my second ambulance ride since getting sick. I am happy to say that neither trip required flashing lights or sirens.
The doctors at OHSU agreed with the paramedics. Nothing really was wrong with me medically. After I calmed down my breathing returned to normal, I was released.
Later, my neurologist told me that I had experienced air hunger. While not serious, it is scary, and it is not rare in ALS patients. She added one more medication to my arsenal, hopefully to eliminate the panic if the problem crops up again.
Just another day in the life . . .!
