Every Breathe You Take

Tuesday, 8 August 2006

Jay picked up pho for us to eat for lunch with Dad today. It's nice to eat together as a family. I bathed Dad, then rushed off to 4:30 pm yoga, the time of class I always try to avoid, but today I had to go. It was crowded, but class was fine. Went to the ALS Support Group meeting, which always happens the second Tuesday of the month. There were more new members and a crowd I've never seen before. But, perhaps tonight's topic was what drew such a crowd. The respiratory therapist from Queen's Hospital was there to provide information on BiPaps, CPAP, and ventilators. It was good for us to ask questions, and find out more about the technology that is out there, the complications and level of care involved, and how important it is for patients to stay away from others that may be sick. Since Dad's breathing has become more labored over the past couple of months, and he has been reluctant to use the BiPap, I asked the therapist for advice. The therapist noticed that Dad was using a lot of energy to breathe. You can see his neck and upper chest and shoulders pulsating with his every breath between words. We visited with the rest of our friends at support group, talked about upcoming MDA fundraisers and events, and said goodbye until next time. Suddenly, every breathe you take becomes so precious.