Silence

So true....

DEVICES... TECHNOLOGY... GRATEFUL

TRILOGY  Trilogy is a mechanical ventilator that provides both volume and pressure ventilation and delivers the therapy either invasively (via a trach) or noninvasively (via a mask).  Advantages over bipap or avaps:  Can be more finely tuned to patient’s needs  Has an internal battery that can last up to 6 hours. Bipap and avaps do not have batteries- they must always be plugged into an outlet or with an adapter into the cigarette lighter in a car or hooked to a portable battery that weighs about 40 pounds.  Disadvantages over bipap and avaps:  More costly. Some insurance will not approve for non-invasive use unless the patient is nearly 100% dependent on it (20-24 hours per day).  More costly for hospice to pay for.

Summary All of these devices, when used non-invasively (with a mask), have limited ability to assist with breathing. As the respiratory muscles weaken due to ALS, even these devices cannot sustain life. They are all appropriate for hospice ALS patients, but cost may be the limiting factor for hospice particularly with the Trilogy.

I couldn't be more grateful….  lately I've been feeling tire, more than usual.. Sometimes is scary since I feel my breathing muscle are fading on me. Luckily for me... I got my Trilogy. Now I just  have to take two naps a day wearing my mask, as I call it "Hannibal Lester" … Got to get  humor in my life and keep my sun shining even when it rains... and believe me  IT Rains, pours, but then.... the sun always comes out.

Life is hard