Elaine Marie Kolb

Friday, March 7, 2014

Fifteen years ago, today, my partner, Patti Deak, was dying. We both knew it would be soon. At any time.

Back then, I was hoping that Patti would NOT die while I was doing her trach care. Before she came home to our apartment for those precious few days, I had to accept that it might happen that way.

In December 1998, Patti developed double-pneumonia. BOTH lungs collapsed TWO times. Decision time. Die or go on a ventilator… Patti decided she wanted to live, as long as she had a fighting chance to come back home with me & our two cats. We had been together for over 11 years. This was NOT our first life or death struggle. It was our last one, together.

Trach care is tricky business. They poke a hole into your windpipe & insert a plug. You are connected by tubes to a ventilator, which breathes for you. NOT breathing is a short-term condition,,, if you’re gonna live.

Ventilators make a distinctive, repetitive “whoosh…whoosh…” sound, when all is going well. At any point, sticky, gooey mucus can bubbble-up, gurgling, reducing air-flow, blocking the tubes… Urgent to perform trach care, as calmly & quickly as possible, after grabbing needed supplies & creating a sterile field work space.

…to be continued…