Breathing Easy

Just like Grandpa Tew, Dad snored often and loudly whenever he slept. When I stayed the night with him while he was in the hospital I discovered he had taken his snoring abilities to new levels.

Mom talked with the doctors and Dad had a sleep study done last week and the results came back yesterday. Dad stopped breathing 377 times during one night. He has severe sleep apnea and will be getting a CPAP machine soon. Hopefully this will lead to nights with undisturbed sleep (for both dad and mom).

January Update

Dad/Bruce met with his nephrologist yesterday. They changed another one of his blood pressure medications because he's been really sleepy (more than usual) the past few days. Then Mom/Muriel called me last night to ask how low was "too low" for a blood pressure. Dad's blood pressure was 90's/70's half an hour after taking his new blood pressure pills and he was feeling like he was going to pass out. While we were talking it dropped to 80's/60's. Dad was still awake and alert during this time. Mom called the nephrologist's office and the doctor called them back. While on the phone with the nephrologist, dad's blood pressure went down to the 70's/50's. The nephrologist ascertained over the phone that dad was okay and told him to drink some water to help build his body's fluid load up a little bit. The nephrologist gave mom and dad parameters of when not to take the blood pressure medications. Dad started feeling a little better shortly after getting off the phone with the doctor. His blood pressure slowly started to go up and within an hour after the episode began his blood pressure was 115/70's, or as dad said, "I feel like I've just finished running a marathon. My PSI (referring to his systolic blood pressure) is 115."

Here's a picture of Dad/Bruce from the good old days. (Back when he and Uncle Kent could convince Uncle Craig to slide down the roof of an old barn and suffer with a bottom full of slivers thereafter. What a cute, innocent looking boy.)