OP
Matt the Aquaman
Contributor
Hi Tony, don't worry, I am not laughing, just thinking about your ideas! I appreciate you taking the time and thought you put into it. Wanted to let you know that I plan to get into the pool next month, not to submerge yet, but just for basic water therapy and to see how my dry suit works.
OK-- I have copied your questions here and will emebed my answers in them.....
"I'm going to assume you have a tracheostomy...if so what size? Cuffed? Shiley?"
I use a custom made Bivona Trach tube, it is custom made to angle to my left 10 to 20 degrees, to work better with my scoliosis. Standard silicone shaft. It has a standard cuff on it, but I never use it, don't need it, plus I can't speak with it up, and speaking is very very important to me. For my dive I will NEED to speak to communicate my status. With my set up including the latex neck seal and dry suit hood, that should be sufficient to keep me dry. My doctor has someother ideas to water tight the stoma as well.
"why are you on the vent?"
A side effect of Duchenne MD is eventual Respiratory Failure, due to the muscle wasting. That's where I am.
"What other considerations do you have? I.e. do you have an intact gag reflex?"
I don't have any feeding tubes or the like. I eat normally, just have someone to feed me. My doctors have said that I don't have a gag reflex, years ago. But I do... with trach changes and other times, I notice the reflex.
"Are you on any pressure support? Assist control or SIMV? What about PEEP? Can you manage on atmospheric O2(21%)?"
My ventilator is set on Volume Control, I use the Assist Control setting. My Peep is set to 5. I am on Room Air during the day, sat normallly 97 to 100% but keep 1 LPM inline at noc.
"An experiment would have to be done on whether the Eagle could handle pressure at depth...Another experiment will have to be done with a vent circuit."
I have a friend that is also a respiratory therapist that is conducting an experiment using the HT50 Ventilator that I want to use. The HT50 has been tested already in hyperbaric chambers to withstand pressure up to 2.1 atmospheres. I also have thought that my standard vent tubing would not hold up to pressure underwater, so I ordered and now have some re-useable tubing that is much sturdier.
Your ideas were very interesting, and I would very much like to keep you in my circle of people helping me. Your experience with ventilators, and pressure changes and now the diving should prove to be very helpful. Thank you for writing to me today. I think I answered your questioins, but If I left something out or if you need more info, please let me know. Thank you for writing to Eagle as well. I hope that they reply with some interesting information! Take care and hope to "talk" again soon. If you would ever like to talk on the phone, PM me and I will give you my cell number.
Take care, that's cool that you are getting certified next month! Me, thanks to a nice dive instructor friend I am taking an online course to help get my certifications ready. He said if I pass that, then after my first dive I will get an honorary certificate.
Matt
Click here to greet a new member!
No experience needed and it feels great!
OK-- I have copied your questions here and will emebed my answers in them.....
"I'm going to assume you have a tracheostomy...if so what size? Cuffed? Shiley?"
I use a custom made Bivona Trach tube, it is custom made to angle to my left 10 to 20 degrees, to work better with my scoliosis. Standard silicone shaft. It has a standard cuff on it, but I never use it, don't need it, plus I can't speak with it up, and speaking is very very important to me. For my dive I will NEED to speak to communicate my status. With my set up including the latex neck seal and dry suit hood, that should be sufficient to keep me dry. My doctor has someother ideas to water tight the stoma as well.
"why are you on the vent?"
A side effect of Duchenne MD is eventual Respiratory Failure, due to the muscle wasting. That's where I am.
"What other considerations do you have? I.e. do you have an intact gag reflex?"
I don't have any feeding tubes or the like. I eat normally, just have someone to feed me. My doctors have said that I don't have a gag reflex, years ago. But I do... with trach changes and other times, I notice the reflex.
"Are you on any pressure support? Assist control or SIMV? What about PEEP? Can you manage on atmospheric O2(21%)?"
My ventilator is set on Volume Control, I use the Assist Control setting. My Peep is set to 5. I am on Room Air during the day, sat normallly 97 to 100% but keep 1 LPM inline at noc.
"An experiment would have to be done on whether the Eagle could handle pressure at depth...Another experiment will have to be done with a vent circuit."
I have a friend that is also a respiratory therapist that is conducting an experiment using the HT50 Ventilator that I want to use. The HT50 has been tested already in hyperbaric chambers to withstand pressure up to 2.1 atmospheres. I also have thought that my standard vent tubing would not hold up to pressure underwater, so I ordered and now have some re-useable tubing that is much sturdier.
Your ideas were very interesting, and I would very much like to keep you in my circle of people helping me. Your experience with ventilators, and pressure changes and now the diving should prove to be very helpful. Thank you for writing to me today. I think I answered your questioins, but If I left something out or if you need more info, please let me know. Thank you for writing to Eagle as well. I hope that they reply with some interesting information! Take care and hope to "talk" again soon. If you would ever like to talk on the phone, PM me and I will give you my cell number.
Take care, that's cool that you are getting certified next month! Me, thanks to a nice dive instructor friend I am taking an online course to help get my certifications ready. He said if I pass that, then after my first dive I will get an honorary certificate.
Matt
Click here to greet a new member!
No experience needed and it feels great!
