Respiratory Therapy.

May 1st, while inpatient, Mimi got her first Pentamidine isethionate, it is used to prevent and treat Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, a very serious type of pneumonia. This medication is inhaled through a special breathing unit called a nebulizer, which helps the drug travel deep into the lungs.This is something she will do monthly instead of Bactrim, Dapsone or Mepron since she seemed to have side effects/sensitivities to all of these antibiotics.

Today (6/10) Mimi stayed home in the morning and we met with a respiratory therapist RN . Mimi was a bit anxious and not looking forward to her treatment but all that anxiety pretty much dissapeared about five minutes after she met Respitory Rick, she was chatting up the storm asking a million questions. We went through all the necessary paperwork, her vitals were checked. He explained to her what he will do she listened to instructions and followed them like a pro! First she used the albuterol inhaler, it works by relaxing and opening the air passages to the lungs. Then an oxymeter was hooked up to her earlobe to check her oxygen level and pulse, Pentamidine can drop oxygen stats. She used the nebulizer to breathe in the Pentamidine for about 25 minutes. Since the medicine is a mist she is breathing in and it is also going into the air in the house we wore mask but Magi spent some time upstairs so she was not exposed to the medicine. Her treatment went smooth we said bye to our new friend until next month and back to school she went!

Here is Mimi with her glowing ear, the white mist is the medicine. She is sitting next to the window with the fan blowing out so most of the medicine goes outside instead of the house. She sat very patiently for almost a half hour, just listening to stories since she couldn't talk.