Isabel's Olympic Gold Medal

A "gold medal performance" has occurred at Wascana over the last few weeks. Isabel has completed her winter marathon. After 2.5 years on life support, the ventilator that has given her 8 puffs of breath each minute has officially been turned off and Isabel is breathing on her own. She has also sent her oxygen tank packing.

Isabel has weaned herself off the ventilator!

Her Wascana Respiratory Therapist has thought for some time that Mum could get off the vent. Late last fall, with an additional Respiratory Therapist to support the effort, and a long-awaited "doctor's order" from her respirologist (lung specialist), training for the marathon began.

One hour off the vent followed by rest with the vent back on... ....then two hours off the vent and rest again..... and then off again and on again as the hours increased. And so the December days moved on. By early January, Isabel was successfully breathing on her own 12 hours a day. Then came approval for her to use her speaking valve for those same 12 hours a day.

Some of Mum's inspiration during this time came from the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and are fitting for the "push-plateau-push" of a marathon:

Let us, then, be up and doing
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Late January and early February included four weeks of plateau with 12 hours on the vent and 12 hours off. And then the final push began on Sunday February 7 when at 7 AM the vent was turned off. On Thursday the 11th, at the 100 hour mark of being off the vent, her various therapists descended on her room for a 15 minute party to celebrate her being officially off the vent and to receive the news that her arterial gases had tested just fine.

Isabel has now been breathing completely on her own 24/7 for nearly two weeks.

At times, WE have been holding our breath, however Isabel has not been holding hers! She continues with her regular physio- and occupational therapy, visiting with friends, and exploring Wascana's halls. She says she is doing "just fine", and that she now never thinks about the ventilator.

As Mum says: "Miracles do happen!"

CONGRATULATIONS, Mum! You and Rufus lll could have carried that torch to Vancouver!