A few of you older folks might remember the iron lung machine.
From a Wikipedia article: An iron lung is a medium-sized machine that enables a person to breathe when normal muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person’s ability. It is a form of medical ventilator. Properly, it is called a negative pressure ventilator.
Last year some woman in Tennessee died after a power failure shut her iron lung down. Her family was unable to get the emergency generator started, and she died after over fifty years in one of these things.
I didn’t know they were still in use.
medium-sized machine?? those look awful big to me!
There was a guy in one of these at the end of my street when I was a kid. And I didn’t realize they were still in use either … I’m sure that technology has moved on.
Apparently they atill are even if rarely.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,359304,00.html
It’s still around.
It’s a sad damn story
I read an article awhile ago about someone dying while using one of those because their power shut off. They lived in it pretty much their entire life. I really don’t know how you could call that living.. It seems so hard to be constrained in that thing all the time, unable to do anything. You could just kill me!
Kazzle – First we heard about that!!
if the government had tried to cure polio we would have the best damn lung machine money could buy.
Mr. Frump, is that you??!!??
Reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sSowNzROuQ
Dang, with this gang, I am surprised I am the first one to think of this.
Tim: That was a first for me…That was CLASSIC!! Thanks for posting that one!!
Wow, I didn’t realize they were around either. We took care of our son who was on a ventilator for 7 years (spinal bifida and other medical problems), called a CPAP machine for Continuous Pulmonary Airway Pressure or something like that. I called it Child Puffing and Panting (and before someone slams me for insensitivity to my own son, sometimes if you can’t maintain a semblance of humor in tragedy, you’ll go insane). We had his primary machine as well as a portable backup, but when power went out in ice storms in Ky, we’d always transport to the hospital because you had no idea how long the power would be out even though we were on priority support by the utility company.
Looks like a bunch of coughin’ coffins.
I won’t slam you revy. I praise you for your love and care
and being the best parent that you can be. You’re right,
humor helps you get through the tough times.
Anyone notice everyone has a balloon? Must be the first Monday in September, Labored-breathing Day.
Agreed. Every time Mom needed to go to the ER for respratory issues she would perform oral on the breathing tube thingy.
She lived in my hometown. Her name was Diane Odell and she went into the lung at age 3 and never came out. She lived a very full life and had tons of friends. Jane Seymour visited her often as did many other celebrities. Her parents are saints! She was a sweet person.
We have the world record holder here where I work. Over 60 years in an Iron Lung. Witty and strong in the mind as I guess you would need to be. A great chat with plenty of friends and as she would often say to people who ask. “Not the life I would have chosen but the life I have so best I get on with it as best I can.”