My Dad COPD and CO2 retention

This is my first post on this forum my father in law has copd, diabetes and is morbidly obese. He has been hospitalized several times, last time was for Co2 poison it caused an infection around his heart. He is home now but is disoriented, do you happen to have any experience with that? I'm assuming there's a lack of oxygen. What is a Co2 retainer?

In these situations its really down to your Dad listening to what the medical professionals advise him to do, and doing what is recommended, with health vulnerabilities like diabetis in addition to COPD.  Check with the hospital if he needs to access OT visits at home, community matron to help him back on his feet and from there he may be able to progress to a pulmonary rehabilitation course (by GP or hospital referral).  But there is always a need for the patient to participate in their own health management and recovery.  I do hope things improve for your Dad real soon. 

If your Dad is willing and the medics recommend a pulmonary rehabilitation course will help him manage his symptoms and illness and once the course completed and things learnt applied to every day life, it can enable a far better quality of life.

I saw your response to thesis79, I'm not sure if you read my post but my father in law has copd, he's a diabetic and is morbidly obese. He hasn't stood to walk in over years 2 years, he still smokes and ignores his diet. It's frustrating to watch someone not be apart of helping themselves. I just wanted to ask about Co2 poison and Co2 retention. He was hospitalized last month with an infection around his heart, they said it was from Co2 poison. He's at home now but is talking out of his head. No one has ever mentioned the pulmonary rehabilitation before, I'll pass that to my mother in law, frankly I think, OT is a waste of time, he's not active in his recovery , wish he was, it's hurtful to watch my husband hurt because his dad won't help himself

I saw your response to thesis79, I'm not sure if you read my post but my father in law has copd, he's a diabetic and is morbidly obese. He hasn't stood to walk in over years 2 years, he still smokes and ignores his diet. It's frustrating to watch someone not be apart of helping themselves. I just wanted to ask about Co2 poison and Co2 retention. He was hospitalized last month with an infection around his heart, they said it was from Co2 poison. He's at home now but is talking out of his head. No one has ever mentioned the pulmonary rehabilitation before, I'll pass that to my mother in law, frankly I think, OT is a waste of time, he's not active in his recovery , wish he was, it's hurtful to watch my husband hurt because his dad won't help himself

I saw your post to thesis79, I posted for my first time last night. My father in law, has copd, diabetes, and is morbidly obese. He hasn't stood in over 2 years. He was hospitalized last month for infection around his heart. Drs say it was Co2 poison. He doesnt participate at all with his health, still smokes,etc. It's frustrating to watch. He's now talking out of his head, which I'm asduming is lack of oxygen. I'm just curious about Co2 poison and Co2 retention, I've never heard of pulmonary rehab, I'm going to pass that along. Thanks

I expect if PR was mentioned to your father in law he probably wouldn't go for it either since it teaches patients what helps and what doesn't and it includes exercise which does need to be ongoing for any COPd patient who wishes to try and slow down or halt the progress of COPD that and stopping smoking, are the most important in order to help keep the condition stable and improve quality of life.  

I suspect he has CO2 poisoning / retention because he is still smoking, not exercising and therefore not breathing well enough to maximise his, gas exchange with what lung function he has.  Both stopping smoking and regular exercise help patients enjoy a better quality of life.

So sorry that your father in law is not achieving the best quality of life he could if he wished to.  Nothing is without effort if patients want to enjoy an improved state of wellbeing that goes for us all.   But you know its his choice in the end, it just means he will likely not live as long as he could and he will continue to have repeated hospital stays.  Every cigarette causes more lung damage, more lun damage means more difficulty breathing and more exacerbations / lung infections and hospitalization.

Nothing anyone can do I am afraid if the patient is unwilling.

Feel for your husband, just try to support him the best way you can and for your husband to enjoy the time with his father they way he wants to be with the time they spend together.

 

C02 retention occurs when the lungs are damage to the point they have difficulty of emptying the lungs of co2, ie we breathe in oxygen and we breath out co2.

CO2 poisoining is when the blood has more co2 than the body can cope with, ie the body needs oxygen to keep all the organs healthy when co2 is excessive it means the organs and health can be seriously impared.

Not excercising, moving, and continued smoking are not helpful for his, body functioning.  But I guess you know that already.

Thank you, and I know you are right. It's very frustrating. My.mom passed from cancer, fought to live, it's hard to watch a person not do anything. You have people who fight to live, then have people who could simply stop smoking, eat right and exercise, such a shame something that easy and he won't do it. Like I said, my husband is who I feel for, losing a parent is so hard. Just hate, he has to go through it when it could've been avoided, at least for a few more years.