The Georges in Peru

Cheyne Stokes

22 Mar 2016

First of all, if you are a medical person, don't let the title panic you.  Yes, Amy is breathing in a Cheyne Stokes pattern, but at the same time she is talking and eating again and even realizes that she is Cheyne Stokes breathing.  If you aren't a medical person, Cheyne Stokes respiration is a breathing pattern of people that are close to dying.  It is characterized by quick breathing followed by a long gap of not breathing.  In severely ill patients it happens right before they die.  When my father died, he started having Cheyne Stokes breathing a couple of hours before he died.  Brain tumors can also cause Cheyne Stokes respirations.  In Amy's case, she takes 3 deep breaths and then doesn't breath for about 25 seconds.  This continues all the time.  It's a bit freaky for caregivers, since one wonders if the patient is still alive during each cycle. 

Despite this, Amy is having a good day.  She's not rubbing her head complaining of pain hardly at all. She's eaten the most she has since Friday.  She's talking quite a bit, though she's pretty confused, which can make for interesting conversations!