Hey guys,
As some of you may know, I work at a hospital.
I worked at the ICU for the last 5 years and have seen many folks visiting their loved ones on a ventilator. I thought I'd lend some of that experience in regards to John Prine's condition.
This really sucks....
I think the last we heard was that John was "stable" after being put on a ventilator. I think some have interpreted this to mean he's in recovery. Sadly, "stable" just means he's not actively dying. A ventilator is a form of life support, thus a more accurate synopsis would be he is on life support. Without the ventilator he would die as his lungs cannot function adequately.
I saw some families come to our ICU for weeks, in fact months, visiting their loved ones who were on ventilators. In many cases, being on a ventilator was the only thing keeping them from leaving the ICU to a less intense unit. In some cases, a patient might progress to a tracheostomy. This is a tube placed in the throat that allows a patient to speak and eat while still on the ventilator. Some patients require this for life. It takes a lot of strength and stamina to permanently come off a ventilator once being placed on one, especially if you're old. Some folks can do it for an hour, but then need it again, etc.
Given John's age and past medical history, a tracheostomy might be his best-case scenario. Sadly, many doctors are slow to present a straightforward picture to families in our culture. I watched that happen over and over.
Let's hope he returns to wholeness, but he's got a lot stacked against him. I'm not writing this to be negative, I'm pulling for him bigtime, just sharing some inside knowledge for those without a medical background.
Prayers, light, and strength.
