The last moments of breath before the ventilator breathes for him are precious
This could be the last goodbye, the last facetime, the last I love you
Right before he wants to call his family
It could be the last time he speaks with them
He hangs up and looks at us anxiously
“I don’t want to die” he says
We tell him we are here for him and we will take care of him
The ET tube is supposed to help him breathe easier
To let his muscles and lungs take a break
We hope and pray this works
In our minds we know this could be the last time he interacts with people
We try to ease his fear but there are no words to provide comfort
We tell him his family loves him
The breath we used to take for granted has been taken away for so many
Each breath is precious
Remember to breathe
Remember to breathe
Naomi Friedman MD