Paula,

As I've never been a caregiver I'm really no help to you in coping with the emotional turmoil that you are faced with as I've never been there myself. Caregiving is the hardest job on the planet in my opinion.

In reading your signature and seeing what Jim is dealing with, I'm going to make a few assumptions that may help.

1st, Jim's had a neck dissection and radiation to the head/neck which will usually disrupt swallowing mechanics and make aspirating very easy to do...aspiration can/will lead to pneumonia eventually. It's a common occurance for me.

2nd. Looking at Jim's condition I can only assume that he's on some heavy opiate pain medication. The way those work is by depressing the central nervous system and your circulatory system...one of the side effects can be laboured breathing. I had many times that I had the same issues when I was on Fentanyl and it would come and go. I found I had the most troubles when I would lay on the patch or have heat affect the patch and cause more fentanyl into my system then normal...it put me in the ER a few times.

Those would be my best guesses.

Good luck, keep your chin up dear.

Eric