Three Beeps

As technology continues to increase around us, we become more familiar with its sounds. Going to checkout lines at stores, we hear beeps as each item is scanned. At home, the beeps of a microwave, or oven, signal that our meal is ready to be eaten. When you can't breathe on your own, beeps from the device you're connected to are especially important.

For a quarter century, I knew every alarm from my ventilator very well. A short beep indicated high pressure and something was clogging the tubes, or me. A continuous alarm indicated low pressure with either a tube disconnected or I was breathing too shallow while sleeping. In 2010, after receiving my diaphragm pacemaker, I had to learn a new system of beeps from my electronic attachment.

I know well that two beeps in rapid succession mean the battery is low and needs changed. The initial warning supposedly indicates 24 hours remaining, but I've never tested it that long to see. If I didn't already realize I wasn't breathing, a series of three beeps followed by two more mean it's disconnected and not working. I learned a few years ago this is an international standard that indicates a major medical warning. In other words, beeps have become so integrated into our world, they now have national standards. Starting around late November, I heard a new sequence of three beeps I wasn't familiar with.

They happened very rarely and seemingly with no apparent cause. My breathing wasn't affected, so I let it go for a while as an oddity. A few weeks ago, I finally asked Synapse Biomedical, my pacemaker's developer, what they meant. They had me send pictures of the wires that come from my chest to try to spot any damage. Everything looked fine to my caregiver and I, but they spotted something that could be the issue.

Communicating by email Wednesday morning resulted in a company representative flying in and standing at my bed side Thursday afternoon. He moved wires around in every direction, but couldn't duplicate the beeps. Therefore, he carefully trimmed the delicate wires that protrude from my body and reconnected them as normal. Everything seemed to be fine, until the three beeps were again heard Friday morning. They continued sporadically last weekend and early this past week as well.

In frustration, I had my caregiver change the cable that goes between me and the DPS control unit. Since that change Thursday morning, the beeps have yet to return as I write this on Saturday evening.

Living the quad life has days of uncertainty, guessing, and learning. This week I learned that my beeping electronic friend may just be saying a simple change is needed. I'm also thankful for quick response to problems and the reminder from God of every breath He provides.