Yesterday, I had my first full Pulmonary Function Tests in over a year and a high resolution CT Scan thrown in for fun. I am radiating! It was a beautifully sunny day with very light traffic when I drove into the city. I was, of course, early enough to have a cup of herbal tea before the CT Scan.
They took me right in. Done within minutes. Easy.
So, off I went across the street to the main hospital. A while ago, I discovered Cert's sugar free 3-Hour Breath Mints and cannot find them anywhere else other than that hospital's gift shop. I bought six rolls! Up to the 13th floor for the PFT, I discovered that it was closed until 1:00. I chatted with another sweet lady who had COPD and was really at the beginning of the whole process. I listened a lot. Sometimes, people just need you to listen.
The PFT's began with the spirometry. A nice 8% increase. Thank you very much. Then the DLCO - diffusion. Ah, the DLCO - the most important number to those of us with an ILD. To review, when I first arrived at the clinic in October 2005, my DLCO was 7.7. They transplant at 7. With drugs, it rose to 12. Once it was 13 for a brief moment. Yesterday, it was 14.8. The highest ever. The other two tests also showed a remarkable increase.
I should also mention here about hemoglobin. Blood is taken during the tests, sent to a lab and the hemoglobin levels are figured into the adjusted number for the DLCO. As one gets closer and closer to the lung transplants, the hemoglobin numbers go higher and higher. It is the body's way of adjusting to the lack of efficient oxygenation of the blood. My hemoglobin number was 16 yesterday. That is high. Not REALLY high, but high.
I have known the crew in the PFT lab for many years. We have become friends. The head of the lab walked in while I was between tests and was shocked at my weight loss. She told me to stand up and take a turn around. How? Weight Management Group. She knew about it.
In other news, the nurses who were on strike are returning to my rehab hospitals this morning. Welcome back! Today is my first rehab class in a week. Boy, am I going to feel it!
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