So much to blog. It was a lovely surprise when Michael arranged to drive the long trek into the city for my lung doctor appointment yesterday afternoon. It is stressful and I was so relieved that he was driving. I am always a bit nervous as I have often had huge traffic slow downs and have learned to build in extra time to allow for such things. We arrived an hour early! After a nice cup of coffee, we checked in and I had spirometry and DLCO tests.
Michael watched me taking PFTs for the very first time. He said he was breathing along with me while watching the computer screen. My VLC was 52% and DLCO 12.9. Both were slightly better than the last time but I was not happy. I thought both would be much higher after all my hard work in the gym and the lessening need for supplemental oxygen. We met with Dr. K. afterwards. She was so kind! She was nice, even asked how our Thanksgiving was and told us her daughter was getting married in March! Personal conversation!
The good news is that she reduced my prednisone a bit. Nice. I mentioned that recently I have been aspirating my saliva. She said that was usually a sign of anxiety, which brought up an entirely new conversation. She asked what was going on. We told her about mom's heart issues, my brother and sister-in-law's health issues and other worries. She looked at me and said, "You have conquered your weight issue and totally conquered rehab, now you have to do interior work." She said I needed to learn techniques to calm myself when I am anxious or feeling out of control. When I do get new lungs, these techniques will be important to have during that time. Yoga, Tai Chi, relaxation classes. We talked about what is offered through the university but the drive to and from would negate any sense of well being. She suggested that I look for classes locally. She called it a new phase. A learning experience. A New Year's resolution.
The other news is that she estimated that I will need transplants in five to six years and that those should get me to around 75-years old. Done! I'll take it! I thought it was going to be sooner than her estimate and it was rather nice to know. But, it is odd to think that I will be 75 in only sixteen years. Seems so short. Everyday must count.
Also, she has written orders for a pulmonary echo test. I had one many years ago. She also wrote a prescription for antibiotics to have at home in case I need them. I still have to notify her when I begin taking them. Smart. Thank you.
Afterwards, we navigated our way to the German restaurant where we met William a few weeks ago. It was once again fantastic. We brought half of it home for breakfast. Afterwards, we continued working our way through the city to visit British Don who was just out of the hospital. He had four stints installed into his heart on Monday. Very serious. This was the cause of his shortness of breath and pain that we thought was due to a lung problem. He looked fantastic and was feeling even better!
What a day. It was marvelous to be driven around the city, have support during the doctor's appointment, a delicious dinner and a visit with a good friend. The best, though, was spending the day together.
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