It’s March! Well, of course it is, Sally. But March is very
special, because it means I made it through February and making it through
February means I made it through my next pulmonary appointment. Two, in fact. I
did so good at the first one, it won me a second one. And still I know….very
little. Or maybe I know a lot but have no idea what it means.
We threw on the ole “climbing shoes” and took to the stairs!
Well, we did this after donning on a spiffy super thick and super wide velvety red head
band (I know you are jealous), an electrode glued to my forehead under the head
band all of which was connect by two cables to a monitor which Lung Guru carried
while walking beside me. We were a hoot to say the least. Down the halls we
went, up the halls we went, down the stairs, up the stairs, down the halls, up
the halls, down the stairs, up the stairs, over and over while recording my
oxygen saturations. I was a sweaty mess with hair puffed up on the top of my
head when all was said and done. Either my head was too big for the headband,
or my hair too silky (let’s go with that one) because about 3 or 4 times the velvety
thick headband about shot off the top of
my head, each time taking my hair higher and higher. At one point during our
walk (in the hallways where I work!), one little girl of about six years at
best walked by and looked at me as if she had seen a lady with 3 heads. Then she smiled and giggled when I finally
gave her a goofy look. I couldn’t resist. I knew I looked like a hot mess, and
I knew she was trying to figure out why I had cables coming out of my head. After
the little girl, I only ran into 4 coworkers, who don’t even work in that building,
while sporting this fabulous straight off of a Richard Simmons video look. Now
how does that always happen to me?! I packed up my embarrassment and threw it
into my stride hurrying as quickly as I could to get back to the clinic office.
We don’t know if I passed or failed. We decided that I
passed in that my oxygen didn’t drop as low as last time (89%), but failed in that
I still dropped to 94%. Quite honestly, we have no idea what to make of it. 94
is better than 89. And now it’s just a number without a cause. My CT just doesn’t
look significant enough to give me these symptoms. And 94% isn’t really all
that worrisome given that it wasn’t 89%. There is fibrosis, but it is not
impressive fibrosis. My heart works perfect. Also not a reason to give me these problems.
So we decided to chalk it up to maybe asthma…until appointment number two,
where I had a 60 minute asthma challenge….and passed with flying colors. What????
I could not have been more surprised. I would have bet the bank that not only
did I have asthma, but I had worsening asthma compared to a year ago. Good
thing I didn’t bet the bank. Good thing because I would look horrible in
burlap.
So this is where we will most likely land ….my chest has
been radiated far too much. My chest has been operated on far too much. My
chest wall has simply decided to be less expandable than it once has been. Less
expandable = less lung volume = what we are seeing on the pulmonary function
tests = periodic lung symptoms = I am simply just not going to worry about it
anymore. All I really needed to know was do I have fibrosis? Yes. Is it the
progressive kind? No. Do I have asthma as I have always been told. Doesn’t appear so. (Though I still have asthma symptoms in exercise, cold weather, and a respiratory illness). Are my lungs
just tired? Yes. Does it matter? Who knows? I simply think I am going to be
done with this lung workup and if my symptoms progress, start back over then. I say all of this having not yet spoken to
Lung Guru after my asthma test (the respiratory therapist gave me the news), nor
do I have the official read on that test, but I feel sure this is where she
will land too. She said we would chat this week once she had a chance to look at
the most recent test. I’m thinking Lung Guru has to think I am off my rocker. Maybe
the little girl in the hallways pegged me right all along. I’m a lady with
three heads. I’m an enigma. But I’m still lovable right?
