Even though I fired my first pulmo doc, I knew I needed pulmonary rehab even though I still led a rather active life. Basically, I needed 'disease specific exercise'. After asking around, I finally went to the Palmerton Hospital, the only hospital in the area offering pulmo rehab.
Before enrolling in rehab, I had to have a stress test...on a bicycle...breathing tube in my mouth, wires hanging all over. Final decision of pulmo doctor attending.... “Severe exercise limitation due to both cardiac and respiratory compromise.” Also saw the statement...”Vertical axis and p. pulmonale at rest.” P Pulmonale?? That’s my heart!! Hit the COPD boards, almost in tears ‘cause I was sure I was going to die within a year, and got reassured by Larry/GA, Wes, and a couple of others that the end wasn’t as near as I thought. Whew! Another great fear alleviated by the people on the boards.
Asked the rehab staff who they’d recommend as a pulmo doctor and they said a Dr. Zasik from the Bethlehem Pulmonary Associates. He comes up to Palmerton once a month (did I tell you we're in a rather rural area of Pennsylvania?) so I made an appointment with Dr. Zasik. He “hmmmm’d” and “ahhhh’d” and listened and probed and said he would get me into rehab but I would have to wear O2. O2??? Did he say O2??
Back to the boards I went. I’m too young for O2! I’m not sick enough for O2! HELP!! Again, gently (well, sometimes not so gently) I was told that O2 was good for my heart, my lungs, my liver, my kidneys, and all those other little organs living inside my body so off I went to rehab...wearing O2. My pcp must have been doing something right for me, though (except I SHOULD have been on O2 much sooner) because Dr. Zasik didn’t change a single med.
The status quo stayed pretty even for the next year or two. One bout of pneumonia landed me in the hospital for 2 weeks in January of 2005 but, contrary to what pulmo doc #1 said, I did come out!
Several times during my visits with Dr. Zasik he asked if I’d consider a transplant. Nope; no way, thank you. I was quite happy with the way things were going. Then in November of 2005, he suggested I look into LVRS. He gave me the name of a doctor at Temple University in Philadelphia but around that time, Dr. Cooper, THE doctor in LVRS, moved to the University of Pennsylvania. Heck, I figured if I was going to be turned down, I might as well be turned down by the best! So, gang, sit tight.....here we go!!
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6 comments:
Hi penny my name is Linda I Have enjoyed your blog.
Penny, I'm new at this whole thing but am most impressed by your blog and attitude It's great and I'll be visiting. Thanks. Thom (thomwest2634)
Me, too!
Joycie in the UK
Hi Penny! I use to live in Pennsylvania, and moved from Pennsylvania to Florida about 14 years ago. I really miss it! But, we lived in Windber Pa..beside Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has LVRS also! Anyhow, I have quit cigarette smoking around 22 years ago. I am new to this too..have been told that I may have COPD, but have not had my Pulmonary Function test yet. I mostly wanted to let you know that I am loving your blog site! Thank you for sharing your site with us...so uplifting and encouraging..my main problem is that I have been feeling so alone and hopeless in knowing what to do or where to turn. Thank you for helping!
Hi Penny,
Your blog is so wonderful to read! I was diagnosed officially with severe COPD a little over a years ago at the ripe old age of 58. First time I went to the Pulm he did a PFT and then told me that a patient with my numbers generally is looking at 5 years of life left. Talk about a bomb shell! Other than some shortness of breath I didn't feel that bad. He said I should be on O2 and start Pulm Rehab. Since then I have been fighting with a poor attitude of "what's the use". With planning for the future or anything else for that matter. I'll be 60 in November and feel no different than I did that first visit to him. Actually last visit he said my numbers improved a little. When I asked him what options I had for treatment, he said the only one was to get on O2 as I am on Anoro and that is the med of choice. He told me that transplant wasn't an option because I'll soon be 60 and they don't do it after that age. I felt like he handed me a death sentence to which there was no hope. I am sorry to go on and on.....just reading you first entries sounded like a page out of my journal. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. God Bless!
Hi Whoever. Do you know what your FEV1 was when you did the PFT? Make sure you get copies of all your tests for your own medical files. And he's full of donkey dust if he thinks "they" don't do transplants after the age of 60. If you would send me your email addy, I would like to discuss this further with you. And NO, it is NOT a death sentence so get rid of that "what's the use" attitude and get out here and enjoy life!! My email addy is pitapony at yahoo dot com.
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