Today and Yesterday

Today it is now 2:50pm and I just woke up from a very long nap. People do not realize how even the little things we do wipe us out. I had my usual blood work done for my Protime/INR done to check my warfarin (blood thinner) levels I am okay at 2.4. I took my last antibiotic this morning and I just figured out that is also making me very tired. I slept from 11am until now 2:50pm.

Yesterday: I am done with physical therapy, nothing more can be done for my knee, mainly because I can not exercise on land because of my lungs. I am very happy with the range of motion 3 degrees to 103 degrees of bend. The best I have ever had in 15 yrs. God has helped me do this with the dr. and therapist.

Pulmonary appointment: It didn't go as I planned - I thought that since my knee is doing better I could do the 6mw (6 minute walk). Within 2 mins I had to stop, I almost passed out - no air - I was breathing so fast they said I was hyperventilating. I had to stop the walk at 4-1/2mins I was done. Couldn't breath, dizzy etc... It took about 1/2 hr to breath right. My walk was only 150 meters but up from 5 months ago which was 120 meter - then I did my PFT (pulmonary function test). You have to breath in and out in a tube to a machine. That came back abnormal.

My dr being the concerned doc he is said, "I don't think we are only dealing with PH". He mentioned my walk is not normal (no kidding, I knew that). The PFT showed I wasn't getting enough air out of my lungs which he says suggests a lung problem due to Lupus or another autoimmune disease. What bothered him the most he said, was the 02 or oxygen usually drops when walking or exercising - mine went up to normal, when it started out low 90's.

I told him if he is looking for Lupus the test ANA never comes back positive - he said that doesn't matter something is wrong. I had 10 vials of blood drawn looking for anemia, Lupus, Crest and other stuff which I couldn't remember what he said, he is concerned because of the recent bout with pericarditis.

He is sending these results to my Cardio Surgeon so he can order some more tests like a TEE (transesophageal echocardiography), stress echo (exercise echo), RHC (right heart catherization) and whatever else he thinks I need before starting me on PH meds. My last echo was 43, the RHC was 30 so repeats are necessary.

On Tuesday the 11th I see the heart dr and get my blood test results as well as finding out what, when, where, and how the next tests will be done.

As many of my friends know I have been uniquely made. I was never normal or fit in a box. The test results just proved it. Time to go eat lunch I'm getting hungry.