My "almost-one-year" post LVRS checkup

[pennypa]

For anyone that's interested in numbers, here are the ones from my almost-one-year checkup and pft. These are taken on a different machine than all the previous ones and, according to the pulmo, each machine registers a little different. I had a lady pulmo today and she said the lungs sound good...meaning she could hear air in all but the very top of the right lung. No one has every heard lung sounds there so.....

I told her I haven't had a pulmo since the lvrs and she can be my 'winter' pulmo. I also said that no one told me whether or not to continue the pre-lvrs meds or not so I just continued the spiriva. She put me back on advair, continue the spiriva, and gave me a script for proventil. So I should be set now.

FEV1 went from 54% in July to 47% now but I can live with that. I think it slid because I haven't been keeping up with the strong exercising since we've been on the road. My bad; very bad!

My RV went from a whopping 156% down to only 76%. That's fantastic!!

And my DLCO went from 41% to 69% (or to 49%, depending on what number I used last time. I can't find the last pft results so that improvement is a little up in the air. Either way, it improved a little, at least.

So, she seemed pleased; I'm pleased. Even with the FEV1 going down, I'm still feeling 200% better than before the surgery.

[larrynz]

Sounds good Penny and nice to know you are enjoying life on the road.
I think most of us drop off if we get slack on the exercise.

[maryaz]

That is a really good post to read Penny. Thanks for sharing. I like to read some positive once in while. You enjoy all you can. You worked for it. I think it is so good of you to come back and share.

As for CI, I think just a few spoil things for the many often times. So many asked you to come back after you left. Sometimes check the source of who is doing the complaining. I cannot understand anyone not being happy for you. Take care and enjoy life. Bring a Photo next time. ;D

[pennypa]

Mary, visit my travel blog. Got photos in there.

I do still go to CI, just not the main board anymore. Try to keep up on the Surgical Options board, though.

I'm hoping 2009 is a better year for you as I've read you've had all the sh*t thrown at you in 2008. Hopefully, there's no more sh*t left!!

[maryaz]

Thanks Penny. Forgot about the Blog. I knew that. I have been so out of touch on the Internet.

You are right, it has been a full year. Thanks for the well wishes. We are hoping for a better year. So far okay.

Enjoy.

[Colleen-NC]

Penny, great results. Keep up the good work. Been following your adventures, looks like your really enjoying your travels. Some beautiful country out there.

[Toby]

Thanks for posting all the information on your follow-up. It is so good to here something possitive. Take care

[sue]

Way to go Penny!! Im glad you got good results! Thank you for giving us an update, Im with Mary, it's always good to see something positive. I enjoy reading your blog also, I have it bookmarked.

[pennypa]

Colleen, it's unbelievable and oh, so hard to describe, the beauty down here in the Texas Hill Country...and all along the route we've taken to get here. I can see, though, how it would be quite a shock for a person to fly from here to PA during the summer and all of a sudden be surrounded by lush green!

Bob met a man here whose son lives in Effort! Nope, he didn't get the guys name.

[blondie]

Penny, it is so good to her from you. I've been wondering where you were.

I have only been through Texas once and that was on a Greyhound bus. sigh I have never actually traveled through it. I have heard it has some beautiful areas.

Keep up the good work and a question please? Can exercise bring up one's DLCO? Mine dropped from 56% to 41% after pneumonia last year. Pat

[pennypa]

Yes, Pat, it can because exercise will help your lungs get more O2 into the blood (you take deeper breaths) so there will be more O2 to pass through the cell walls. Anemia can be the cause of low DLCO, too. However, there's something called DLCO adjusted which takes some of this all into account.

Heck, going through TX on a greyhound bus is more Texas than I'd seen up to our journey.

[blondie]

Penny, thanks for that information. I do know I became very anemic in 2007 and had to stay overnight at the hospital and got transfused two units of blood. I don't know why that happened..My pcp has me go for lab work frequently and he hasn't indicated any anemia.

I joined the YMCA yesterday and plan to go as often as I can. I think later today after the teeny-boppers have their PE classes there:)

Regarding that Greyhound bus experience. I was about 20 years old and I recall driving through the outskirts of Dallas and there was a fire in town. I clearly remember that after all these years. I always think of Texas like the movie Giant. Flat, dusty land with cattle..lol Pat

[hollyfrance]

Penny,Are you a friend of Karen Bastille's? Well, believe it or not, I have read up on you trip and LVRS & you 're the one who put Karen's blog on your site so we have become friends as well! She's a lovely gal & does so much! Glad I have caught up with you! Holly France

[pennypa]

Holly, Karen has a really good website! Both of mine are just ramblings...the first one about the trip TO lvrs and the other one about our travels around the country AFTER lvrs. Karen has a real website, LOL.

Pat,, we're in what they call the hill country and it's really neat. Not dusty but full of scrub=type trees....and if there's cattle in there, they're hiding! Seriously, there ARE cattle in those bushes but since the ranches are soooo big, they could be anywhere EXCEPT near the roads where we can see them.

[hollyfrance]

PENNY, YOUR STORY WAS AND IS FANTASTIC AND I STARTED TO READ ABOUT YOU LAST YEAR AND AM SO GLAD TO FINALLY HAVE CAUGHT UP WITH YOU . IT WAS OUR DREAM TO GET A CAMPER AND GO FROM EAST TO WEST AND STOP WHERE EVER WE WANTED ! NOW THAT I4M ON OXY 24/7 IT'S OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR THE MOMENT BECAUSE OF INSURANCE ,BUT STILL HOLDING WHAT EVER LITTLE BREATH I HAVE LEFT TO DO THIS TRIP! THEY WONT GIVE ME AN LVRS HERE AS NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO DO THAT OPERATION (THAT'S WHAT THEY TELL ME) SO I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE US TO SEE IF IT COULD BE DONE IN BOSTON? YOU WOULDN'T KNOW OF SOME ONE THERE WOULD YOU? ANYWAY ,TAKE CARE AND KEEP WELL. SMILES,HOLLY

[blondie]

Holly, in case Penny doesn't get back to this thread soon, she had her LVRS done at Duke University (north Carolina I believe) and they put her through some pretty strnuous rehab beforehand. She's been very very lucky. I don't think anyone on this forum doesn't admire her. Pat

[roadtrip]

Penny, you went through so much and are doing so well. While the doctors did their part you gave it all and through all your hard work and grit you came through your surgery with great success. You are a shining star and a great leader in training others on this surgical procedure.

Job well done!