Yes, I'm still the same person who wrote yesterday from a really depressed frame of mind.
I went to the new pulmonologist this morning. Of course the directions through maps took me in many wrong turns.
But I must tell you that the parking lots, the roads and the hospital itself is the most confusing layout I've ever experienced. And after the mess around Mission Hospital in Asheville, it's really something to have more spaghetti turns possible!
So I finally just decided to go the information desk in the Mercy/Common Spirit Hospital. There I was happy to have someone take me via wheelchair to the office that was just 3 hallways away. Eventually I want to be able to walk it on my own, but I was grateful for the assistance today.
New pulmonologist is happy, encouraging, and had believable rebuttals to the test results. He said he pays more attention to how people are, how they look, speak, breathe, and whether their face has color in it.
I passed his test. I told him my history and had sent some of the test results from Asheville. I said I felt like I was never going to be able to walk around and enjoy living here. He said it might take as long as 6 months to acclimate to living over a mile high. (6512 feet)
And I almost cried, after telling him the Xray and test results made me think I was dying. Again he said the tests weren't all that important to him. Wow! Not many doctors say that. We did discuss how my conditions with bronchiectasis are, and he encouraged me to cough more. Yes, I know that. But it is always such a relief to have days with little coughing. But I remember that the mucous can build up and keep me from having good oxygen exchange if I don't. So I'm going to pay better attention to using the vibrating things to help shake the stuff out (with coughs).
The rest of the good news is that he's recommending me to have pulmonary rehab again. I really got good results when I did that twice in Asheville, even though it's only twice a week here. And he recommended some physical therapy since I'm reducing my walking and feel unsure on my feet. Some of that may be related to the neuropathy in both legs.
So now I admit I will be continuing to add more things to take care of taking care of the old bod. But as I drove home I thought, I take care of my car, to keep it running. Now I just will pay more attention to my body. Geese, I gave up on make up and hair styles years ago...you cannot put on eye liner with shaky fingers! A quick brush through my hair is great most days. My car sometimes gets in the car wash, but it's exterior is much like my own, a bit worn.
Of course my anxious self came up with one thought to consider...I'll need to drive all the way out to the hospital for all those treatments, and snow season is coming. I hadn't thought to get snow tires. I wonder...
