Hi All,
Well, the results (all 16 of them) are in- I don't have sarcoidosis! Yay, yay, yay!
Let's back up a hair. When we last spoke, I had gathered up all my gumption and told the fancy lung doctor that I didn't want to have the broncoscopy. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth (on their side, not mine) but I was able to get it postponed. But then my cardiologist confirmed that she'd like to have the test done, just so we could rule out sarcoid totally.
So I had the test and it wasn't that bad. I saw the doc this week for the results and before he told me it was clean, he wagged his finger at me, scolding me for not listening to him and "getting worked up" about the whole thing. Evidently he does not frequently get his authority questioned. I then rolled my eyes at him (Blatantly too. Like 7th grader style) and said "Whatever". Not my proudest, most mature moment, but he dragged it out of me! Whatever.
We seemed to call a truce after that and he told me the test was perfectly clean and that he was comfortable scratching sarcoidosis off the "what the heck made this girl so sick" list. He did tell me that my lungs do have a problem with how much oxygen they diffuse to my body. Somehow this isn't the same thing as the oxygenation of my blood (measured by that little thing they clip on your finger). That level is always great. This is something else. All I know is 80% is good enough. Mine was 65% two months after I was diagnosed and now it's 52%. I can't remember what the level is where we start to get worried, but for now, we'll just do another breathing test in 4 months to see if it's changed.
I also saw my main heart doc and she was happy with how I'm doing these days. She said I look a lot better, and seem to have more energy. She was pleased to hear I'm going to school but warned me about pushing myself too hard. She's definitely right- I have to watch that. My type-A side comes out something awful with school and I do crazy things. I've been known to leave a vacation early so I could get more study time in. And then make the professor cookies just to be sure the A was in the bag. (FYI, the cookies worked. But where does that pesky brown-noser rep come from?)
Anyway, I'm excited about school and the opportunities it will bring. Every time I hear a speaker or read a case study, I get so excited about work again. I can't wait to find the right fit for me down the road.
Oh and by the way, I'm now a University of Washington Husky! (Only behind the Texas Longhorns. I can't betray the Longhorns- it's in my wedding vows). Rrrrruf! (Or whatever the Husky cheer is. I'll learn it soon and get back to you).
Later gators!
Love,
Jana
