SIIIGH. To think I have a mild case of CF and all those children and teens who suffer so greatly everyday with SO MUCH medication and treatments. I am so blessed to be so healthy. Everything is relative....
I’ve been coughing up loogies (AKA thick phlegm) for a few weeks. The coughing is somewhat normal, the loogies, not so much. I’ve been to the acupuncturist and been taking herbs, which are helping greatly, (finally got 8 hours of sleep last night) but because the cough is so harsh, I haven’t been able to work. Then I get a random phone call from my CF clinic. SHAAAA! Last time I saw the Dr., in June of 2010, they put a PICC in my arm. I put it in the air. I said “I feel like shit,” and then the clinic calls. The power of the word….watch what you say.
I’m really resistant to western medicine with all their colorfull pills and fancy knives, but I recognize the need to have regular care by a CF physician and some necessary testing. I should at least hold up my end of the deal and make a twice yearly visit.
I dislike the Dr. with a passion, not a specific Dr. (ok well a few), but in general. Some hate the dentist, I prefer the dentist. I’ve managed to only go to the Dr. once I’m already sick. Not the best plan considering I have a chronic illness, but preventative care involves pills, needles, breathing treatments, vests and some other shit I hate. Ok, so illness requires the same, but on a limited time frame.
I made my annual appointment at the CF clinic. My Dr. sent in lab requests for 11 vials of blood, urine test and sputum (loogie) culture. 2 phlebotomists later and 5 sticks, they get their blood and I’m off to pee in a cup. Then my dietician tells me we need to see how pancreatic insufficient I am. Sometimes I feel like my life with CF just started.
So what exactly are they looking for in my blood anyway? Vitamin levels, specifically A, D, E and K. Those are the fat soluble vitamins we CF patients are unable to absorb properly because of our pancreatic insufficiency. We take a supplement (ADEK’s) to get those vitamins into our system. It usually requires a digestive enzyme to break down and absorb the vitamin supplement. That means I’m taking 2 pills instead of one. Did I mention I hate pills? Oh, and the enzymes are made from porcine pancreatic enzyme (pig enzymes) …uhh right, I just found this out after YEARS of not eating meat. You’d think they would have mentioned that. ERRRRR.. FYI, I haven’t taken any pills, except 2 superdoses (1 a week for two months) of Vitamin D and the occasional enzyme for the last year. I did say I hate pills.
Other tests include blood platelets and calcium, which are responsible for clotting the blood. Calcium and vitamin K must be present in blood to support the formation of clots (see above ADEK’s). If your blood is lacking these nutrients, it will take longer than normal for your blood to clot. If these nutrients are missing, you could bleed to death. The blood platelet count will rise when inflammation or illness is present in the body. This test helped diagnose my autoimmune disorders:
I saw the Dr. today and the tests results are in: LOW in all vitamins, especially vitamin D and A. The plan: 2 months of weekly superdoses of vitamin D, 1x daily enzyme (found a vegetarian option) to absorb daily ADEK’s. Did I mention I hate pills. AHHHHH! At least it’s minimal.
I took my Pulmonary Function Tests (western medicine). Normally my FVC and FEV1 are about 130%. Today, for the first time EVER my FVC was 135% and my FEV1 102%! At first glance, to almost anyone in the CF world, this is flippin’ awesome!!! Over 100% is a rare pulmonary function test. But for me, that means my lung capacity has dropped 30%!!!!! O HELLL NAAA! This is a serious situation. This means I have enough phlegm in my lungs that I am unable to successfully cough it up, blow it out or move it. Who wants to start training for a marathon? I need to start running again! GREAT STRIDES, here I come!
What is the plan? THE DREADED ANTIBIOTICS!!! AHHHHHHH! I hate pills and a PICC line is out of the question so fortunately, I can get them via inhalation. This is the Rx: One Month of
2x a day Albuterol (inhaled bronchial dialator to prepare for the next step); 15 minutes of inhaled Hypertonic Saline (7% sodium chloride), which will break down the phlegm so I can hack it out; followed by the antibiotic Tobramycin. For a final touch, I’ll be drinking my homemade kombucha and BIO K to get those PRO-Biotics that replace the GOOD Flora the antibiotics kill.
Let me know if you want to take a run....
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