Waterboarding appointment on the 17th.
For anyone reading this that has ever had a bronchoscopy (without sedation) you'll very definitely understand my concern about an appointment I have coming up.
But first, I was able to review the results of some chest xrays and CT scans with the pulmonary physician that has been working with me. The results show clear improvement since November last year. By the account of some medically inclined folks with pulmonary training there was a solid chance that I might not have survived. Had I not gone in when I did it's a near certainty I wouldn't be here now.
One of the processes at that time to help diagnose that problem was a bronchoscopy. This is a process where a small camera at the end of a long and flexible tube is . . .
. . .inserted into your nose and pushed down through your sinuses into the back of the wind pipe (bronchial tube) and down into the lungs. At very stages a numbing fluid (and a whole lot of it) is used to ease the discomfort associated with the process. Sedation is typically an option to help the patient relax. Because of my precarious health at the time no sedation was used. The end result of being unable to breath well on my own and having quite a bit of fluid introduced into my wind pipe had me feeling like I was going to drown constantly.
Heck, I was ready to confess to the September 11th attacks. It was awful.
But I'm all set to do it again. This time with sedation (and hopefully less drowning). The CT scans showed that while my lungs have been improving there are some significant spots that are showing up where they were not before. This is cause for serious concern since this could be a new infection, a fungal infiltration, or possibly lymphoma spreading to the lungs.
As such an attendant procedure to the bronchoscopy will be a biopsy of a couple of the locations. I can't imagine that this will be a pleasant experience but I don't anticipate a hospital stay because of it.
At least I'm very familiar with this game - the waiting game.
On a more prurient note - I had an incredibly vivid (unusual for me) dream that I was having an intimate moment with the singer Pink last night. I woke up and turned on the TV and there was a video playing from Pink. Imagine my amusment.
But first, I was able to review the results of some chest xrays and CT scans with the pulmonary physician that has been working with me. The results show clear improvement since November last year. By the account of some medically inclined folks with pulmonary training there was a solid chance that I might not have survived. Had I not gone in when I did it's a near certainty I wouldn't be here now.
One of the processes at that time to help diagnose that problem was a bronchoscopy. This is a process where a small camera at the end of a long and flexible tube is . . .
. . .inserted into your nose and pushed down through your sinuses into the back of the wind pipe (bronchial tube) and down into the lungs. At very stages a numbing fluid (and a whole lot of it) is used to ease the discomfort associated with the process. Sedation is typically an option to help the patient relax. Because of my precarious health at the time no sedation was used. The end result of being unable to breath well on my own and having quite a bit of fluid introduced into my wind pipe had me feeling like I was going to drown constantly.
Heck, I was ready to confess to the September 11th attacks. It was awful.
But I'm all set to do it again. This time with sedation (and hopefully less drowning). The CT scans showed that while my lungs have been improving there are some significant spots that are showing up where they were not before. This is cause for serious concern since this could be a new infection, a fungal infiltration, or possibly lymphoma spreading to the lungs.
As such an attendant procedure to the bronchoscopy will be a biopsy of a couple of the locations. I can't imagine that this will be a pleasant experience but I don't anticipate a hospital stay because of it.
At least I'm very familiar with this game - the waiting game.
On a more prurient note - I had an incredibly vivid (unusual for me) dream that I was having an intimate moment with the singer Pink last night. I woke up and turned on the TV and there was a video playing from Pink. Imagine my amusment.