Field Report . . .
Today's Field Report is health related!
Back in August, I went to see my asthma doctor. I was not in a very good place at that time. In fact, my breathing was so wonky that they couldn't do the spirometry testing because they knew they wouldn't get anything close to an accurate reading. Nothing was OK. I ended up having to take the P-Bomb and another Z-pac (my third in 10 months), and my blood pressure was 145/80. I had no idea that uncontrolled asthma could affect so many areas of my body in so many adverse ways.
The doc adjusted my maintenance meds and told me to come back in November so we could get an accurate spirometry test. The P-Bomb did its job (and it sucked, oh well). So did the Z-pac, and I've slowly made a breathing comeback :-) In the mean time, we did try a different asthma maintenance med - about three weeks ago - because I felt like I was using my rescue inhaler a little too often, but bone pain is not a side effect that I'm willing to live with, so I went back to my current med and have done pretty well on it.
On Friday I went back to the asthma doc for my check up.
My asthma is back in the realm of controlled, but I still have a ways to go. I'm still having to use my rescue inhaler more often than I would like, but my spirometry test was really very, very good, and I think it will be even better when I go back again in March because he's switching me to a newer version of the maintenance med that I already take. It's a slightly different delivery system and dosage, and it's supposed to work better, I'm willing to give it a try as long as bone pain (a rare side effect that unfortunately I get occasionally - usually only with really high doses of inhaled steroids) is not part of the deal. So far, so good :-)
Oh - and my blood pressure was 120/78 which is back down way closer to my formerly normal 110/70. Yay!!
While I was there, my asthma doc took a look at my right knee because it's been hurting so much. He's not an orthopedic doctor, but he is an internist and has had a lot of experience with his own knees. After some manipulation (that hurt), the short story is that my knee appears to be "loose." He suggested that I get to my primary care doctor and have it looked at, and said not to let anyone operate on it, just request physical therapy. And so, today, I'm headed over to my own internist and will have both my knees and my right shoulder checked out.
After a short discussion with my doc's assistant, my guess is that today will yield X-ray(s) and some PT, and maybe a stronger anti-inflammatory. But I'm not a doctor so I will have to wait and see.
To paraphrase the late, great Bette Davis: This getting old ain't for sissies!
Cross your fingers :-)
Back in August, I went to see my asthma doctor. I was not in a very good place at that time. In fact, my breathing was so wonky that they couldn't do the spirometry testing because they knew they wouldn't get anything close to an accurate reading. Nothing was OK. I ended up having to take the P-Bomb and another Z-pac (my third in 10 months), and my blood pressure was 145/80. I had no idea that uncontrolled asthma could affect so many areas of my body in so many adverse ways.
The doc adjusted my maintenance meds and told me to come back in November so we could get an accurate spirometry test. The P-Bomb did its job (and it sucked, oh well). So did the Z-pac, and I've slowly made a breathing comeback :-) In the mean time, we did try a different asthma maintenance med - about three weeks ago - because I felt like I was using my rescue inhaler a little too often, but bone pain is not a side effect that I'm willing to live with, so I went back to my current med and have done pretty well on it.
On Friday I went back to the asthma doc for my check up.
My asthma is back in the realm of controlled, but I still have a ways to go. I'm still having to use my rescue inhaler more often than I would like, but my spirometry test was really very, very good, and I think it will be even better when I go back again in March because he's switching me to a newer version of the maintenance med that I already take. It's a slightly different delivery system and dosage, and it's supposed to work better, I'm willing to give it a try as long as bone pain (a rare side effect that unfortunately I get occasionally - usually only with really high doses of inhaled steroids) is not part of the deal. So far, so good :-)
Oh - and my blood pressure was 120/78 which is back down way closer to my formerly normal 110/70. Yay!!
While I was there, my asthma doc took a look at my right knee because it's been hurting so much. He's not an orthopedic doctor, but he is an internist and has had a lot of experience with his own knees. After some manipulation (that hurt), the short story is that my knee appears to be "loose." He suggested that I get to my primary care doctor and have it looked at, and said not to let anyone operate on it, just request physical therapy. And so, today, I'm headed over to my own internist and will have both my knees and my right shoulder checked out.
After a short discussion with my doc's assistant, my guess is that today will yield X-ray(s) and some PT, and maybe a stronger anti-inflammatory. But I'm not a doctor so I will have to wait and see.
To paraphrase the late, great Bette Davis: This getting old ain't for sissies!
Cross your fingers :-)
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