a strange coincidence? I think not

    For years, my pulmonologist has been telling me that I have Asthma, as well as the Sacroidosis. I have, all along, been rejecting this notion. At least until my last visit, this past fall.


    As usual, he mentioned Asthma. This time I lost my temper. I asked him why does he keeps telling me I have Asthma? How can he tell? This time, he took my hands, looked me right in the eye, and told me that Sarcoid patients don't wheeze. Well, that took the wind right out of my sails, and shut me right up. All I could say was "Oh."


    Almost as long as I've had Sacroid, I've wheezed. I thought it was just part of that disease. I have never even met another Sacroid patient. When I was first diagnosed, I scoured the internet, and never found anything about wheezing. I thought it was just how it was.


   Last week, when I went to that other doctor, I mentioned that I also have Asthma. It was the first time I mentioned it, ever. I've called it "coming out of the Asthma closet". The strange coincidence part? It was at that moment, that very moment, my wheezing subsided. Not completely, but significantly.


    It was as if my Asthma was content that I finally admitted that I have it. All these years the wheezing was just my Asthma trying to get my attention.  Well, it's got my attention now.


    Today I saw my primary doctor for a physical. He was very surprised that I wasn't wheezing. He listened to my lungs, then I told him the closet story. He laughed, but admitted that he had never heard my lungs sound so clear.


    Coincidence? I think not! If there are any Sarcoid patients out there reading this, please comment, I'd like to hear from you.

And Now For Something Completely Different!

    Sometime last month, I saw my pulmonologist. He ordered a CT scan of my chest. A week later, I got a phone call from his nurse, telling me the Dr. wants me to go visit my cardiologist. She doesn't say why. I have no idea if they saw something on the CT scan... or what.


    So I make an appointment, I am lucky I don't have to wait three weeks. He can see me the next week. Then I get a call, the Dr. is sick, next week he's on vacation, and the week after that, he has hospital duty. So that pushes it back three weeks anyway!


   I finally got to see him last week. I asked him the reason the other Dr. asked for the consult. He told me they want to rule out any other possible cause for the increased shortness of breath. During that visit, I had the sonogram of the heart, I forget the fancy name for it. I also had an EKG. Tomorrow I get to do a Nuclear Stress Test. They are going to inject me with some radioactive substance, make me sit for a long time, then take special pictures of my heart. Then I get on the treadmill, to get my heart rate up, and take more pictures.


   Sounds like fun, doesn't it? But with my lung issues, the treadmill part should be interesting. The Dr. asked me more than once if I could do it. I told him I would do the best I could. He did say that if I can't do it for too long, it will still be useful information.


    The worst part, for me, is the radioactive stuff. After that IV, I can't be around little kids for 24 - 48 hours. That means I can't babysit Tuesday because of the test, and Wednesday because of the radioactive stuff. I told Miss Malia's mom that it's entirely up to her, whether I come Wednesday or not. She found someone else for that day. I can't even go hang at the karate school Wednesday evening either. That sucks.


   I guess it's all good. Better to find out now if there is a problem, right? Hubs is concerned about the test itself, he's worried it may wear me out too much to even drive home. I promised him that if I am too tired, or if anything at all is bothering me, I would call him, and he can come get me.


    Then on Thursday, I get to celebrate my birthday with my good friend Kim, and her Cherub, who are coming over to swim after Hubs goes to work. And they will be bearing gifts! Does it get any better than that? I think not!