Trying-Not-to-Seem-Too-Pleased Doctor by Kate, 1/21/09 (MSN Paint)Well now, I suppose this is on the order of a tying-up-loose-ends post. Actually, I have a few of those to do...
*
On Friday, January 9, I had another appointment with Dr. Pulmonologist; I simply haven't had a moment to tell you about it! I'm pretty pleased, because this was the appointment where he told me I can start cutting back on the prednisone. (Which is exactly the way I wrote the script, and Dr. P. read it perfectly without having had so much as a passing glance at it beforehand!)
*
You do you remember, don't you, when I did my "In Praise of Prednisone" advertisement (Dec. 13 post)? I was all like pushing the Big P because it was making me feel so good. At that point, I really was concerned that I would either not want to, or not be able to go off the stuff when the time came...
*
But that changed rather quickly when all that joking about my face being so fat I could no longer get my pants on over my head became a reality! All of a sudden that little inner voice that will not be ignored was telling me it was time to quit. Oh, not cold turkey -- I'd been warned that a weaning process would be necessary, and I was prepared to deal with that. I just knew it was time to get started! Now if only my lovely Dr. Pulmonologist (whom I have continued to respect and trust throughout our 6-month relationship) would agree with me...
*
Naturally, I had made Greg (who was kind enough to accompany me to my appointment with Dr. P.) privy to every little increment of the thought process that had led to my decision to reduce my medication...how I had most definitely seen improvement in my ability to draw a full breath and hold it for more than ten seconds without having it explode uncontrollably from my mouth and nose at the same time; how I was once more able to clog -- wide open, full-speed-ahead -- without my fingers turning blue; how I could read aloud to Jordyn (or to anyone else who might ask) without having to have a continuous feed of menthol cough drops...Why I even pointed out that I was able to sing like a lark, but I couldn't get him to buy that one!
*
Anyway, prednisone has apparently done all of that for me in just about three months. Dare I expect further improvement (i.e., will I ever really be able to carry a tune)? Can I expect things to stay this good? Or should I expect everything to start falling apart again once I get this monkey off my back?
*
I don't know. Neither does Dr. Pulmonologist. He says there's a 30 percent chance of any one of those three outcomes. (Well, maybe not the further-improvement option -- but perhaps we can hope that I'll never have breathing problems again?) And I didn't need to say one word to him about what I was thinking -- that prednisone has done about as much for me as it's going to, and that even if it hasn't completely banished all those nasty little granulomas from my lungs (Oct. 30 post) and put a halt to that insidious scar tissue, the benefits of my staying on 40 milligrams of the stuff no longer seem to outweigh the risks (like maybe strangling myself in a collar or waistband). He just came right out and said exactly what I was about to tell him. (I just knew he'd be able to see things my way! Now what's not to respect and trust about a doctor like that?!!)
*
So I've been doing 30 mg for a few days now. That should continue through February. In March I get to go down to 20. By April, which is when I'll see the good doctor again and have another one of those cool pulmonary function tests -- but not with Mr. Scribbles this time (Oct. 8 and Oct. 14 posts) -- I'll be down to only 10 mg. Oh -- Dr. P. did mention that I may need to stay on a low dose for a while (forever?), but I'm planning to tell him that I won't. I'd rather tote around one of those cans of oxygen. And don't forget -- there's always the OxyBra (Oct. 16 post)!
*
So in tying up those loose ends, I suppose that Dr. Pulmonologist is not the only one with reservations. I'm trying to keep mine hidden, though -- especially from myself. As far as I'm concerned, this is my Happy-Because-I-Got-What-I-Wanted-For-Now post, and I'm trying not to look any further ahead than tomorrow. Well, ok -- maybe I am kind of looking forward to doing one last "doctor" post -- the "Ecstatic Doctor Blog." But in case that's getting too far ahead of myself, perhaps this would be a good time to display my entire "Morphing Doctor" gallery for you -- Remember these guys?
Top: Doctor Blog (Sept. 25), Center: Scary Doctor Blog (Oct. 1), Bottom: Happy Doctor Blog (Nov. 18)
Don't worry, Bloggees -- I'll keep you posted!
No comments:
Post a Comment