A Visit to the Pulmonologist

I went to see a pulmonologist the other day to get checked out to find out how my respiratory department is doing so that I will be able to tell people from the medical perspective how the Porta Lung is beneficial. The doctor wanted me to get a couple of chest x-rays and have a breathing test before I saw him. So I did. We thought the breathing test would be first so we went straight to the Pulmonary Diagnostics department but they wanted me to have the chest x-rays first. So we had to go down to the third floor and then take the crosswalk inside the clinic to Radiology. After I got registered (they registered me at Radiology), we had to do the usual waiting there. Kind of a pain. The chest x-rays were taken in my chair and this was a bit physically taxing for me because they had to sit me forward so that they could squeeze a sponge and a backplate behind my back in my form fitting wheelchair. Consequently, I had to sit on the edge of my seat scrunched up and while they were holding me, I still felt like I had to try to hold myself up - even though I cannot sit up by myself. Fortunately, the two that they took came out well and they didn't have to redo them! Then we went back and up to Pulmonary Diagnostics and waited to have the breathing test done. By this time I was getting tired so my sister tipped my chair back against another chair in the waiting room so that I could recline to be able to breathe easier. I wanted to be as rested as possible for the breathing test and it's hard for me to breathe when I have been upright for a long time. The breathing test was ok....as breathing tests go. I remember years and years when I had these tests and would have to blow these balls up to the top of the machine. I never could do it. So, the thought of having to have a breathing test the other day freaked me out, to say the least. This breathing test was different though. It wasn't exactly easier but.... Tolerable. The test consisted of a graph-like machine in which you had to close your mouth tightly around a mouthpiece so that no air could look out the corners of your mouth. (It was really hard to close my mouth tightly given the fact that I have bucked teeth!). The woman then put a nose plug on my nose to make sure no air leaked out there. Then I was asked to breathe normally fix or six times in order to trigger the machine. Once I triggered the machine with my breathing, I was then asked to take a deep breath in, hold it in to fill up my lungs, and then blow all the air completely in exhaling. The first time I did it, it was easy because I breathed through my trach and the woman didn't realize I had this extra airway. lol! My mom goes "Does it make a difference whether her trach is plugged or not?" After that the trach was plugged when I had to take the breaths in. Rats! I wish my mom hadn't brought it to the woman's attention as it only made it harder. lol! When I took the deep breath in, the machine measured how good my air intake is by how high I could get the gragh to go above the line. My sister told me that I was able to move the graph slightly above the line so I guess that means I'm still alive and pumpin'! Most people can get it to spike up but I got it to just bubble up above the line. Then the test was finished and we went back out to the waiting room for some more waiting. Wish I had brought some lunch because I was famished and they gave us NO TIME to grab a bite to eat from the cafeteria. I saw the doctor at one o'clock (waited about 45 minutes) and much to my surprise, it was a good and successful visit. I liked the doctor a lot and given my experience with doctors, it is rare to find one that will take the time to learn about what makes me tick - negative pressure with a Porta Lung! Dr. Christopher Faber (the pulmonologist I saw) was very kind. In my opinion, he was very smart because he realized that the Porta Lung is the reason for my good health and good respiration levels. So he was very interested to learn all he can about it because it can help many people with chronic respiratory problems like me. Best of all, the Porta Lung requires only one person to take care of the patient instead of a team of nurses which makes it very cost effective and affordable on a long term basis. One important fact: He told me it would benefit people who are in the early stages of ALS. Anyway.... When Dr. Faber told me that there was an Iron Lung in that hospital, that was my queue to give the salespitch on the Porta Lung. He also asked if I would like to try the Cough Assist device and one of the reasons I wanted to see him was to get a prescription to get a Cough Assist. I'd like to try the cough assist because it is a non-invasive alternative to suctioning. So if it worked I could reduce the amount of suctioning that I have to do. Dr. Faber was concerned that if we used the cough assist instead of suctioning my trach would close up, but I have the ability to use the cough assist with a trach adapter. I just have to get a small enough trach to fit in my hole and then attach the cough assist trach adapter to it. That shouldn't be too difficult.