Pulmonary Function Test (PFT)

Many people diagnosed with lung restricted diseases are referred to take a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT). National Jewish Health gives an over-all description of what the test will entail.

Routine Pulmonary Function Test

Here is also a link that will help you understand the results of your PFT:

http://www2.nau.edu/~daa/lecture/pft.htm

Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust

Please visit another great website from the UK:  Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust at www.pulmonaryfibrosistrust.org

Standing Tall After The Fall ~Rick Brewer~

There are times in our lives when we lose balance.  With humor and spirit, Rick Brewer shares a moment when this literally happened to him.  He writes...

Well, today was the day. I had thought all along that eventually, I would trip someone with my oxygen tubing until they fell.  Today was the day, the day I tripped myself.  Those of you who have to worry about falling will know the type of fall.  It was the type that you can see everything around you as you are going down. 

You think, "What can I grab to stop myself?  Only to realize there is nothing there to grab." 

So, what to do?  Head toward a wall.  I'm in the bathroom, and was able to avoid a little table in the corner, the stool, the shower, the wastebasket, etc.  I slowly slid down the wall, and kicked the table.  I did manage, on my way down, to somehow catch a bowl of potpourri, and a glass frog that were sitting on, said table, to keep them from breaking.  I also realized while laying there looking up, "We need to clean the dust from the vent fan."

Now, the bigger problem. After checking myself over and realizing I had no serious physical injuries, I now had to get up.  I also had pass through my mind, the rodeos that used to be on ABC's Wide World of Sports.  I vividly was picturing the calf-roping with the calf laying on it's back and it's legs tied and in the air, but, I digress... Ok, for those who don't know me, I had polio.  Little use of my legs, and two, totally torn rotator cuffs, as well as wearing a cannula with 50 ft. of tubing.  My wheelchair is in the vanity area, and I am in the water closet.  I decided not to over think this.  My son, Zach is home and is in his medical training. He was able to get over here in record time.  He had this nifty little belt-like thing to help lift helpless people like me.  Oh yeah, I am not a light person. Fortunately, our neighbor was home as well, and he came over to help.  A couple of tugs, and panting, and I am up on my feet!

There was no time to thank anyone.  I had taken lasix, and had been drinking what felt by that time to be 7 pots of coffee!!  I also had to take the time to un-crimp my Oxygen hose that, by now, is screaming at me with all of it's might.  I now understand why the cat runs like hell, whenever I stand up from my wheelchair. She isn't afraid of me, she is afraid of dying in a tragic smashing accident.

Thank You, Rick for sharing your experience.  You are right, sometimes we need the help of others to regain our balance again and I hope you will leave the dust balls to others ;)  

How can we help prevent falls at home?  Creating a Fall Prevention Checklist might help, which include a few tips such as:  Be sure that you can move safely in bathroom area, and in and out of the tub or 

shower. Remove soap build-up in tub or shower on a regular basis.  Mount grab bars at the toilet, bath and shower on walls with secure reinforcements, to prevent the bars from coming loose.  

More Excellent Tips may be found at:  http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare.NET/Public/Resources/Brochures/docs/Preventing_Falls_Brochure_pagebypage.pdf

Destination Anniversary

 With the diagnosis of my husband's illness, Pulmonary Fibrosis, I have been looking at everything as an opportunity to create a new memory.  When our wedding anniversary approached, I scheduled a mini-trip to a casino about an hour and a half away.  I wanted my husband to feel completely comfortable with the trip because even short destinations can cause him anxiety.  Who can blame him?  Leaving the security of home with this illness, one must take several precautions.  It can be a matter of life or death...

We called the oxygen company two weeks in advance, hoping for a travel machine that provides a continuous stream of air, converted from room air and plugs into the car's cigarette lighter as well as to a regular electrical socket.  The company did not have any and indicated that many people reserve these machines and then do not return them as scheduled. 

Back up plan:  We would bring a 12 gallon liquid oxygen canister, which weighs about 80 pounds.  One of these canisters were delivered and strapped into the back seat of our car.  The idea is that we would bring his mini-machine (about the size of a coffee grinder) which gets filled from the 12 gallon canister and provides short puffs of oxygen into his nose every time he takes a breath.  During the drive he can hook up directly to the 12 gallon and in the room we would utilize the mini-machine and I would refill this machine from the car every four hours. As a final precaution,we would bring another canister that allowed four more additional hours of continuous air (although this one he would use while I refilled the mini-machine).

Sounds like a lot, although I figured it would be worth it just to provide him with a destination and to help break up his schedule at home, which, I imagine at times, seem pretty mundane to him.

Once we were all packed up, we were off to our destination.  Our room was really fun.  A retro, 70's style room, with lots of cool angles and lines.  We wore comfortable, elastic waistband pants with the sole purpose of completely gorging upon the wonderful Friday-night buffet -and that we did!  After dinner, we returned to the room and I ran out to the car to refill his mini-canister. 

We settled in for the night and once he was comfortable and in bed, I took his saturation readings with a finger pulse-oximeter.  For those not familiar, this tells us the oxygen level in his blood, as well as monitors his heart rate.  A safe saturation level for my husband would be anything over 92,  but, the monitor kept reading in the low 80's.  He insisted that once he falls asleep his saturation would increase and not to worry about it.  

Just looking at him, I could see that he was feeling extremely weak.  I let him rest, but there was no way I could rest or relax enough to even fall asleep for fear that he was not receiving enough oxygen.  His mini-machine was turned up as far as it could go, but it only provided tiny, little puffs into his nose, rather than a continuous stream of air.  I considered packing everything up and just getting him back into the car, where he could be hooked up to the big machine. 

I ended up contacting security where they were kind enough to wheel the big machine on a dolly up to our room.  Within a few short minutes I could see the life come back into my husbands face.  His saturation quickly climbed to over 92 and I watched my husband with relief.  He was relieved, too.  From that point on, everything was fine, but in the back of my mind, I realized what a scary situation this was and felt a wave sadness for my husband and anyone that requires oxygen for survival. 

Once we arrived back home, I almost wanted to kiss the ground.  We both tell each other that it was a learning situation, but I see that the excursion took a lot out of him.  It took him nearly 3 days to recover from the experience.  He says that there will be no more road trips unless it involves a travel coach, you know, like the kind that music stars travel in. 

I just had to laugh and say, "No problem, I will start writing letters to Alan Jackson immediately."  

Most importantly, we are learning what equipment works for him and what does not.  In the meantime, maybe he will settle for a Winnebago...