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brendapals

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hey to all,

I went to my pulmo's office today. I saw him about 2 wks ago to rule out flu, pneumonia, strep, etc. He gave me something called a "flutter" device. Supposed to help loosen secretions so I can cough out stuff. Of course, I can't force a cough out, so he also gave me an order for a suction machine at my request.

He told me then he wanted me to come back for a PFT in a couple of weeks at my convenience. I was off work today, so I called yesterday to find out where to go, when to go, etc.

His secretary called me back and said anytime today before 3pm. I got there, and the secretary had this "thing" about the size of a medium-sized apple, with a meter face, measuring from 0 to 60. She had me take a couple of "practice" breaths in and out, then had me breathe in as much as I could on this little mouthpiece, about the size of a whistle. She told me the resp therapist had scotch tape on the back end so as not to lose air.

Now, for all of you who know more about pulmo stuff than I do, I "sucked air" at 32, 42, and 40. What the heck does that mean? I wonder if it was truly a good test of my lung function given the fact that the secretary administered it, and tape was on the end of the plastic mouthpiece. And for all of you that know how nurses can be, she didn't even have gloves on when she threw the mouthpiece away! Yuk:eek:

I promise to be a good student!
-brenda
 
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Hey Brenda, my eye skipped or transposed what you wrote and first thought the nurse had a "thing" on her face about the size of an apple LOL.

I can't answer your questions, and have not had what you describe. When mine was tested, the tech had a machine (large piece of equipment) with a hose that ran to a mouthpiece. and I had to breathe out/in both sitting up and reclining. (he rolled a stretcher in so I could lay flat for the second half of it) My scores were good and fair (don't remember specifics) the "fair" being laying down. It took a while, and several repeats (4 maybe?) because of not being able to grip the tube tightly so the seal wasn't the best. Then there was a second test that had a mouthpiece shaped like a blue rubber pair of lips, and I had to put my lips around it, and when one blows or sucks in, it feels like its against a brick wall, that one I scored low on. The score was in the lower 50's somewhere, but they said that bulbar patients have problems scoring well with it. and it wasn't so much of a lack of lip seal, because my mouth was really stretched around this thing, and my teeth sitting in a groove, just must be that the bulbar muscles play a larger part in success with it.

Hopefully you can have a more complete test done in the near future. Maybe all your pulmonologist was looking for was to ascertain that you didn't have any sustained restriction of airways from your infection.

happy new year girl! (and many more) :)

ps, did she at least put a clip on your nose?
 
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dang, I'm sure glad it wasn't an apple sized thingy on my face too! that could get messy...

No, not even a clip on my nose. She said she would fax my numbers to the resp therapist, and then put it on my chart and the pulmo would see it on Monday.

Until then, I shan't worry one bit, I'm still breathing, gonna have a glass of wine and wait for the ball to drop in Times Square, and might be up to having at least 2 more menthol cigarettes tonight!

It is hard to believe all the friendships formed on here, isn't it? I think it's great!
talk soon
-brenda


p.s.. I know, I know, people with ALS don't need to smoke, heck, nurses don't need to smoke, moms don't need to smoke, everyone save my lecture, I do know better:cool:
 
Yeah, just wait for what your doc has to say. If there was no clip on your nose, and you have any soft palate weakness at all, air could be escaping out your nose - its bound to. The numbers are subjective, like what my scores were had to do with what was "expected" for someone of my age etc. I think the first parts of test were in the low 80%s and then the other one, like I said was low 50s.

I've already had my glass (s) of wine, and thinking about a little Baileys on the rocks..... and no lecture coming from me about the smokes. Don't know that we're going to make it up late enough to see the ball drop, we live just on the other side of the river from Manhattan, and we can usually see two separate sets of firework displays, as they go off in Brooklyn too. Last year it was so warm we went up on the roof with champagne to watch. This year it snowed most of the day, is windy as everything, and the bed is looking pretty darned good right now . :)
 
sounds like a good plan-I'll wait and see what the doc says...

In the mean time, stay warm and toasty! PING-that was the sound of my wine glass toasting the new year with you!
hugs,
brenda
 
toasted-I mean toasting!

Hey, I am on the west coast, Spokane, and it is 8:50 here, and I want to join in toasting you with my margarita in hand! Happy new year-here's to more years of being able to raise that heavy old glass! (well, then there's always straws)
Jenny
 
Jenny

I've been compensating for the heavy glass dilemma.... My idea: Drinking stronger liquids in smaller amounts = smaller lighter glasses. Thankfully so far this has only meant switching to a few espressos each morning rather than the big regular coffee mug. ..... my greatest concern is looking to the future when I'm not allowed to have thin liquids. Now how is a person supposed to put "thick-it" or similar in a glass of red wine?... or champagne.... I heard you guys out there in Spokane got buried again with the snow. We only had about 3-4 inches here.
 
Rose- just give in and get a straw, LOL! One of the long curly ones that reach from the glass on the table to your lips!

Brenda- can you get a pulmonary department at the ALS clinic to re-do that test? It does not sound anything at all like what I had. They sat me inside a little booth and clipped my nose and had me breathe a couple of ways. (Big deep breaths and little short ones and that sort of thing.) If I recall, they used a couple of different mouth-pieces on me.

Then they had me lie down and do it all over again. And these guys were not even experienced with rare diseases.

When the Pulmonary Doc got my results, he said my capacity is consistent with someone who had moderate COPD. He admitted he did not know what to do, since I don't have COPD or emphysema. So I told him what I'd read on these boards: that weak chest muscles call for a bi-pap.

Maybe I should have taken my own advice and gone to the clinic, but it appears we muddled through, in my case. Maybe you need a second opinion?
 
I think your describing the test for maximal inspiratory pressure. It measures the highest pressure developed while inhaling against a blocked airway. Basically how hard can you inhale. It is measured in cm of H2O. I know my last test was at 53.

I don't know if these are accurate or not but I found the following formulas for estimating what the pressure should be based on gender and age.

predicted maximal inspiratory pressure, in cm of water for males 20 - 80 years old:
143 - (0.55 * (age in years))

predicted maximal inspiratory pressure, in cm of water for males 20 - 54 years old
129 - (0.13 * (age in years))

predicted maximal inspiratory pressure, in cm of water for males 44 - 80 years old
120 - (0.25 * (age in years))

predicted maximal inspiratory pressure, in cm of water for females 20 - 86 years old
104 - (0.51 * (age in years))

predicted maximal inspiratory pressure, in cm of water for females 20 - 54 years old
100 - (0.39 * (age in years))

predicted maximal inspiratory pressure, in cm of water for females 55 - 86 years old
122 - (0.79 * (age in years))
 
Rose,
We are so buried here! All I can see are walls of white. They are running out of places to put snow and we are due for another storm tomorrow! I think we have accumulated over 6 feet now. We are leaving for a Mexican cruise on Sunday, and I hope I can get out of here! (BTW, remember hearing that drinking champagne out of a straw may increase the effect? I did it and it does) Jen
 
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