brendapals
Senior member
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 957
- Reason
- PALS
- Diagnosis
- 06/2008
- Country
- US
- State
- any
- City
- any
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
I promise to be a good student!
-brenda
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
I promise to be a good student!
-brenda
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