October 30, 2019

Well.  I am breathing better.  The weather has finally cooled down and I can go outside.  Talk about cabin fever, about 2 months indoors when the sun is shining.  Today was misty and cool.  I was outdoors walking almost 2 miles.  Now I did it under cover in the garage and unheated halls.  Still no coughing.  I cooked and no coughing.  I mean I did food prep and cooking for 2 hours.  And only a couple of coughs.  Homemade chili and a pot of mixed beans with a ham bone.  A month ago I could not cook for 15 minutes without a major coughing fit.  So progress.

As for all the tests and doctor visits to figure out all the coughing and shortness of breath here is the time line:

1. GP appointment, June 24, prescribed Brio for wheezing and coughing
2. August 28, GP appointment for first major (as in could hardly breath) episode lasting for 20 or more minutes.  Blood draws, All normal
3. Lung x ray:  August. 28, nothing found, all looks in normal limits
4. Sept 1, second major breathing issue with coughing and loss of voice.
5. Sept 2, GP visit, Added a double dose of Benadryl and a second acid reflux med. Blood draws:  Sept. 3 results, everything normal. Scheduled a CT scan.
6. CT scan of lungs:  Sept. 6, no clots, no other concerns found
7. GP Referred to pulmonoligist, appointment set for Sept 19.
8. Pulmonoligist who ordered CT scan of esophagus, Sept. 26,  results received Oct. 4, no cancer.  Added another allergy type medication and gave sample of Dymista.  Stop the Brio.
9. Barium swallow test:  Sept 6, partial report on Oct. 4, somewhat extensive damage due to GERD.  Refers to a gastroenterologist.  Nodules on thyroid gland.  Followup with GP on nodules.
10. GP schedules Sonogram of thyroid gland:  Oct 10, results, 6 nodules, all benign.  No further action required.
11. Additional info during pulmonoligist visit on Oct. 26, a hiatal hernia.  Referred to a different gastroenterologist than I had used in the past.  He will do more through tests, first appointment on Nov. 14.
12. Pulmonary function tests, Oct. 16, results received Oct. 26, mostly normal.  Minor airways show some irritation.  Not enough to call it asthma.  Nebulizer treatment showed a 25% increase in the function of the minor airways.  Prescribed a rescue inhaler and two separate(affordable) nasal sprays.  Referred to an allergy specialist.  Appointment pending my remembering to call not during lunch or too late in the day.  Ugh.
13. BTW, the pulmonoligist says, "your neck joints show significant deterioration."  My response, "Guess that explains some of the headaches."

I started looking for what is the cause of my losing my voice, coughing and breathlessness with some wheezing.  I have GERD damage, a hiatal hernia, nodules and a goiter on my thyroid.  And as a bonus, neck joints that are old and worn out.  And still if it is hot I still cough, lose my voice and can be breathless.  I just wheezed.  It is 60 degrees in our apartment. Guess I'll go take a swig of the inhaler, swallow four pills and go to bed.  I'll catch up with ya'll all on this subject after I visit one of the many new doctors in my life.

On the 23rd we did take a Jeep ride out into the Hill Country looking for Shovel Mountain.  Hubby had heard a Ham Radio person working the net from there.  Hubby was needing to see if we could find it.  DJ was taken with cause we like having her around. 

We grabbed a couple of burgers for us and some chicken nuggets for her and had a Jeep picnic.  It was a beautiful day and below 80° F.  I stayed cool in the Jeep but was able to get a few shots at the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge.

DIL's dad is huge into birding.  He does bird counts in this park every Christmas (US).  We hope to return and see what else DJ can sniff out for us.

BOOOOOOO!  Did I scare you.  Have a fun Halloween.