The Taste of Air by Richard Schad

Author:Richard Schad [Schad, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781475960235
Publisher: iUniverse
Published: 2012-11-30T00:00:00+00:00

Wednesday, June 10th

Uh Oh, PFTs Down

The Other Side

Dear Donor,

After Karyn’s early morning regimen, she blows her PFTs around 10:00 AM. The Pulmonary Function Test is done through a spirometer which measures the amount you can blow in one second and the total volume. The FVC volume has been running from 1.36 to 1.55. The FEV1 started out after hospital between 1.25 and 1.34 but in the last few days, dropped to 1.07. A drop of over 10% can be a sign of rejection.

I called the post-transplant coordinator and headed to clinic. Karyn did her PFTs, an ABG, chest x-ray and blood draws. We met with the PA, the doctor, and the dietician. There is not a problem with the PFTs. Thank you Donor. The trach will leak and block the full force of your lungs.

Stitches were removed. About 100 staples! Each staple being taken out feels like a bee sting. Modifications to the protocol were completed, with reductions in the amount of tube feedings and as a result, Karyn’s soft foods have now grown immensely, now to include beans, fish, melted cheese, softer fruit, and fully-cooked vegetables. Moosh is the word.

After clinic Karyn and I went to the supermarket. Neither one of us could remember the last time Karyn shopped at a market. We walked around and around the store shopping and then back to the car, parked in a non-handicapped space. Another first in a very long time.

Tonight, I made vegetarian baked beans with melted cheese.

More good news received. The trach will be removed next week at clinic!

Guess who’s sleeping now and will have to awakened at 10 for pills, and at 11 for insulin and shot? And when the feed runs out, to be freed of the machine leash around midnight.

I could use a little oomph from your lungs,

Richard

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