Month: December 2008

Really had a good week.  This is the first week where I’ve pretty much been able to do almost whatever I want without having any issues. I got winded on Monday scraping the snow and ice off of my car but didn’t break into a coughing fit despite the cold weather.

I spent most of the week at Tom’s house and was able to carry on conversations with him all week without them turning into a bunch of coughs – that was a first too. 

I was out shopping this afternoon wandering around stores for about three hours without an issue – usually one trip around a store will wear me out but I walked all through Target, WalMart, and Best Buy without a problem.

I’m targeting New Year’s Eve as the rebirth of my social life.  My favorite band, JR and Natalie, are playing at a local bar and I’m going to head there for the night (after my obligatory stop at the Tavern).

so said my doctor at my checkup today. He assures me that the coughing fits are normal, nothing to worry about, and should go away soon. I had a series of breathing tests today that I evidently passed with flying colors. When he listened to my breathing he said things sounded much much improved from before. However, he added that it will take the lung about six months to recover even though I’ll feel fine in another month or so (he did add that I wall always have some scaring on the lung and to be sure to tell any other doctor who x-rays my chest about my surgery so the scars don’t alarm them).

As far as my general health was concerned the results of my blood work and heart stress test that I had done previously came back even better than could be expected. He made a couple of comments about how strong my heart was (specifically saying something about my right ventricle still being able to do x,y,z which is unusually for someone my age). That’s when he tossed in the “you’re going to live for a long time” comment. And, Marilyn, to address your comment on my other post – it appears my general health is fine so I must be doing something right.

On the other hand, I also had an appointment with the dermatologist. I was overdue for a checkup on my skin cancer (my dermatoligist retired and left town, so I had to find a new one) plus my whole body itches and I’ve been scratching like crazy. I got a clean bill of health on the skin cancer checkup but not so when it came to the itch. The dermatologist handed me a checklist of things I could do to address the itching and it turns out that I’m doing them all wrong.

Here’s the complete list:

– Don’t take hot showers – use comfortably cool water (I take showers as hot as I can stand).
– Keep showers brief – no more than ten minutes (I like long hot showers)
– Use unscented soap substitute like Dove, Oil of Olay, etc. NEVER use Ivory or perfumed deodorant soaps like Irish Spring, Coast, etc (I use Irish Spring).
– Use a bath oil (I don’t take baths).
– Pat skin dry. DO NOT rub briskly with a towel (I always rub myself down with a towel).
– Lubricate your skin with a moisturizer (I never use one),
– Consider a humidifier especially during winter months (nope – don’t have one).

Looks like I have some habits I’m going to have to change.

I figured I was probably overdue for giving everyone an update on my progress.  I’m fairly pleased with the way things have gone the last ten days or so.  For the longest while, I didn’t seem to be getting anywhere but things have definitely improved recently.

In a way it’s kind of funny.  I measure progress in my ability to do normal things that people take for granted. It was about ten days ago when I was first able to take a shower, shave, brush my teeth, and get dressed without having to take a break between the activities.  This past Friday was the first time that I was able to do my grocery shopping all in one pass.  Previously I couldn’t walk all the way through the grocery store without having a huge coughing fit so I’d have to do half the shopping one day, half the next.

I actually made my first pass at regaining a social life a week ago today.  I went downtown to pick out my Santa grab bag gift last Monday evening and decided to stop into the Tavern and see the folk there (had my first beer since the last week of September).  As it turns out, that was probably a little premature.  I don’t get to talk much sitting home all day and I discovered at the Tavern that trying to carry on a conversation was enough to occasionally set off a coughing attack.  Just talking also weakend me enough that when I went out to put money in my meter (about a 100 foot walk), I suffered one of my major coughing fits (I define a major fit as one that triggers a gag reflex).  

That little experiment made me retreat back to my cubby hole for the rest of the week.  By the end of the week though, I was feeling pretty good.  I was no longer having a daily major coughing fit that would end up in my throwing up (that had been going on for almost a month and I am quite pleased that it ended).  I was starting to regain my appetite.   When I would cough I would no longer cough up a bunch of sputum (I went through a dozen or so boxes of Kleenex in my first month back – I now have four boxes strategically placed around the house and they will probably last me a couple of years).  And I was generally feeling pretty good. So good, in fact, that I actually checked on airline fares for Xmas (my great rate was still available which got me thinking).

Those thoughts ended Friday night.  I made a major shopping excursion to the supermarket, one that required four trips from the car to the house to lug the groceries in.  That walk is only about 100 feet but I really could feel the exertion on each trip.  Sure enough the final haul triggered a fit.  Halfway down the walk I’m gagging and throwing up.  That gave me images of me walking through O’Hare carrying my luggage and suddenly having an attack in the terminal.  Suddenly the trip didn’t sound like a good idea (the reality is the biggest problem would probably be the exposure to all sorts of oddball germs on the plane – my resistance to any sort of infection is probably pretty low right now and the last thing I need is to catch some sort of respiratory bug).  

Still I have been starting to regain a normal life bit by bit.  The one thing that I have been doing all along is going to Penn State basketball games.   There was one Saturday night and I actually met some of my buddies for a pregame beer for the first time.  I still had a bit of a coughing problem as I tried to carry on a conversation but it was good to get out.  I also had a first in the five games that I’ve been to.  My seat is in the lower part of the arena and i have to walk up about 30 steps to leave.  At the previous games, I would have to stop and rest after hiking up the steps before continuing out to my car (I park about 100 yards from the arena).   This time I was able to make it all the way (although it did trigger a coughing attack – still getting there all in one phase was an accomplishment).

I’m suppose to meet some friends for lunch on Wednesday so I’ll get another chance at carrying on a conversation this week.  I’ll let all know how that goes.

P.S.  One further thing to report.  My weight continues to remain around 170.  While I have regained my appetite some, i.e. I no longer have to force myself to eat, it’s easily satiated so the portions that I have been eating are smaller than they used to be.  I suppose that’s good.  Since it appears that my weight isn’t going to rapidly return, I actually went out and bought a new pair of jeans.  I’m sure I could fit into a size 34 but I decided to get a 36 with the expectation that SOME of the weight is bound to come back any day.  I’ve measured the difference in the belt holes that I’m using and I’ve taken eight inches off my waist.  That’s consistent with the size 42 pants that I was wearing the summer before last.