Reasons to Ride ...FROM THOSE WHO KNOW: RWIf I had to choose one word to describe my fight with lung disease, it would be FRUSTRATING. But as frustrating as it has been for me, I know it has been almost as bad for the physicians who've treated me. They wanted to help me and nothing they did made a difference. I've noticed something about doctors - they don't like being wrong. One pulmonary specialist told me if his nurse announced one more patient with a chronic cough, he would run screaming out the door.My journey started innocently enough - I caught the flu about four years ago and the nagging cough that went along with it never got better. I was very congested and I coughed constantly, day and night. It got to the point where I could hardly breathe. I went to six doctors who all said I had a "rattle" in my lungs, but didn't know exactly why. I was diagnosed with asthma (incorrectly I might add). The sinus doctor said my lungs were the culprit and the lung doctor said it must be my sinuses causing the problem. I had two surgeries, took more antibiotics than I knew existed, snorted more nose sprays and inhaled more steroids than I thought possible, had lots of x-rays and lab tests and still, I coughed and coughed. With every new antibiotic, there was improvement, but never complete healing. Within a few weeks, I'd be right back to coughing up gross, green stuff and worrying family and friends who thought I was sure to collapse on the spot with each attack. It had gotten to the point that I couldn't even laugh without sounding like I had tuberculosis (they checked me for that too). Most of us take breathing for granted. It's not really something you think about much, you just do it - until the time comes when you can't. When you can't breathe, you think about it a lot. It suddenly becomes very important. Happily, I can finally say that my doctor (number 7) and I are on the right track. Among other things, we discovered that the steroid inhalers that help so many people were actually making me worse, so he discontinued them. I'm on a new round of antibiotics that seem to be making a difference and I can actually laugh now and not sound like I'm going to pass out. RW
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