Doctor's Apppointments Galore

So this week I finally got my back x-ray done and my Pulmonary Function Test (PFT).

I wasn't too fond of the x-ray for the simple point that I have to strip to my undies. Sometimes they're nice enough to give me two gowns (and this time the woman did thankfully) because one just doesn't cover me. There is something awkward about lying on a cold table basically naked and being positioned around by a stranger. Oh, and they never even hint at what the x-ray shows.

I'm nervous about these results. In one aspect, it would be nice to have the results tell me that there are no additional problems than just my weight...
However, some part of me wants there to be some other problem that the doctor can solve now. I've spent a lot of my time in the past few days in tears because of the pain. A short walk may seem like no big deal to some people, but I can barely walk from one building to another on campus (even if they're next to each other) without excruciating back pain. I want something that will help me NOW because I can barely get to my classes at all.


Talk about education being painful...



Then today, I had to go to another doctor's appointment for the PFT. I tried to get it rescheduled so I didn't have to miss the same class again, but apparently they will only do them on Thursdays, and the next chance is over a month from now. Balls. I guess I have no choice but to go right?

So, grudgingly, I walk into the quiet office, and wait to be called.

Part 1 - They clip something to my finger and tell me its 97/100. Okay sounds good. - part one complete.

Part 2 - They give me the little tube thing to blow into. You have to take a deep breath and blow in it as fast and hard as you can. It goes something like this wait... wait... wait... OKAY TAKE A DEEP BREATH... AND BLOOOWWWWWWW as you desperately try to inhale and blow really fast. Okay, maybe she wasn't so dramatic, but the anticipation of waiting for the cue made it seem that way.  I blew about a 3. I'm told the magic number to beat here is a 3, so I shouldn't worry.

Part 3 - here comes that little finger clip attached to the box with the magic numbers again. This time I have to wear it while I walk up and down the hallway a few times. The number goes down to 92/100. She says the magic number that means bad is 90 or under, so I guess I'm still good.

Part 4 - Now I go into another room to inhale and exhale through the nebulizer for a few minutes. The thing is loaded with albuterol, so we can see if it changes anything when we repeat Part 2 again.  Trying to minimize my drool the entire time (and failing) I try to breath as normal as possible through it until its done. By the time she tells me I can stop I feel woozy/jittery as she called the feeling. I would also call it feeling a bit high.

Part 5 - Back into the other room we go to blow into the tube again. So I blow as hard as I can. The graph looked like I went longer this time, but I didn't get to see the number.

Then the NP gets an oh shit look on her face. Her printout is telling her, that the stats cannot be read. Something is wrong, obviously, but she doesn't know what the computer wants her to do. She makes a call, and we decide to re-do part 5.

Part 5.5 - Same results as Part 5, even the weird readout is the same.

My guess is that instead of the computer having to interpret the results, the doctor is gonna have to do it herself. Hopefully that's the only problem.



Any interpretation of results is only my or the NP's reaction to the tests. I have yet another doctor's appointment tomorrow to see the actual doctor and learn the results of this week's tests.