The end of June brought about some change and yet the return to normalcy at the same time. The lung dr reviewed my lung tests and showed that there was improvement in my FVC (forced vital capacity) to 2.11 from 1.70 back on 5/2/23, the day after my bronchoscopy. Forced vital capacity measures the total amount of air exhaled forcefully and quickly after taking in the deepest breath possible. A normal adult’s FVC measures between 3-5. But the improvement shows that I don’t need antifibrotics added to my treatment plan so that’s a plus!
I saw a new PCP (primary care provider) and was released to return to work. This was such strange timing or was it God’s timing? You see, I had made arrangements to meet with this new PCP back at the beginning of April, BEFORE all of this went down, because deep down I knew I had something going on and my PCP at the time was “out of network” with my insurance. Little did I know then however that the timing of this appointment was going to line up perfectly with allowing everything else to fall into place – I was able to get up to the full dose of CellCept, get my needed portable oxygen concentrator because I couldn’t return to work on oxygen tanks, have the repeat lung test done and reviewed by the lung dr ALL before seeing this new PCP so that he could review it all and give me the release to return to work. But now I was also petrified to actually do it. I would be returning to the hospital immuno-suppressed now. I’m on a gazillion new meds. I have no idea if my body can tolerate 40+ hours of being away from home, I’ve been able to rest whenever I needed for the last 8 weeks…but you know what, I won’t know if I don’t try!
The end of June also brought silence into my home. With my new immuno-suppressed state we as a family made the decision to move our middle daughter and her daughter to their own apartment. I know this is for the best and I’m happy for them too! I know they will love it. I can’t do much to help as it’s up three flights of stairs, but I still try, the family doesn’t let me do much. They are smarter about this then I am.
Our youngest grandchild, C is more of a Papa’s girl because he got to stay home with her every day during the height of Covid so she’s all about Papa but she’s a bright light to my day and a distraction for me. And not to mention my daughter’s empathetic ear. The countless days she has just let me ramble. I remember the first night, they spent in their apartment, B and I looked at each other and said, “It’s too quiet”. And let me tell you when the house is quiet, your mind isn’t.
The gazillion meds I was talking about!