Saturday 5 December 2009

Dazed and confused.

Um, wow. My lung function has FINALLY started to behave! It's crawled back from low 60's to 70%, and I'm sooooo happy about this - there was part of me that was terrified I'd dropped even lower b/c of the cold I had and the fact that the IVs I recently finished did jack all. But it increased, and it's the highest its been since May this year. Which is around the start of the whole pleurisy thing (I swear I'll stop mentioning the damn thing eventually!) but realistically, my LF has been dropping all year, so to get a proper increase is what I've been trying to do for a while now.

But... I had to work this percentage out by looking at my old lung functions. But this works, in theory, b/c its based on your height and age, and I'm only looking at recent results. Anyway, I had to do it this way b/c trying to work it out via an online thing fucks everything up - none of my results from the past matched up with the results on the online thing, so I'm guessing that maybe its based on the LF of a healthy person (or so according to my Mum) so it probably won't give me the same results that my Dr gives me.

And if he was giving me wrong results, that's beyond messed up. So I'm sticking with saying I have 70% rather than the lower number that the online calculator tried to depress me with.

Whatever the number, it increased nonetheless. And I'm thoroughly convinced that it was down to swimming, and obviously laughing. A LOT. Maybe no one else believes that laughing so much you actually fall over can increase your lung function, but I do. I'm glad that I finally got some good news for this year, even if it's almost over - I'll obviously not forget the bad things, and especially not the people we've lost, and I can take the lessons I've learnt to make 2010 be nothing short of awesome.

I also got other good news - I got information about an interview for my college course. I didn't even get that far last year, so I'm really hoping the course I'm on (and have almost finished) will get me onto the commercial photographic practice course I originally wanted to do. I haven't gotten a secure date for the interview, but the email came before UCAS told me whether I've been accepted. I think, when you get an interview to determine whether you'll get on the course, its called a conditional offer. I'm probably wrong though.

The email said I need to show my work from the last two years or so, which means if I decide to make a portfolio of my work, printed out, that's a hell of a lot of printing. I've also got the work I've done for this course, and someone suggested taking in one of my art books b/c they wanted to see work such as sketches too, which that book is full of. Actually I have 6 art books full of that stuff (two years of 6th form art) but I don't want to drag them all in. For starters, they weigh a lot when you carry them together, or so I learnt when I left school carrying 3 in one go. And secondly, the tutor who'd interview me would probably hate me for that. So one portfolio, one art book from 6th form and one college course art book should be ok.

Oh, when I went to the hospital for my appt on Wednesday, I didn't see my usual Dr. I saw a younger Dr who works with my usual Dr... or something. And I sort of instantly hated him. He came in, and instead of sitting at the desk like everyone else does, he... uh, sort of crouched on the floor to be face level (ish) with me. Sort of like when you kneel down to talk to a 3 year old. The second thing he did, that made me want to kick him in the face, was mumble when he spoke. I told him to speak up b/c I'm deaf, and he spoke to me like I was a fucking foreigner.

I really hate that about people! You tell them you're deaf, and that they should speak up, and instead they speak to you like you don't even follow the same language. I swear, if he hadn't been holding my folder, he'd have been doing the exaggerated hand actions along with it, that help no one. He decided that I'll get IVs at my next appt in January. And I swear if I'm doing better (like I am this time compared to my previous appts) I'll be tempted to refuse IVs b/c they've done fuck all for me, all year. And I can't help but wonder if they'd be more effective if I had more of a break between IVs. Oh well.

RIP Ginger. I can't take any more deaths right now...

4 comments:

Matt Todd said...

Some places calculate the FEV1 and other values differently than others. My clinic changed a few years back and suddenly overnight my FEV1 dropped 5%. Thats why i always look at the actual volumes rather than the percentages for comparison purposes.

Lucie said...

Ahhh I hate this too! And when the doctors tell everything to your parents instead of to you (when your the god damned patient!) so annoying!

Im glad your lung functions are up though!

Much love sweets x

Www.lozsmedicsljourney.blogspot.co.uk said...

I hate that too. the way docs make you feel like you are a baby.Some of the nurses are worse too. "hows your week going " all cheery and you wish you didnt have to see them again but you do. I also hate the way that they make you like a patient in your own home getting all this medical crap out.

Anonymous said...

Great news about the college course. If you get on this you will have the best time of your life in so many ways. Fingers crossed.

Dave

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