Lungs in Crisis V

Day 188 – October 25, 2003: I finished the required treatment to eliminate the Thrush from my throat. There was little if no improvement in my cough or my breathing. Follow up with my pulmonologist is on schedule for the following week. Today was a disaster of epic proportions for someone like me with breathing difficulty. The mountains just north of my house were covered with flames for miles in every direction.

Looking outside my window one would have thought it was a mid-winter snowstorm if not for the calendar or my location in Southern California. The ground is covered by a quarter inch of ash. The air is thick with smoke and soot and my chest feels like a weightlifter is sitting on me.

Day 192 – October 29, 2003: A new member has joined the family of fish in the office of my pulmonologist. We discussed the various options and came to the mutual decision that it was time to be a bit more aggressive. He submitted a request to my insurance company for approval of a bronchoscopy so we could see exactly what was happening in my lungs.

Day 204 – November 10, 2003: In today's mail I found approval for both my bronchoscopy and my disability. My check including retroactive pay should be in the mail any day. I called the hospital and scheduled my procedure for November 20th, with preoperative testing scheduled for the 19th.

Day 212 – November 18, 2003: If I was Irish I would need to kiss the Blarney Stone to find some form of good luck. I woke up this morning with another fever. After visiting the doctor I found that I have another active bronchial infection. With an active infection and fever postponing the procedure until next month has become necessary. Time to reintroduce antibiotics to the process. Which will with my luck will develop another round of thrush. It is a vicious circle but my choices are limited at this point.

Day 213 – November 19, 2003: Discussions with the disability insurance company informed me that in January I will have to begin the process of applying for long term disability. One of the conditions of approval for the long-term disability is proof of application for social security disability. When this illness began in April I never thought that the holidays would roll around and I would still be off of work. Frustration is beginning to set in. My panic attacks have increased and depression has been knocking at my door. So far at least I have kept the hounds at bay. My psychologist referred me to a psychiatrist to ensure that I was taking the right doses of medication for my panic attacks. He switched me from the Paxil I was taking to Lexapro in an attempt to settle my nerves. Only time will tell but I am growing tired of the treadmill.