Lungs in Crisis VII

With my mother’s recent diagnosis the chronicle of my ongoing search for a clear diagnosis of my lung disorder has fallen by the wayside. Rather than ramble on over several more updates that bring my illness to the present day I figured I would provide a brief synopsis instead.

As of next week I will have been off of work for a year and a half. I have visited doctors of various specialties in search for a long-term prognosis.

In February a bronchoscope was performed with pictures and including a biopsy. The good news was that no cysts, tumors or malignancies were found. A small infection was located and antibiotics were provided but no improvement was noted.

In June and July I underwent the various tests to determine if I had any allergic reactions to various environmental pollutants. While it was determined that I had a variety of mild allergies none were serious enough to warrant treatment. Nor were any of my reactions serious enough for my lung disorder to be related to any allergies.

More recently I visited a gastrointestinal specialist to determine if acid reflux or any other digestive issues were irritating my lungs. At least the doctor had a sense of humor concerning the whole thing. His first reaction was that the next time he had a difficult case involving the digestive system he was going to send them to a pulmonologist just in case. Once he got down to business he had me under go an upper gi to see what was happening, as it turned out not much of anything. No polyps. No cysts. No ulcers. No acid reflux. Basically my digestive tract was in pristine condition and was in no contributing to my lung disorder.

Which brings us to the present day. One and one half years later and we are no closer to diagnosing the problem. I have a chronic cough and reduced lung capacity with no cure on the horizon.

The good news is that I am fortunate enough not to have any form cancer or emphysema. Overall I am in good health. I just cannot breathe as well as I used to.