Numbers

This is mostly for my CF friends. I think it's going to be Greek to anyone else.

Numbers:
FEV1  0.65 Liters   25%
FVC 2.15 L   69%
Blood gas PCO2=44.0

I pulled up my numbers from my last eval in May 2010 and I'm actually just slightly better this time?? I suppose being older and weighing less? may make predicted numbers different, so there really may not be an improvement--hope that makes sense. One thing I know for sure is that I need to get to walking & exercising to get my lungs built back up. It seems that I've been sick or on IVs since the beginning of the year, so my exercising/pulmonary rehab has slacked.

I am one of these weird people that most often does worse on PFTs after bronchodilators--they seem to make me wheeze & get tight initially. My FEV1 after Xopenex was 0.55/21%. Go figure? Unfortunately, when doctor was telling me that I was in a "gray area' and to come back in 6 months, these are the numbers he was working with, as most people do better post dilator. After he & I had the tx consult, he poked his head in the door later & said "Good News--I was looking at the post numbers! You must be one of these odd people that actually do better pre." That's all he said, didn't really say "In light of this..."

I will say that I was worn out by the post PFT time. When I do PFTs, I keep getting better numbers with each try, as I am able to clear lungs some with coughing during the first few. Probably most of you do the same? Anyway, it sure makes for *a lot* of attempts at the spirometry & with having a cold this visit, I was just hot, tired out, & numbers were not getting better, post bronchodilator, no matter how much the RT wanted them to be. I finally told her "I will do a couple more, then I'm done." I felt like we were beating a dead horse or something.

So, that's it in a nutshell for anyone that cares :)