Thursday, May 3, 2007

Off to the Hospital...

... but not to worry. I'm heading to the hospital this morning for testing, that's all.

It's a bronchoscopy, which allows a doctor to examine inside a patient's airway for any abnormality such as foreign bodies, bleeding, a tumor, or inflammation (Thank you, Wikipedia, for the definition.)

I have no concern at all that there is anything to be worried about today. The CT scan already showed that my lungs are clear of any masses or tumors, so I'm not worried about any really bad news.

So why do it? My doctor just wants to make sure that my airways are clear and my breathing is not restricted. It should be a quick test wth no surprises.

The test itself involves the standard hospital visit routine. No eating or drinking after midnight, an IV with some drug to knock me out (or at least make me way calm), then a quick peek down the throat to the opening of the lungs. Sounds easy, right?

I think I am finally beating this thing. I still tire easy, and am enjoying afternoon naps, but the coughing is nowhere near as bad as it was. And not a moment too soon. Ugh, I thought I was going to go crazy with that endless hacking. For the most part, I am only really coughing now when I laugh or when I exert myself. I expect that to lessen in the days to come, too, and I will finally be back at full strength.

Knock on wood, folks. I could be over this and back to work as early as next week.





No comments:

Post a Comment