No Buts Going To Be Bronchoscopy

Clinic day arrived and I got there early hoping to get home early, but to no avail :(

Since my last attendance last month my lungs hadn't massively improved. I had still been able to managed 150 lengths of the pool in the previous week , but I had found it harder to do.
I had also been told that my tacro levels (Anti-rejection) were still high at the last blood test and I had been unable to arrange another test so had left this till clinic!

Got the bloods done without too much trouble and the X ray looked okay, but it was my lung function that let me down it had gone down again.I knew that  this was not good and worried what was causing it.
When I saw the Doctor she felt the same and asked me to come into Harefield Hospital for a admission. I was booked for CT scan and  a Bronchoscopy the next day  I was disappointed but realized that I should find out what was causing this and get some treatment

I arrived back at Harefield with my wife and son at 2100 and was admitted into Fir Tree ward where I had waited for my transplant to go ahead. We talked about the parallels while we traveled, as it was a similar time of night when we were driving there the night of my transplant.My wife and son then left me quite quickly so they could get home

I could see that the process was worrying for both of them because rejection was one of the possible reasons for these problems to arise!! It bought up memories in all of us about how it was when I was ill.
Left on my own I started to consider what rejection would mean should it be found, although very treatable with present mediation it holds a great fear for all transplant recipients I decided to put these thoughts away till I needed to worry about such things.

Throughout the week I had been posting my support for my friend Kimberley Liane Kneil who's blog I follow  and who had been having a really hard admission after having a bug. I had joked that if my lung function was still poor I would join her. Prophetic words that proved correct, except she was on Rowan ward downstairs.I posted a message to her on FB and we arranged to meet up during my time on the ward.
I grabbed a couple of bags of crisps  to eat before I went Nill by mouth from midnight and settled down to watch a DVD to pass the time till my Bronchoscopy with some trepidation.
The Bronch and CT scan went well and it was all over by 11am but it left me worn out and sore. I hoped that I might get some results that day, but the Hospital had been busy and nothing came back that day.
I was able to visit Kimberley and spend a bit of time chatting with her:) She is about to celebrate one year transplanted in July and I remember hearing about her call and successful transplant while we were on holiday in Sussex last year.She has been having some problems with her Kidneys since her admission and i really hope that things improve very soon! I would urge you to read her Blog if you want to know more.

I spent the next day Looking out of my window to a great view

finally I got fed up and went for a walk to pass the time waiting for the results of the tests, eventually results turned up there was no evidence of rejection but they did find some inflammation and suspect acid reflux or viral infection.So I have been put on a couple of tablets and need to come back to clinic next week if things don't improve they will bronch me again and they want to repeat the impedance test I had done before to check if acid is coming up from my stomach to my lungs on 1st may what joy!! 

Never mind I am going home for the present so I am happy  :-)

Goodbye to Hospital, free and clear, for now

I have escaped the confines of hospital for the present.
During the morning I recieved a visit from Richard Burbedge @AwoogaBurbs
who had been called back to clinic that day with similar problems of lowering of respiratory function and ended up being admitted to the downstairs ward as I was getting  the chance to leave.I felt for him and tweeted him all the best and hoped it would not be a long stay
 
It took till the later part of the day before the results of my Bronchoscopy biopsy  was returned and was found to be clear of anything abnormal. I was sent to the lung function room and had my FVC1 and FVC checked again. There was a bit of a increase in both values this was enough for a discharge summary to be prepared.
I rang my wife and let her know, packed up my stuff and had some food while I waited for her and my son to arrive.It had only been a short stay but the whole process had taken it out of both my wife and me
 I noted the new set of bruising on both of my arms from the IV steroids that had been started  over the weekend  and the failed blood tests that I had done.My arm have still not recovered from the previous stay in hospital and finding a place to site a cannula is becoming increasingly hard for the doctors.

The one thing I was not happy about was the large amount of steroids I will be on for the present I started a reducing dose starting at 70mg and dropping by 5mg daily until I get back to the normal dose of 10mg that I use, in several days time. This has left my feeling unwell and has upset my digestion, and has encouraged hamster look to my face and  bloating of my waist.
It took no time at all to get home and I enjoyed the drive as the motorway was clear. We dropped off at the local Mac burgers to get some food for my son on the way home. We got back late evening. The plan was to return to clinic in two weeks and I had a appointment to attend the Churchill Hospital the next morning as a follow up to my stay at the end of January

This is not how things worked out as when I got up today I was totally unable to get up. The combination of steroids causing my upset digestion, pain and general tiredness caused me to cancel the appointment and make a new one for next week. I then spent the rest of the day resting in bed until the pain was better.
Never mind tomorrow is another day I hope that I will be more recovered then:)