Playing catch up!

Well,

It's been hectic the past 10 days, but I wanted to update how I've been feeling and some of the symptoms I'm noticing lately.

First, an update on what doctors are saying.

I saw my doctor last Thursday and it was nice to have her really explain quite a bit to me about what the results were showing and make me feel a little more comfortable that these doctors do indeed know there's something going on, but want to work quick to figure out what exactly that problem is.

I went last Friday to see a pulmonologist who was great! The appointment was for over an hour and he was very thorough and helpful in explaining things. I was able to take a look at my CT scan and it wasn't too promising. The first area of concern was my heart. When this was discovered a few years ago it wasn't interfering with my heart at all. Since it grew again, it is now laying on my heart. Think of a half moon shape, now, lay a blob on it and the moon shape reverses. Same thing here. With all the test results so far, there is nothing irregular with my heart. So I will have to see a cardiologist next week to have him determine what, if anything we may need to do about it.

The other area is my chest and neck. The left side of my neck has been really swollen, to the point that it's noticable to anyone who looks closely. Over the past few days the right side of my neck (near my shoulder area) has gotten a bit swollen and little knotty! It's made for some very uncomfortable nights of sleeping, but I'm still managing it. I also have the mass growing across my chest as well. So, it's definitely spread, or is still spreading. With the way I'm changing feeling every day it's probably still growing. And that's just a gut feeling. The only real problem I have been having is breathing and a deep muscle ache that goes from my neck, under my ears, down to about the middle of my chest.

Last weekend Tiffany came down with a touch of a cold, and I think I picked right up on it. I woke up Saturday and was back to coughing. It's funny, but I explained it to Tiffany as it seeming like a thunderstorm moving across my chest. It starts on the right side and moves, steadily over a few days, across my chest. Very systematic too. Where as going in to today I wasn't as bad as the past few days, but my breathing seems a bit more restricted than before. I'm watching it closely though. I took a swim last night and it really relaxed me. Can't beat it when the pools 90+ deg!

I'm down to 3/day for the prednisone. I could tell when I was changing the pills though.

I also have to have a pulmonary functions test next week, along with seeing a thorasic surgeon to take a look at my neck as well. SO it's gonna be a fun end of the month! My insurance company has to be loving me right now!

I'm planning on putting some more research stuff up here as well. The new diet hasn't been implemented yet since my doctor says I'm in perfectly fine health otherwise. She said there was really no need to change any of that. I'm gonna get on some better vitamins, but nothing radical. I shouldn't get too carried away until I know for sure what I should be doing. I've gotta work to keep time on my side!