Updates, Updates, Read All About 'em!

Ok, I am starting to sound like one of those old people who complains about how much this hurts or how crappy this is, oh, and then they mention the hemorrhoids. Fortunately, I do not have hemorrhoids, but I have obsessessed on my health of late. After this update, I will try not to talk any more about it.

I went for a CT scan yesterday do definitively rule out a pulmonary emboli and to see if there was anything else of concern. They didn't have a great view of the pulmary arteries, but they didn't feel I had a PE (and neither did I). They did find a concerning "mass" in the lower left lobe that they suggested will need to be rechecked in 3 months.

Fast forward to today: I was woken up by a call from the doctor's office telling me I had an appointment with a pulmonologist (also my medical director for my hospital) at 2:30. I go to the appointment and my exam is essentially negative. He reviewed the CT of the chest and was talking about the "mass". I asked specifically where it was and when he told me, I replied, "that's not a mass. That's scar tissue from my old chest tube site after heart surgery". Wheww. Good to learn that's not a problem. He is going to work on getting my pulmonary function test moved up sooner than March 26th. I told him that I have improved significantly from last week and the week before, and wondered if something was just slow to work it's way out of my system. He told me that he thought that's what was going on...that because my lungs are more responsive because of the asthma, that I'm not recovering from the pneumonia as quickly. I asked if steroids would help (and those that remember me last June know that I did NOT ask for them lightly), and he thought they would. So, I have 5 days of steroids and I am planning to return to work next week. He didn't say I had to, but I am telling myself that I am better and the steroids should actually prevent my lungs from responding so strongly to whatever they are responding to.

Let's see, what else is knew......oh yeah, I started scrapbooking. I had ordered supplies on-line on Sunday and they arrived yesterday. Anyone that is interested in scrapbooking, and especially adoption related scrapbooking should see Jennifer's page www.scrapandtell.com. She is awesome. She answered my questions, has different scrapbook pages on display for inspiration and even tells you what pages are needed in the adoption scrapbook! What a great site!

I learned yesterday that various neighbors have taken turns putting my mailbox up on it's post. Joann (the crazy fun nearly 70 year-old next door) came over yesterday with a box of screws and a screwdriver in hand asking if she could fix my mailbox. Within a few minutes we had a small crowd of people offering their opinion on the mailbox and other things. Kevin, the postman, reminded me that I needed to visit Marjorie (the 85 year old that lives on the other side of me) because she has been quite sick. Mr. Wilson (across the street) told me I needed to pick up all the branches in my yard. Considering I'm just now using the bathroom without losing my breath, the branches can wait. It's been a fun couple of days. So glad I'm feeling better! Now, if only I would sleep less.