Am I Going on Holiday or Being Knighted?

[baseman]

Hi, Everybody. I am a newly-diagnosed recruit to the ranks of COPD and I wonder if anybody can help unscramble the results of my Spirometry test before I see my Practice Nurse for.."inhaled therapy",please. I have discovered what FEV1 and FVC mean thanks to this website, but the info. stops there!?

Can anybody, please tell me what RV, DLCO and KCO mean, also what the attached values mean? I don't know whether I'm due a holiday in a "RV", or whether I'm about to receive an award from Her Majesty for something I haven't done?!

I would be grateful for any help. I haven't seen the Practice Nurse yet as they haven't received their copy of my letter yet, if you see what I mean! It would just be nice to be able to ask constructive questions based on any info you could give me.

Many thanks and kind regards in advance.

[Hidden]

Hi I'm afraid I don't know but the important ones you already know - the FEV1 and the FVC. To be honest you can get too bogged down in numbers and they don't mean much except to confuse you. I call them medispeak.... x

[baseman in reply to Hidden]

Yea, coughalot2, I know what you mean. Just being freshly diagnosed makes you wonder though. Perhaps the Practice Nurse will be able to explain....or not?! At least it was type-written and not hand-written otherwise I would never have been able to decipher it Thanks for responding though. Appreciate it. Kind Regards

[stilltruckin]

med.umich.edu/intmed/allerg...

(about 2/3 of the way down)

[baseman in reply to stilltruckin]

Thanks for that, stilltruckin'. At least, I will have a better idea of what the Practice Nurse is saying...when I see her. It turns out that they haven't received their copy at the doc's yet and have told me to ring next week. Looking at the factsheet a broncho-dilator may be all that's needed. Fingers crossed!

Many thanks for your help, and........keepontruckin'!

[mmzetor]

Hi check out the links gives you abit more info but like coughalot2 says dont worry to much about the numbers eat properly if you smoke give it up get plenty of exercise and take any medication you are give

dlco en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DLCO

RV spirxpert.com/indices13.htm

KCO lrp.ersnet.org//breathe/6_2...

[baseman in reply to mmzetor]

Thanks for your help, mmzetor.

[piggi]

Ah .... welcome here too, by the way xx piggi

[baseman in reply to piggi]

Woof! Woof! Thanx piggi

[Hidden]

Hi baseman, I spent 2 years not knowing my results and it didnt bother me . Last year nurse Said my blowing out test was poor. Shook her head as I left and said its not good. Meds were not changed and this year with a different nurse was much better. He agreed I could have been starting with an infection last year when tested. I believe it is how you feel that matters. The tests are there to see your meds are working correctly so why worry? Just look after yourself.

[baseman in reply to Hidden]

Your right of course JOYCE73. I am not on meds yet, was on Warfarin for PE's until December then nothing. Hopefully because they-the powers that be-don't regard my condition as that serious, eh?

[Pantani]

I had a series of breathing tests on Tuesday in the CRV lab at the hospital. Havnt a clue what the values were,only that my numbers are poor. I'm not going to loose any sleep over them, I'll just keep on exercising and taking my meds. I've been so much better since I did the pulmonary rehab. Take each day as it comes.