I arrived on time with my oxygen back pack and prepared to give it my best shot as usual. Libby our instructor and Dawn the nurse had everything measured and set up. Simple really 4 chairs, one in each corner and a big room, all we have to do is turn up at the allotted time and walk around them as many times as possible in 6 minutes.
Some turn up and stroll around and others like me push it to the limits so you can measure how you are fairing against past tests.
I have Pulmonary Fibrosis so I expect things to progressively get worse but do my best to slow down that progression down to a minimum. Its 5 years since diagnosis and things haven't deteriorated as much as the consultants expected so I'm doing something right it seems.
Anyway I did 2 six minute walks, one without oxygen and one with and then we compare the results.
The first test without oxygen went about somewhere near the distance I expected which was 370 meters, I started on 93 sats and ended on 53 so as you can tell I was puffing a little . I took 10 minutes to recover back up to 93 and that was test 1 done.
After about 1/2 hour's rest it was time for test 2 with oxygen. I set my bottle to 6 litres pulsed and set off again with Libby counting my laps and telling me how long had past, its amazing how long it seems for 6 minutes to go by when things are getting uncomfortable but I push on to the end and we check the results. This time I covered 385 meters and my sats only dropped to 73. I also recovered in 5 minutes and basically felt 10 times better than the test without oxygen.
Its good to do the 2 tests because it proves to me, the instructor and the nurse what a difference oxygen can make to those of us with pulmonary fibrosis.
The difference in the 2 tests is good evidence to me to make sure I use my oxygen back pack whenever I'm on the move for any length of time.
Its all about staying as fit as possible now and getting back on that transplant list which is taking an age. Consultants are talking with surgeons at the QE now and a decision is going to be made soon on whether I'm good to go so fingers are crossed once again.
My consultant is saying ok but the surgeons have the final say and that's ok with me because they don't take silly risks if there's a chance of sepsis, which is comforting to know .
Tony
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Good for you Tony, I dread the 6minute test because it is like you said, around chairs or little cones whilst everyone else in the place seems to be going on with their own business............but I suppose it has to be done, wonder if we can do it with a trolley instead of a back pack? Good luck for the transplant list................
Hi Romfty and thanks, I have to do quite a few 6 minute walks at various places through the year. I do 1 every 3 months at the transplant clinic which is down a very long straight corridor, another 2 a year at fit to breath around chairs in a square room and another annual one with my respiratory nurses down a short busy corridor where I have to dodge people and tables etc and turn at the end many times.
They all vary but there's nothing worse than having to stop and go to avoid people and obstacles which totally upsets your rhythm.
I'm sure you could use a trolley for your cylinder if you wanted because having weighed my back pack and found it is over a stone in weight then that would be a stone less to carry.
Whatever you do, as long as its the same every time then you'll know from the results if there is an improvement or a decline from your previous results.
Keep up the exercise Romfty and those 6 minute walks can only get easier .
The six minute test is done in a long corridor at the hospital I go to...managed about half-way before the nurse was telling me to stop...right now this minute! Never been mentioned since...lol
All power to you...hope you soon get put back on the transplant list xx
Lucky you vashti, no more 6 minute walks and the torture that goes with it . Your sats must have dropped off the scale to stop you like they did .
I do 4 a year at the transplant clinic which like yours is down a very long corridor, on a good day I can do 2 lengths but boy does it seem a long 6 minutes when you can see the end of the corridor miles in the distance.
Thanks for the power , I think I'm gonna need it when and if transplant time arrives. xxx
What tune is coming for the weekend??? enjoyed Tina Turner on stage.
6 mins and without oxygen. Was your head not spinning and the black coming in to get you. That's a few billion brain cells gone. You silly stupid brave wonderful man. Always at your shoulder Superman. Maybe I should change that to Madman
Hi DD, I've always done my 6 min walks off oxygen so I try and stick to that so I get a fair comparison with previous walks.
The problem is that as my condition progresses my sats and distances are gradually dropping lower each time.
On my last walk they dropped to an all time low of 61 but this time it went even lower. Ok I didn't feel great as you can imagine but I still had control of my breathing and felt steady on my feet.
Libby is used to me now and kept an eye on me until my sats got back to normal but she did have a kind of nervous giggle when she saw 53 and conveyed this to the nurse Dawn who is also used to seeing low sats on me under these conditions.
I sometimes wonder if these short bursts of very low sats do any harm to me and my brain cells. I guess if you look at the evidence and the things I get up to then the answer must be YES!!!. .
Gave you a rough wobbly ride on my shoulder today didn't I Dozy Ha Ha but were all right now, sat on the couch back on oxygen and sats showing a lovely 98.
I know I should be worried about these falling sats but Pulmonary Fibrosis is progressive and all I can do is slow it down and stay as fit as possible.
I work on the basis that the fitter I am then the better I can manage on lower oxygen levels and so far so good.
The thing is to not let your sats drop for to long to avoid damage being done.
With luck I'll get back on that transplant list soon and everything could change very quickly .
Hope they come to a decision soon Tony but either way your efforts are keeping you way fitter then your doctors anticipated, so you're getting a result. The oxygen certainly makes a huge difference to you but it's awesome that you are prepared to do the 6-minute walk without it as well. Keep doing what you're doing and who knows the day or the hour things will start happening.
The rest of my body feels in good shape so I'm ready to get back on the list if they'll have me. The transplant team are rightfully very fussy so i'll do my bit and we'll let them do theirs and we'll see where we end up eh'
Well done, that was also very interesting to see you results but how you managed to do six mins without oxygen was unbelievable I think I would have passed out if I went down to 53 ..........hope you get a decision soon xxxx
I guess one day I'll find out where the passing out level is but until that day I'll keep doing what I do as its served me well over the last 5 years.
It'll be good to get back on the transplant list but if not then so be it, I'll just have to get on the way I have since falling ill.
Thanks pegbi xxx
Ooh young Tony,you know how to push yourself 👏🏼😳 You have done so well,now you need that reward,a pair of Lungs,which I still feel confident about,next year,will be your year 😀🍺
Good wishes to you,& the child bride to have a Wonderful Xmas,not forgetting your lovely Dad & StepMum,& of course the offspring 😉🎄🎄💐 xxxx
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. I took 10 minutes to recover back up to 93 and that was test 1 done.
update : I saw the respiratory consultant today 
institual lung disease
Chest tightness after exercise
Severe Scarring From Pneumonia
