Advances in medical engineering

[Inamoment]

I went for my very first spirometry test yesterday. I know many of you are more than familiar but i was most impressed. With a plastic tube, what looked like a mobile in a cradle and the nurses pc, a few blows generated all sorts of numbers, updated my notes and generated a document. 20 years ago that would have looked like witchcraft. I have had all sorts of tests and procedures and find them all fascinating. I always ask questions, the staff are more than happy to explain and are surprised that hardly anyone does. I think my favourites were a nuclear medicine scan and angiograms.

My results for the spirometry were borderline normal. Anytime i get a normal i take it as a win. I did actually think gosh i can't blow very hard

[Katinka46]

That all sounds good. You have, if I remember correctly, a weird complex of conditions? So it is good to know that your airways are not too obstructed? Was it just spirometry or did you have gas exchange and lung capacity calculated as well? I have always been given the test results, did you get the printout?

My consultant has been given some home spirometry kits and is sending me one. What larks...

All the best

Kate xxx

[Inamoment in reply to Katinka46]

You are right, i have all sorts. Yes i have a printout, not that i understand all of it. Do you mean fvc? That is on it. Pretty much everything is 80% of predicted. I am slightly wary of seeing medical people as they often say i have something new. Yesterday my kidneys were actually better and have reversed from the 'where we start to worry' region but now i am folate deficient and pre diabetic. I am expecting a call from the surgery to pop in for a chat

[Shancock]

That's a good result if they're about normal. I think (although I'm no expert!) that anything over 75% is kind of okay.

Yes when I had mine I felt the same kept thinking I wasn't doing very well, but my results were good too. We're obviously better than we think.