For all my responses to other members here, this is my first "original" post. I thought I'd let you good people know that today, I'm going into hospital in preparation for endo-bronchial valve implants tomorrow. Eeek!!
Tomorrow will be the end of a long road; it's taken two years to get me to the point where I've been infection- and medication-free for a month. I've had all the pre-op assessments (they took about 4 hours, all told) and it's "all systems go". I expect to be in hospital and then in respite care for a week or so. I'll report back later...
Cheers
Catnip
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Catnip
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Hi Catnip can't wait to hear from you when your back home safe and sound from a successful procedure easy for me to say but we are all rooting for you best of health and luck 🖒Ger
Understandable that you're a bit nervous today, but you can be confident you're in the best condition you can be to benefit from the procedure. Think of it as a 'holiday' from which you will return feeling very much better. You can relax knowing you're in safe hands and being well looked after.
We will all be thinking of you and looking forward to hearing from you when you're home again.
Hi Catnip, I had 4 Valves on 7th June. Only 3 days in Hospital, each day after gets Better and now I feel Great, Still have to have 02,(16Hours) But I am not SOB. My Next Phase Hopefully is transplant, waiting 2 years , Now I can wait a Bit Longer.. Don't be so nervous, for me it easy, a Doddle and I was Borderline. Good Luck, I'll be thinking of you Tomorrow. Carolina XXXXX
Thanks, Caroline. For me, this is the only option so I'm hoping for a miracle but expecting something rather less dramatic. Anything to help has to be better than nothing, though
Good luck Catnip,it seems like it is valve season,you and Hacienda Caroline have beaten me to the starting line by at least a month.hopefully your stay in hospital will be as brief as possible,i think your expectations are very realistic and whatever we get is a bonus but still a life changing improvement.................love and best wishes Ski's and Scruffy x
Not long now Carino, you will be feeling so good Like me, Scruffita won't recognize you when your spritely self imerges as a play thing for her. Ha ha, and hopefully Babs & Catnip will feel the Benefits. Me voy , a me ejorcisios Esta tarde. Pasar Esta dia bien, con Ella. Besos y abrazos. 🏋🐈🙌😚😘xxx
You lot are my guinea pigs or pioneers,why should i, a mere man deny all you glamorous lady's from taking the first leap and gaining the stardom and acclaim,not to mention those extra percentages of lung function you shall enjoy from tomorrow onwards. thanks for leading the way.xx
That's the way to go Catnip ! Two years to tests,and anticipation that each letter or each phone call,may just be the one you so very much are waiting for!
I wish you all the very,very best with your procedure and once you are well enough,please come back and give us your PartTwo!!
Are valves and LVRS the same thing? If the procedure is successful, how much better can one expect to feel, breathing-wise? Obviously, there a lot of things about this disease that I don't know. I was diagnosed with "moderate" emphysema a little less than two years ago -- with a "touch" of asthma thrown in for good measure. I often feel OK (never great) but sometimes feel downright rotten, like right now. I am only on inhalers, and I try to exercise. I have a feeling I would not qualify for any surgical procedures now, but perhaps down the road, as I suppose I must expect my condition to deteriorate over time. The only person I actually know who has COPD is a neighbor who had a lung transplant in the last year or two. He's not a close friend, just someone I chat with occasionally while we walk our dogs. But I can say this. Previously, he would walk his little dog while pulling his 02 canister behind him. Now he walks with no oxygen at all. He says the surgery saved his life.
No, valves are simpler -- my lungs are too bad for LVRS and I'd not survive the anaesthetic. The plan was for the surgeon to put a couple of valves in my right lung, but apparently it's just mush, so she put the in the left one instead.
Just to give you hope -- I've got 30% lung function, "end stage" emphysema. I assume you stopped smoking... just keep on trying to stay well. Don't let anyone who has a cold within 20 yards of you!!
here you are then, been looking for your Update. How do you Feel, Early days yet, Did you have 1 valve or More, Sorry your right lung couldn't take them. Like me I was Border Line, but they managed 4 valves as you know. I'm the opposite ,my Left is Mush so rely on the Right Lung. I still have to stay on 02 for minimum 16 hours, even though I am not as SOB as before. I manage through the night, but the days don't have enough hours in them....I now have 32 % Lung Capacity, whereas before it was 30%, so a little improvement here. Let us all know how you are progressing. love n Hugs Carolina xxxxx
i dream of the 30% club but good to hear that our friend catnip has at least had one lung done,as you read this dear catnip scruffy and i wish you a speedy recovery and some more %'s in the lung bank.....................Ski's xx
Thanks for the reply, Catnip. I hope you are doing well and that the valves help. I've had several breathing tests since diagnosis. Doc said last one, in February, showed FEV1 of 71 percent. She actually said at that time that she thought we could improve that to 80 percent. Frankly, I don't see how that would be possible. I feel like I've slipped since then, even though I've been going to pulmonary rehab and all that good stuff. She'll test me again in September. I have tremendous anxiety about my condition, and my doctors can see it. As a result, I sometimes think they try to paint a rosier picture than what is actually going on, just to keep me from falling to pieces. I feel pretty crappy at my alleged 71 percent, so it pains me to think of those of you with 30 percent. Mine might actually be that; they're just not telling me! Ha, ha.
All the very best wishes to you Catnip, sorry for the delay, have spent a long weekend in Llandudno with my best friend and am only just reading my e mails. I am sure everything went well, please keep us updated, everybody wants to hear how you are doing. Irene xx
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Ordered my nebuliser today😊
Update - I saw rheumologist today 
Sorry not been on for a few days.
New to this forum-joined today 25/6/2022
