Thursday, March 18, 2010

Pardon Me, But That's Not The End Of Your Expertise...

Had a lovely moment this morning when I woke up and realized that I was barely wheezing at all. Mr. Pointy Sticks even checked to make sure I was still breathing, I was so quiet.

Anyway, I stayed home from work today as I was already taking the afternoon off for my appointment with Dr. H., the nice man who does my colonoscopies. (Well, that makes it sound like I have one done monthly...I was really going in to see him to have the entrance conference (so to speak) for my second one.) He started to shake my hand and I said, "Oh, better not...I have pneumonia at the moment. I'm on antibiotics but still..." and he said, "Yeah, I hear you wheezing." We chatted for a while and he told me that I don't have to have my colonoscopy next month, as I thought, but that I can put it off until January, based on new guidance from whatever organization gives out colonoscopy guidelines. "Good news," he says, "Right?" "Well, yes," I said, "but you know, they really aren't that bad." "They aren't!" he agreed. "Spread that around!"

So I am spreading that around. If you are 50 or over, get yourself screened. It's no big deal, you'll have the best nap in the world, and you'll get peace of mind. Do it!

He started to walk me out and said, "Wait. Step in the exam room. I want to listen to your lungs." Not the usual end he concerns himself with but okay. He put his stethoscope up and said, "Oh yeah, they're crackly, all right. You didn't go to work today, did you?" And when I said no, I hadn't, he said, "Don't go tomorrow either." (So I called my boss and told her that and she said "Good! I was hoping you'd say that.")

2 comments:

mlw said...

Well, okay, I'm caving in. I'm wondering why an otherwise healthy person such as yourself has developed pneumonia...what are you taking for it and are you feeling any better? You know, you need a follow-up chest X-ray in a month to make sure its gone...don't let anybody talk you out of this....your original films were at a Doc In A Box? But sent to your PCP? Well, be sure and ask her to order another set in a month or so. My .02. Coming down for the booksale?

Rooie said...

Well, I did have pneumonia last year, too. I've always been prone to getting chest colds...and lovely hacking coughs that last all winter. I'm assuming it's just the logical end to all that.