Over analyzed?, A day early

So I had my follow up appointment with a pulmonologist this morning.  As the vast majority of this medical interaction has been, the results were basically a shoulder shrug.  The care network we are in is highly computerized, every person you speak to has a computer in front of them entering all sorts of details about the interaction as you go.  I like this, it gives me a documented record of what is going on that I can access myself through a patient portal.

Well this doctor was an old guy and definitely very old school.  There was no computer in front of him, just paper and a pen.  He asked me at least a couple dozen questions and scribbled down the answer to each one on the paper.  The questions had to do with prior history and if I had various symptoms.  Pretty much across the board my answer was no.  He followed up with a very brief physical exam which mostly involved listening to my lungs.

He then said that he thinks it is unlikely I have fibrosis.  He said that perhaps the person reading the CT was maybe seeing something that wasnt there.  I had the same sort of thing when the person looking at my x-ray indicated I may have a partial bowel blockage.  In both cases I have no symptoms of these conditions.

So anyway, the plan is for me to do a breathing test in the next month and during my follow up 6 month CT scan they will request a higher resolution test which would be able to more clearly see any scarring if it is present.  That test will also allow us to verify the small nodule in the one lung is benign and not growing.

So where does this leave me?  Well with no clear answers.  I can tell you that once again yesterday I got some of that right side pain doing overhead tricep extensions at the gym with a very nominal weight.  The fatigue I was experiencing is definitely less apparent but I still do not feel normal in that regard.  I have a feeling this is just going to be one of those things that melts into the background as just another thing that becomes the new normal as I continue to age.

I did ask about the report finding about calcification on a coronary artery.  The doctor said that wasn’t his specialty but told me that a CT can not determine if the calcification is on the inside or outside of the artery which obviously makes a large difference.  He said my primary doctor could order a stress test if they wanted to but at this point I really don’t think that’s necessary.

So the buyer of the Segway left Kansas a day earlier than he originally stated so instead of arriving Saturday he should be arriving this evening to take the big personal transporter away.  They are driving down in a Ford Focus so I have a feeling we may need to take off the steering arm to make it fit.  Once the I2 has safely exchanged owners I will feel safe starting the ball rolling on it’s replacement.

This weekend has normal workloads planned with hopefully a side order of getting our Halloween decorations in place.  Should be fun.