Breath Capacity and Other Thoughts
Sandie drove me in the WAV to Reading last Monday 23rd December for an appointment at the respiratory clinic in the Royal Berks hospital. We got up at 6am, so as to get into town early, parked in the Oracle and had breakfast at Cote Brasserie.
We then walked and rolled to RBH and found the right waiting area. While waiting, I was asked my a smiley nurse for my weight, then a little later for my height. Then they wanted to measure my arm span. All rather odd, I thought, for breathing tests. I later realised that these measurements can be used to calculate lung capacity.
Then we went into a room with a breathing machine, where I did everything imaginable and more with a tube that you clamp your lips over. How much air can you blow out? What pressure can you exert, sucking or blowing? And so on. The strangest was being asked to draw in a mixture of air, helium and carbon monoxide and hold it in for 8 seconds.
The upshot is that my lung capacity has reduced from 4 litres to a bit under 2 litres. Why? Because my diaphragm, responsible to drawing in air, is weaker, as are my intercostal muscles, responsible for expelling air.
As 2019 draws to a close, I am 2.5 years away from the very first symptoms of MND. We are still keeping ahead of the disease, with the Fiat Doblo WAV, hoists and power wheelchair most recently brought into play.
Arms and hands are affected, but still largely working. Legs are useless and have been so for quite some time.
Care arrangements are working well, with my two informal paid carers, Heather and Penny, doing a tremendous job, taking pressure off my main carer, Sandie. Family and friends have done and are doing so much for me. Sisters Maggie and Laila regularly visit and do all sorts of useful jobs, as well as acting as carers. At some point I'll need to engage a home care company, but not just yet.
We then walked and rolled to RBH and found the right waiting area. While waiting, I was asked my a smiley nurse for my weight, then a little later for my height. Then they wanted to measure my arm span. All rather odd, I thought, for breathing tests. I later realised that these measurements can be used to calculate lung capacity.
Then we went into a room with a breathing machine, where I did everything imaginable and more with a tube that you clamp your lips over. How much air can you blow out? What pressure can you exert, sucking or blowing? And so on. The strangest was being asked to draw in a mixture of air, helium and carbon monoxide and hold it in for 8 seconds.
The upshot is that my lung capacity has reduced from 4 litres to a bit under 2 litres. Why? Because my diaphragm, responsible to drawing in air, is weaker, as are my intercostal muscles, responsible for expelling air.
As 2019 draws to a close, I am 2.5 years away from the very first symptoms of MND. We are still keeping ahead of the disease, with the Fiat Doblo WAV, hoists and power wheelchair most recently brought into play.
Arms and hands are affected, but still largely working. Legs are useless and have been so for quite some time.
Care arrangements are working well, with my two informal paid carers, Heather and Penny, doing a tremendous job, taking pressure off my main carer, Sandie. Family and friends have done and are doing so much for me. Sisters Maggie and Laila regularly visit and do all sorts of useful jobs, as well as acting as carers. At some point I'll need to engage a home care company, but not just yet.
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