For a Moment, It All Made Sense...
But the moment has passed. This afternoon I had conversations first with my lung specialist and then with my allergist (after he had been called by the lung specialist). After my first conversation, all that I have been experiencing seemed to make sense. After my second conversation, I am back to being confused and not even on a higher plane.
When the lung specialist called, he went over my symptoms from the recent CT scan and blood work: my antibody levels are a little low (at the low end of the normal range), my airways are bigger than they should be. If he were to put a label on all of this, he told me, it would be “common variable hypogammaglobulinemia,” which, if I understand what this means, is a lowered immune response due to too low levels of antibodies in my blood. This can be treated. Did not seem like a big deal. Ah, an answer. The lung specialist said he was going to call my allergist since this kind of treatment is usually done by allergists. He seemed done with me, no need for a follow-up visit.
About a half-hour later, I got a call from my allergist, who had just finished speaking with the lung specialist. According to the allergist, the lung specialist had centered his discussion on the dilated, larger than normal airways. The lung specialist told him that his reading of my CT scan showed bronchiectasis. This can be a chronic condition that can get worse, cause recurring infections in the area, and can compromise the lungs. The allergist says if this is true, I should also be followed by a lung specialist to monitor the bronchiectasis. And he also described a way to see if my immune system needs tuning (including the pneumonia vaccine and further blood tests to see levels of antibodies). But if it’s bronchiectasis, it can be quite serious.
Now I seem to have two labels, both of which seem to have been given by the lung specialist…one to me and one to my allergist. It’s the old chicken and the egg question. Which came first? Which is the cause of the other? Are both there? For each, if it’s there, why do I have it? And the real question: Should I be worried?
I called my friend who is a radiologist and had looked at all my X-rays and CT scans. I told him of the differing messages from the two doctors. He said he did not see anything serious when he had looked at the films. I asked him to call the lung specialist to find out what’s what. I hope to hear tomorrow.
As a friend of mine pointed out, all that I have been through over the past weeks would naturally have lowered my immune response and raised my stress level. I totally agree. Those of you who have been following my postings on this know of the stream of diagnoses I have been given over time (some serious and some not) and how they keep changing.
Ah, it’s time to go feed the horses, sit on my barn bench with my two dogs, scratch their ears, and tell them the story of the blind men and the elephant.
P.S. My dogs really liked the story. The next morning, not only did I get a copy of the radiologist’s report on my CT scan, but also my friend the radiologist had talked to the lung specialist. Seems like there is no bronchiectasis problem. Well, one less thing to worry about.
When the lung specialist called, he went over my symptoms from the recent CT scan and blood work: my antibody levels are a little low (at the low end of the normal range), my airways are bigger than they should be. If he were to put a label on all of this, he told me, it would be “common variable hypogammaglobulinemia,” which, if I understand what this means, is a lowered immune response due to too low levels of antibodies in my blood. This can be treated. Did not seem like a big deal. Ah, an answer. The lung specialist said he was going to call my allergist since this kind of treatment is usually done by allergists. He seemed done with me, no need for a follow-up visit.
About a half-hour later, I got a call from my allergist, who had just finished speaking with the lung specialist. According to the allergist, the lung specialist had centered his discussion on the dilated, larger than normal airways. The lung specialist told him that his reading of my CT scan showed bronchiectasis. This can be a chronic condition that can get worse, cause recurring infections in the area, and can compromise the lungs. The allergist says if this is true, I should also be followed by a lung specialist to monitor the bronchiectasis. And he also described a way to see if my immune system needs tuning (including the pneumonia vaccine and further blood tests to see levels of antibodies). But if it’s bronchiectasis, it can be quite serious.
Now I seem to have two labels, both of which seem to have been given by the lung specialist…one to me and one to my allergist. It’s the old chicken and the egg question. Which came first? Which is the cause of the other? Are both there? For each, if it’s there, why do I have it? And the real question: Should I be worried?
I called my friend who is a radiologist and had looked at all my X-rays and CT scans. I told him of the differing messages from the two doctors. He said he did not see anything serious when he had looked at the films. I asked him to call the lung specialist to find out what’s what. I hope to hear tomorrow.
As a friend of mine pointed out, all that I have been through over the past weeks would naturally have lowered my immune response and raised my stress level. I totally agree. Those of you who have been following my postings on this know of the stream of diagnoses I have been given over time (some serious and some not) and how they keep changing.
Ah, it’s time to go feed the horses, sit on my barn bench with my two dogs, scratch their ears, and tell them the story of the blind men and the elephant.
P.S. My dogs really liked the story. The next morning, not only did I get a copy of the radiologist’s report on my CT scan, but also my friend the radiologist had talked to the lung specialist. Seems like there is no bronchiectasis problem. Well, one less thing to worry about.
posted by Bud Hirsch at 8:05 PM
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