Up Date On My SOB

• by SMITTY
• 2007-10-10 04:10:59
• General Posting
• 1617 views
• 13 comments

Hello Folks,

Many of you have heard me pitching and moaning about being short of breath since back in the spring. Well after countless visits to doctors, I have finally gotten a diagnosis with pictures and confirmation from a second doctor. I have a sagging (or weak) diaphragm on the right side. Seems that (this is my understanding of what they told me and not their exact words) this condition keeps me from being able to inhale as much oxygen as I need for almost any type physical activity. I was aware that so long as I was sitting and doing nothing physical, I was not out of breath, but let me walk across the street and back (about 130') I would be looking for a place to sit for a few minutes. The good part is there are at least two surgical procedures that can partially or completely remedy the problem. But, the bad part is that at my age (78) and with the level of heart disease I have either surgery would be extremely high risk for me. In fact the doctor flatly stated that he would not recommend either of these procedures for me. So I will now be sleeping with an oxygen mask on and I am supposed to use O2 several times each day.

I guess you could say I was a little dejected when I got home, but when I think of it, my wife was told when I had my first heart attack (1982) to go ahead and let my family know because I probably would not live more than a few more days. I did live and two months later I had bypass surgery and was playing golf six weeks after that surgery. Then in 1985 things were trying to go south again and the good doctor told me I had at most 2 more years to live. I told him I didn't like that prognosis and his reply I'll never forget "Mr. Smith you are now 56 years old and do you realize that is 10 years more than the average life span in my country. (Pakistan)” I did explain to him that this was not Pakistan. I also decided I didn't like his out look on my life so he and I parted company. Then in 1970 I was having a bad go with congestive heart failure and the good doctor said with the stage of CHF you have (I don't even remember what the stage was) and your ejection fraction of 35 to 40% you probably have at most 6 months to live. I wrote that one off to her inexperience.

Just where I go from here I don't really know. I'm not about to give up. I could have done that too many times in the past, but losing just goes against my grain. I will start a supervised exercise program next week as I have been told that may help some. I expect to be around a while yet, but maybe not as frequent a visitor here as I have been in the past, but that can change too.

I will tell you about one thing, over which I have zero control, that will play a major role in what I do in the future. I met my wife in 1948 and we were married in 1949. It has been a marriage that we have enjoyed very, very much. And I'll make no bones about it, if it hadn't been for her I would not have survived the last 25 years. But she always knows the right things to say or do to keep me going. Well back in June she had a CT scan and a spot was noticed on her pancreas. It was a small spot but it had many of the characteristics of pancreatic cancer. She just had her follow up CT a couple of days ago and we are to get the report on Friday. The fact that she lost a brother and a cousin to pancreatic cancer is not in her favor as there is some evidence that this cancer does often follow family lines. So, people I am asking for your prayers that her report will be a good one.

I apologize for taking advantage of this site this way. But I have wanted to tell those of you that I feel like I know about as well as some members of my family, but there was just never a right time. I'll let you know what we learn in a lot less words.

Smitty