LOL  I just read that as a cheesy thing scan of my lungs. HUH???? Re-read,
opps!!! Did I say the fog in my brain has lifted?
Oh, Grace I do hope they find everything well or shall I say treatable. BTDT
with my husband a few years ago. The findings weren't wonderful but
treatable and that was much better than what we feared. A round of
antibiotics and he was much better - left him with some damage to his lungs
but healthy. Maybe is just a little pneumonia and you'll be back to good
health shortly.
I'll cross my fingers and toes for you on this one.
((((HUGS))))
Bev

Oh Grace,

I had no idea you were still having the lung problems.  I'm sorry you've
had to endure this for so long.  My prayers are with you on this.  I
hope it's just like Bev said, something treatable & nothing too serious.  

Hugs4u,
Maggie

I'm sorry you've not been feeling well for so long, Grace
hope they find the problem and it can be easily remedied.
Hugs
J

Prayers from here will continue for you, Grace. I had a lot of lung problems
too. They found a nodule that could not be biopsied, because of it's
proximity to my heart. It healed itself in time, and scarred over. Things
have been fine ever since. I hope your problem is something that is easily
treated or, better yet, heals itself too. Let us know what they find. I will
be thinking about you, as we wait together.
BJ-Sk. Canada

I've kind of dropped out of sight the past several months. Lotsa stuff going
on, changes, growing up a little, the Doc's all deciding that what they said
was wrong with me wasn't and it's something else (but, of course, they don't
know what IS wrong with me)

I gotta give it to you Grace. You hang in there! I'd be sniveling and
whining the whole time (in fact I HAVE been sniveling and whining the
wholetime).

I'm really interested in finding out more about Lupus patients who
experience a lot of lung problems. Over the past 3 years I have ben
diagnosed with every form of lung disease (except emphaseyma (sp??). The
latest was DIP, Interstitial Lung Disease, Lupus Pneumonitis and now, the
flavor of the month, something called cryoglobulinemic vasculitis.

Hell, I have at least 5 or 6 or 7 of the 4 required Lupus symptoms to be
considered Lupus but the Doc doesn't think I have that now. At least he
though so long nough for me to get a favorable Social Security ruling......

They want to get me off the Prednisone as they think it's causing my chest
muscles to become so weak I can't breathe properly which is why I'm still
oxygen dependent with O2 Sats in the mid 90's. They want to put me on the
Cytoxan this summer and it scares me.

Meanwhile I'm feeling more and more fatigue every day and am starting to
look at Condo's instead of this wonderful house I bought last summer. I
don't se myself being able to take care of the yard like I did last year
(and I did a pretty crappy job at it last year).

Anybody have any great ideas? They're getting second opinions from 2 new
Ruemy and Pulmonary guys to see what they think about about the
"immunosupressant therapy" (Cytoxan) idea.

They told me 2 years ago when I started having all those Pulmonary Embolisms
that what I had was rare, they didn't know how to treat it and that they
were literally going to be writing the book on me. I'm just feling like I'm
failing a bit more every month and it scares me. Plus, I can't do a lot of
things I was doing 3 months ago. (God I'd love to get rid of this extra 60
pounds! If the Chemo did that and then it killed me 2 years later, might
almost be worth it.)

I'd really like to hear from anyone/everyone who's had some lung involvement
with their Lupus, particularly if anyone has the anticardiolipid syndrome
that I have too.

Finally got my Social Security Disability at the hearing in early February
(after 30 months of them screwing around with it). The hearing was 10
minutes long and the judge and his doc both said, "He's got Lupus. It never
should have ended up here at hearing.".

Found out yesterday that Social Security is appealing the judges decision.

"Hi! We're from your government and we're here to help you."

They also said if I do end up getting benefits (and the $40,000 back
benefits that I shoulda received) they've decided I should have been
eligible or Medicare since last summer so they're going to deduct all the
premiums I should have paid for that.....

The lady actually told me that sometimes it's "too late." I asked he what
she meant by that and she said, "a lot of people finally get their
SSdisability benefits after their dead."

And of course my social security lawer is on vacation for a month. When my
big check comes (someday), first thing I'm going to do after I deposit my
check (and before I write the $5,500. check to the attorney) is go out of
town for a month-long vacation.

Thanks for letting be "decompress." I really try to keep a positive mind
about all this buy, as most of you all know, there are a lot of highs and
lows to it all and sometimes it's hard to be  grown up about it, huh?

BUT! I do have to say that, all in all, mentally, I think I'm doing OK on
most days. Been trying to be a better friend , keep some of the few I've got
(and make some new ones). I've been trying to become involved in my
neighborhood and get to know my new neighbors (after almost a year of living
here) and am getting along great with my grown-up sons and that's been a
really, really big deal. My 27 year old son is going through some kind of
mental/emotional "growth spurt" and is doing some really positive growing up
kinda stuff. He, all on his own, got a prescription for some anti
depressants that are working wonders, founds some low cost therapy and is
going regularly and, this week, is moving out of his mama's house with his
girfriend and into their own place. It's one of those things that almost
brings a tear to an old mans face. Seein em do what they were (hopefully)
trained all those years to do. That makes me happy and he's actually asked
me for advice on a few things.

Love you all!

Michael Roper
Portland, Oregon