Since is this is my first post, I thought I would give a little bit of my background and what i have experienced so far.
AS long as I can remembered I have always had asthma (mainly when I was sick) and reoccurring bronchitis and pneumonia. I also remember getting these sharp pains on my lower left side and it was so painful that it was hard to breath. My mother took me took the doctor and all they would say was that I had bad posture. Really? Posture, are you kidding me? Back in those it seemed so hard to get a doctor that would go that extra step.
Then, when I hit my 20's I decided that since I was paying my own insurance now that I would push a little harder to find out what was going on. I knew it wasn't normal to get this kind of cough all the time and cough up this much phlegm. It would get to the point where I would have to to go to sleep with a cup next to my bed just in case I needed to clear my chest so I could get a decent sleep. So, I had Kaiser ... for those of you who are familiar with Kaiser know how much you have to push them. After pushing for a CT scan, I finally got one. I then saw a Pulmologist and he told me that I have a Pulmonary Sequestration (PS) and bronchiactisis (which is caused by the PS. He never told me what the resolution was. I kind of felt like his little experiment. Every few months he would ask me to have my blood taken and spit in a cup. So, I continued to be his lab rat because I didn't know any better. Anytime I got sick he would load me up with antibiotics until the next flare up came.
Then, I moved to Idaho. When I moved there my lungs went CRAZY! Maybe it was because the change of environment, or the smell of cows, or that they put me in an office next to a mold infested room? So, I found a lung doctor there that wanted to confirm everything Kaiser told me. So, he ordered a CT Scan, but this time I got the die put inside to help. He also had me do a pulmonary function test. The CT Scan confirmed I had a PS and the function test confirmed I was trapping air and I had an obstruction (PS). So, he told me that he will continue to give me antibiotics until my body stopped reacting and then we would decide if we needed to do surgery.
Then, I moved back to California. But, this time NO KAISER! Yay! i had Blue Cross and they didn't hesitate to tell me that I need the surgery. He told me that if I didn't do the surgery I would run the risk of the artery bursting and life isn't going to get any better, so I might as well get the surgery. He asked that I get one more CT Scan, a Pulmonary Function Test, and a blood test before I can talk to the surgeon. I have already had my function test, my CT Scan is next week, and then I meet with my doctor the next week after that. I am very nervous for the surgery, but I am ready to end all of this coughing and phlegm.
So, I will post often as I go through this surgery. Hoping this will help others who may go through the same thing.
