An old friend...

My cough has got much worse and so I went to the GP today. She prescribed an old friend for me - Prednisolone steroid tablets! According to the research I've been doing, this will cure the cough and I'm very much looking forwards to that! I have a short course of 6 tablets for 5 days and I'm counting down the days....

Tests...

I had a whole range of different lung tests today at the hospital. I had to sit in a box (a bit like a shower!) with a contraption to breath in and out of. The tests were mostly OK, but they wanted to be sure that the results were accurate, so each one could be repeated up to 8 times until they had 3 readings the same! Some felt like I was being tested for the Olympic synchronized swimming team because I had a rather flattering blue nose clip and had to take very deep breaths and hold them! I'm not sure if I passed :)

I had hoped that the inhaler would have really cleared up my cough by now, but whilst it did get a lot better, it's now getting worse again.

More new drugs

I had another CT scan yesterday and met with the respiratory specialist today. The inflammation on my lungs has got better in some places, but worse in others and I'm still coughing and have a sore throat. I've been prescribed a course of antibiotics and a new inhaler that includes a steroid to heal the inflammation, as well as a drug to open up the bronchials. I'm really hopeful that this will work!

Christmas Cheer!

My clinic appointment today was very thorough! I mentioned that I still had the cough :( and a sore throat and still wasn't up to my normal fitness. The consultant used his iPhone light to look at my throat, checked the date for my next chest scan and sent off for blood tests to see if I have any vitamin deficiencies. All my bloods are normal, except that my lymphocytes are low at the moment. He says that it can take 6 months for the Rituximab to completely clear out of my system, and this (or the lymphoma) can cause my lowered lymphocytes and lowered immune system. He mentioned that you can have 'transplanted' anti-bodies as an injection that will help my system while it recovers. I'm looking forwards to a merry Christmas and a new year where I gradually get better and better!

Back to work

The antibiotics worked after a few days and I was back at work in a week! Not at my full strength, it will be a while before I'm cycling to work or Morris dancing! I still have the cough, though, and the consultant today said that they hope that now I'm off the Rituximab my immune system will start to recover and the lungs will heal. I have an appointment for a scan and check up in early Jan.

Respiratory good news

I met with Mr Hussain at the hospital today and the results from the bronchoscopy showed that I have an infection causing the pneumonia. This is good news because I have now been given the specific antibiotic that will clear it up! He thinks that they will work in 2-3 days, but it's possible that the cough won't disappear completely as my lungs are so inflamed from the infection. I may need some steroid treatment in a few weeks time. In the meantime, I'm looking forwards to a quiet house with no coughing, sleeping all night, eating, getting some energy back and being pain free!  

Lumpy

I was booked in for a general anaesthetic to remove the lump on my back today, but after discussing my pneumonia, it was decided to do the procedure by local. Not for the faint-hearted!  I did get to see the inside of the operating theatre, all the many staff and scary looking machines. I could also hear the surgeon talking through the procedure with the students. That's when I heard him confirm that the lump was in fact, just a fatty lump and not a swollen lymph. It will still be sent to the lab for analysis, but good news all round, and the wound is not too sore at the moment either!