Today's milestones...

Today brought more milestones... My first pulmonary function test since transplant and walking 30 minutes straight. Today before clinic I did my first PFT, and I was totally nervous. Let me tell you all who don't have CF, a PFT is the test that continually predicts your fate. The numbers can bring you up, and indicate how well you are doing, or bring you right into the hospital, or indicate it is time for a transplant. These are loaded numbers when you have CF. The other thing about them is the intensity of the test when you are not doing well with CF. Blowing in the machine as hard as you can makes you run out of oxygen, turn purple and cough for many minutes after, only needing to sit and rest to do it again 3 times. Right before transplant I had to turn my oxygen up to 6liters for about5-10 minutes right after just to catch my breath..so with that experience you can just imagine why I was a little nervous. Well, today the PFT was not too bad, it was actually pretty easy. My numbers were double what they were before transplant. My fev1 was 66% and my fvc was 54% the craziest thing was my small airways were 106% when before transplant they were 9%. The docs and respiratory therapists told me that things will only get better and will keep progressing. it sounds like my numbers were pretty good for the first go at it. I must say I was shocked, I only hoped they would be 40%, so it was great, and I didnt cough or was not exhausted after. So strange.

The other thing was that my mom decided she was going to up my walking today, so we walked 30 minutes instead of the average 20. I felt the burn in my legs, but once we got home and I stretched and sat down, I miraculously felt like i still had energy and did not pass out. I still have the mental process of someone with lung disease, and I have to get my mind to catch up to my new body and abilities. My mom says i am experiencing "normal" so strange to me....

So those are my milestones for the day... Yay.