A Noteworthy Note

Ten months ago I was sitting in a hospital bed fighting for every breath, and for life itself. God placed the right people in my path, and through His grace, their skill, and the prayers of countless family members and friends, I'm still here today. Two weeks ago I had a pre-scheduled appointment with my doctor in Pittsburgh. He saw how I was doing (or rather how much room there was for improvement), and prescribed me a new pill to add to my assortment. I've written about how rough the past two or three weeks have been for me - not feeling well. The pills finally arrived by mail (they're not something you can just pick up at CVS). So, I started them last Wednesday evening, and by Friday I was feeling so much better! Praise God for "easy fixes"!

This past week I also received in the mail a letter from the doctor discussing our appointment, and our game plan for the next several months. Also included were the results of the blood work I had done that day. Here's an excerpt:

"Your cell counts were normal and your hemoglobin was normal. Your BNP which is a reflection of the pressure in your heart is low which is excellent. The electrolytes were all within normal limits as well as your liver function tests. ... I am glad to report that all these tests were within normal limits and many of them have actually improved."

During the visit he said that the pressures in my lungs were still quite elevated (which is bad), but that I AM NO LONGER IN HEART FAILURE! My heart had been hurt so badly because of the problems in my lungs. The fact that my heart is healing is an indication that my lungs are healing too, even if my lungs are still "very sick." I praise God for every step in the right direction!