Peter’s Hospital Diary

And a much better result than last week – it must have been the beers and curry the night before!

The particular lung function test that had poor results is one that measures the efficiency of gas transfer across the lung lining. Prior to my first transplant, that figure was about 9.4 (I’m not sure what the units are) and that dropped after each transplant to about 7.9, gradually recovering. The best recovery figure was back at 9.5, but at about this time after transplants the figure has been about 8.3 to 8.5. Last week’s measurement dropped to about 7.4, which was over 20% less than the benchmark figure, but today’s reading was back up at 8.3. These figures do vary on a day-to-day basis, so the feeling is that last week’s was an anomaly, however I am having another one in 5 weeks when I go for the next haemotology check up. The important thing is that it isn’t a bar to my diving!

The tests themselves are pretty civilised – no running on a treadmill or anything, just sitting and blowing into a machine. At one point the seat is enclosed in an airtight box, so that the the lung volume can be measured, and the gas transfer function test uses a small amount of carbon monoxide to measure how effectively gasses transfer across the membranes. Only a very small amount because carbon monoxide is used because it is highly toxic, preferentially binding to haemoglobin, which is why it is so useful in this diagnostic test.

The tests themselves only took about 15 minutes, so it was pretty galling to take an hour longer than I expected to get to Guy’s! No, not because of the security measures at Heathrow today, but because the train I boarded at Waterloo East was one of the few that doesn’t stop at London Bridge (the next stop, 4 minutes away from Waterloo East). So it was 40 minutes later that I arrived at Tonbridge, to cross the platform and get the next train back again!

I took some time in Guy’s to go and see old friends in the transplant laboratory (Tammy and Justine) and the haemotology day unit (Claire and Rachel). They hadn’t heard all the details of the various PET scans, and they were pleased to hear the news!

Then it was back home – avoiding Tonbridge!

So the next planned medical event is the check up in 5 weeks.

I mentioned diving earlier – I am going out with the club this weekend. Not diving (I need a diving medical for that) but I will be driving the boat, so it will be good to get out and about again!