Greg came with me to clinic on Thursday. I am very glad he did because we got some great information, and they said, “You have to help her” to Greg multiple times J. Here’s a summary of the appointment:
- My lung function is still great (FEV1 of 111%).
- I need to do more to get myself above my baseline lung function, which means adding chest physical therapy to my daily routine, and there is no slacking off allowed.
- I can vest while pregnant. In fact, the vest may even rock the baby to sleep!
- I have to start getting more calcium because people with CF are at risk for osteoporosis (they don’t 100% know why this is the case). I need to be extra rigorous about this because, otherwise, the baby will take the calcium from my bones.
- We need to think about what life will be like after the baby is born - i.e., how will I get all of my treatments in if I am caring for a newborn? This was one of the times they said, “You have to help her” to Greg.
- I must allow my body to gain extra weight during pregnancy, just in case I get sick along the way. They said anywhere from 25-40 pounds. (Luckily, I am currently at a healthy weight of 125 lbs at 5’5”. If I were underweight like many CF patients, I would need to gain even more.)
I left the appointment feeling encouraged, but also frustrated that I have to add even more steps to my daily routine. I know I should be grateful for my health, and I am (very, very much so!), but I was already stressed about fitting everything in before they added more stuff! I will talk about that more next time.
2 comments:
Has your FEV1 always been over 100%? If no how did you get it over 100%? Just curious. Hope you are having a good day!! Almost Friday!! Yay!
i always thought osteoporosis was common bc we don't absorb anything (including calcium) very well..
ps: i just found your blog & am reading it from the beginning.. expect a ton of comments!
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