Last Monday I had my regular 6-monthly follow-up appointment with my doctor to see the condition of my lungs. It is rather obvious that my lungs are permanently damaged from the previous infection.
I had chest xray and spirometry test done that day. I think I've mentioned how much I hated the spirometry test. I tried the best I could, and the results remained the same. There is a significant decrease in the air volume in my lungs, and the doctor again mentioned about the permanent scarring left from the infection I had last year. Apparently the left lower lobe of my lungs had narrowed, so it restricts my air intake, which explains why I get breathless when I walked to quickly for 1-2km, and when I take 2-3 flights of stairs.
With that, doctor said I have Bronchiectasis, which means I have permanent dilation of airways, and it is mandatory for me to get yearly Flu Vaccine, and she even put me on Prevnar Vaccination to help shield my lungs from future infection.
Sounds scary, if you asked me. I had potentials of a collapse lung if the lobe continue to narrow itself due to the scarring. Through the scope, my left lung is smaller than my right lung. It takes me longer time to catch my breath, if others take 1 minute to catch up, I'd take 5 minutes. Sometimes, when I get excited and started to talk a lot, I will end up panting..
So after two jabs on both arms, I got home feeling miserable, tired, feverish, and couldnt really raise my hands up. I was down with sore throat and cough the next day. And pretty much ended up lying on my bed to sleep the day away. Somehow I even felt like a baby after a jab, because I was cranky, and I was so uncomfortable the whole day.
During such times, I wished I really don't have to go out to work. I really wish I can afford to stay at home. Right now, my eyes felt a little puffy, and it felt so hard to keep them open.
Oh did I tell you Prevnar was expensive? For 0.5ml, it costs $90.65! And all the tests I did costs another $90 odd.. So there you go.. $180 gone, blown into the hospital..
And oh! My doctor seemed to have a really nice handwriting! Not the typical doctor handwriting, look!
So ya, that's it!
To the next Vaccine,
Jun
Wassalm
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