Wrapping up the bronchoscopy saga.

So. Remember I was to call the doctor again at the hospital switchboard today at noon? Did. After some really dreadful musak, a very rushed receptionist answered, did not rebuff my request, but instead asked for my phone number for the doctor to call me back because he was busy.

No call.

At ten to 2:00 I called his office, asking for a phone appointment and meeting some quibbling, so again I just left it in her lap.

I am not calling that dude again.

Again - I suspect my self-satisfied truculent attitude is buoyed by the fact that I don't really think anything life-threatening is going on.

In related news, I still have a dry cough from the procedure, but I feel pretty good. Considering what a theatrical event it is when I inhale a cat hair, and the body coughs hysterically to get it out, and the rawness and wheezing that results, I was really expecting that having a camera hose shoved in there repeatedly would have left *some* sensation afterwards. Nothing. The spots where samples were taken are the spots that provoke the dry cough - and by the second day after there was little of that sensation.

I was aware for a lot of the procedure. There was numbing in the throat, and I was given some "sedation", but I really do feel that I was aware for all of it. There was a big TV screen right where I could see it easily (yes, they even let me keep my glasses on), and it was pretty interesting. I was expecting the lungs to be a dry place, but no, they are pretty much body soggy. I did close my eyes for some of the things that sounded (they spoke about what they were going to do, and what each person should do) like they were going to be future freak-out fodder, and maybe those periods were longer than I thought, but really I do feel that I didn't miss much. I even watched as the doctor phoned in his report, and it went on and on.

All in all, the procedure itself was interesting and well-done. I would agree to do that procedure again.

Nugget of useful info regarding CPAP

So. While I was being prepped for the bronchoscopy, one of the things they had me hooked up to was an oximeter, which measures the percentage of oxygen in one's blood. They had it set for an alarm every time it fell below 90%.

I was practicing breathing in time with an encouraging phrase (I am a grateful being full of light and love), which, because it was 7 freaking o'clock in the morning, kept leading me to drift into sleep. Every time I drifted into sleep, the alarm went off.

As I have mentioned once or twice, I have been very skeptical of the reports about how many times an hour I "stop breathing", especially in a claustrophobic room with lousy pillows and medical equipment bed hogs. I couldn't have slept long enough for anybody to count that many stops.

However, it is obvious now that my ability to wring oxygen out of the air I am breathing when I am asleep is compromised, and who knows how low it goes and for how long?

Okay. This makes more sense to me. I shall pursue the alternative mask.