Pleurisy

So clinic was on thursday! Lung function is up from the start of the course to 75%. This is right at the lower end of my normal range. so I guess it is acceptable but I would of loved to of seen it higher.

After a long discussion with the physio, it was decided that the cause of all my chest plain is probably pleurisy. This is where my lungs have got really inflamed and are rubbing against the chest wall. Well actually its the pleura which is a layer between your lungs and your chest wall that is doing the rubbing.

On examination my chest sounded slightly muffled on the right side (although I have been having more problems with my left) and the physio heard "rubbing" sounds on the right near where I have been experiencing on that side. However when she held my chest while I took some deep breaths in and out my left wasn't expanding at all at the bottom. So that correlated with how I was feeling but not with when you listen to it. However as my physio said she has learnt that CF chests can be very deceptive and can't just go with what they hear through the stethscope to diagnose what is going on.

As well as the pleurisy my physio thinks that on the left side I might have alot of consolidated phlegm which is why it isn't really expanding in the same way as the right (although my sats were nice and stable at 99% so they aren't worried about a lung collapse) and the pain on the left side is a mixture of pleuritic pain and also because the IVs have got into it and is slowly breaking it up.

So whilst the infection has gone for now, I am left with some residual problems. The chest pain can only be treated with ibuprofen and rest. However it is very frustrating when you wake up feeling ok and then discover that the simple act of making a cup of tea and making a bowl of cereal causes the pain to flare up and so you do need painkillers and rest after all. My chest was aching so much today and all I had done was make a cup of tea and wrap my sisters christmas presents ready to send to Cyprus!

It seems I will be on the ibuprofen for awhile and if it hasnt cleared up by the time I go back to clinic I am going to get some prescribed. I'm hoping I wont need them for much longer though.

To end this post I will leave you with my halloween socks :o), which seems completely random I know. However I think they are quite cool and will end this post on a slightly smiley note after the report from clinic, so here they are: