Crackling n' all that

[Guest guest]

From Oz here (hi to all the newbies that have come aboard since I was Last posting!)

I'll put myself on the List of Cracklers....in fact I'd noticed them at least a couple of years before my official diagnosis...I wondered what the heck the funny noise was as I was going off to sleep at night & when I awoke in the morning! Mouth breathers possibily notice them more than proper nose breathers.

I hadn't been near a Doctor for 5 years...since I'd had a Melanoma removed. I regard Doctor's surgeries as only being warranted for near-death experiences!!!!!! It was an unexpected bout of major fever & lung infection that finally sent me off last year.

My GP thought I was in CHF because of the sound of my lungs..I spent a few months taking all sorts of heart pills....when I finally got to see the Heart Specialist he twigged as to the sound being 'velcro' & therefore more liikely PF. The echo showed my left heart side to be OK with my Right side showing mild dilation of something or other!

Thanks to MB, I now understand what causes the sound...makes perfect sense. My 5 yr old grand-daughter has noticed the noises when we're having cuddles...now she asks to check if they're still there!

I'll get her to tell me when they move up...saves the hassle of sitting in a surgery waiting room for hours! Also means I don't come into contact with all the nasty germs that float around in such places. Seems to be working I haven't caught anything for ages...Touch Wood!

Seriously, one of the great advantages of doing this drug-free is that I don't have to get monitored for anything until I need O2. My trusty oximeter is keeping an eagle eye on my Sats & so I'll know by that when the time comes to front up again.

I've seen PF progression described as sometimes being 'indolent'....that seems to fit my Bill! The crackles tell me it's definitely THERE but not furiously moving upward!

in Oz IPF: Fibrotic NSIP/UIP ??Reynauds' May 2007