Getting better - What do I have?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I had my biopsy the beginning of August at Duke. Dr Noble is my Doctor. I would

have sworn that he said that from the biopsy it appeared I did not have IPF but

it probably was an autoimmune lung disease. Since the biopsy I was on on oxygen.

Though I didn't need it while sitting or sleeping.

I'm on all of our favorite drug prednisolone 20 mg plus Cellcept 3g.

About a week and a half ago I started getting better to the point where I no

longer need oxygen. I'm not saying that I'm 100% better, if I walk at a slightly

lower than normal pace I can get maybe 50 yards before I have to rest for a few

minutes, my levels then will go down to around 88. The only problem is that at

times I forget that I'm not normal and walk along at a brisk pace and my levels

quickly plummet to 85-6 or lower.

Before I started getting better I didn't bother thinking much about the

diagnosis. Doctor Noble said to return in December, if I was getting better I

would be there for just a few days, if worse starting the procedures for getting

me on the lung transplant path. (I live in Finland)

So now that I am getting better I'm wondering about the diagnosis.

So here is what Dr Noble put on paper about the biopsy:

The pattern was not the typical features of usual interstitial pneumonia. The

pattern was more consistent with the fibrosing variant nonspecific interstitial

pneumonia, which can be seen in the setting of a connective tissue disease or

chronic hypersensitivity pneumonia.

Can someone translate that into plain English?

Thanks,

Mike Dulin