Good website, interesting article, and other stuff!

[Guest guest]

Hello to everybody!

I am mainly a lurker here because of lack of time to read and respond to hundreds of e-mails. I still work full-time and am not currently on o2, so I am trying like crazy to live as fully as is possible. I do cough continually and have many issues related to Sjogren's and Raynaud's. I'm going in for a stress test and echocardiogram next Wednesday (at my suggestion....grrrr!) mainly because of a very rapid heart rate. Just sitting here right now it is in the 90's. Doctors keep telling me that even 100 is normal, but I know something is going on. The first day of school, it was 130 after climbing the stairs. My sats are always still in the 90s, which I know is surprising. My hands are throbbing most of the time and I break out in sweats continually. I am terrified of many things these days, PH being big on the list, followed by FLU!!! I take care of myself very well, but know that my exposure to

children on a daily basis is dangerous. My husband suddenly has a suspicious cyst on his kidney and his business of 20 years is failing. My son lost his job and will be moving back in with us at age 23. My income and insurance are the only constants right now. I read about so many of you and the horrible issues you are dealing with.......so courageously! I have it good comparitively, and I know it.

Thank those of you who post here frequently or even infrequently to keep all of us better informed. When I can't sleep, I read e-mails from the group in detail on my phone.

The main reason I posted today was to share an a website for physicians on pulmonology issues, called CHEST. You may have run across it like I did, when searching for PF info. I plugged in Sjogren's today, and got many articles of my disease related to PF. I read until I got depressed, but found out some new and relevant info.

http://www.chestjournal.org/

Another thing I found today in my search for another pulmonologist in Dallas, were some articles about salaries and discontent in the job as a pulmonologist. Part of the problem is that there are not too many new treatments that significantly help their patients to live longer. Many of them are getting into the "sleep study" business to make a better, and more satisfying living.

http://www.chestjournal.org/content/127/4/1085.full

http://mdsalaries.blogspot.com/2006/01/pulmonologist-salaries.html

Anyway, this is my contribution for today. I do hope that those of you reading this have a wonderful, reflective Sunday. Take care of yourself, because nobody else does the job as well!

Elisa NSIP/LIP/Sjogren's/Raynaud's Apr. '08

age 53 Mansfield, TX