Blow baby!

When stricken with an illness such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF), you learn to make the best of the situation. Greg and I have been blessed with the ability to turn a bad situation into a laugh or two. Nurses and doctors are often taken back by our ability to joke about the disease or even things that Greg currently has to do even after the lung transplant. We are best friends and have learned that the power of laughter is stronger than even the perils of death when it comes down to it.

Having said that, I will often hear Greg doing his lung function tests in the morning and throw a witty comment in there. My common one is "blow baby, blow!” (laugh) Okay, for those that do not understand this and think it is some lucid sexual fantasy, when Greg has his lung function tests twice a day, he has to blow as hard and as long as possible (3 times) into a spirometer. This machine will give him a read out of the force of his blowing as well as peak flows. The higher the numbers, the better his lungs are. And, I am happy to announce that even without any inhaled medications, Greg has been able to stay above a 3.0 FEV1 (3.02 to be exact). When doing a simple formula, that comes out to be a 73% lung function. Not bad for a man that had around 10% lung function before the lung transplant and was on 4L of oxygen 24/7. His blood oxygen levels (the amount of oxygen carried in his blood and to his organs) is normally at 100% without any need of a supplemental oxygen tank. Gee, and to think, he was at around 89% oxygen levels with that 4L of oxygen back before the transplant. Way to go Hun!

Getting back to the "blowing" (laugh) - I want him to do his best on the test - so "blow baby, blow" is kind of Greg's own little cheerleading squad. The better he does, the better his lungs are. Now, if only I can get him to get on that treadmill more often, maybe we can hit 3.5 FEV1 or maybe even 4.0FEV1! The possibilities are limitless with a little aerobic exercise. I guess I should lead by example and get my own rear-end in gear with the exercise routine first before I bug him any further. :) A hypocrite I am not! (wink)

~Shannon
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