Ok, well maybe not normal, but within normal range. Here’s the story.
Yesterday I had an appointment with my pulmonologist and then an appointment to enroll into a research study. I was at the pulmonologist for quite a while. Most of it was just bad timing. Before my appointment I had to do a Pulmonary Functions Test (PFT). I have to do them every time I go see her, so this is nothing unusual.
I ended up blowing an FVC of 3.12 liters and an FEV1 of 2.57 liters. Not my best and a little down from 4 months ago. But that didn’t bother me at all. I took almost all summer off from running, and my last numbers were right after marathon season, so I was in shape. Dr. Joseph commented on it, but wasn’t concerned at all.
Around 11 Am I went to Children’s Hospital to enroll in the study. The study, AZLI vs. Tobi (two different antibiotics), has a requirement that you must be under 75% FEV1. My number earlier was a 73%, so I figured I was in.
Well, I get to the PFT lab at Children’s and start the test. My first blow is always lower than the rest, just because I have to clear everything out of the airways. In fact, my study nurse commented that I didn’t try that hard. Well, I didn’t try hard, but I did blow my way out of the study. You see, I blew a 2.81 (liters), which is 81% on their scale. My nurse (whom I know very well) yelled at me for doing so well. She was kidding, as she’s very happy that I’m so healthy. But I had just finished telling her that I was a 73% at UC.
She also commented that my lungs are better than hers. The RT that did the test said “You’re joking!” She said that she can only blow a 75%. Scary that a 38 year old Double Delta F508 CF Patient can still do that well.
By the way, about the normal comment. In the PFT world anything between 80% and 120% is considered the normal range. So, like I said….I’m normal! (Anyone that knows me will tell you that I am certainly not normal!)
