Can't Fight Biology

A few updates.  I was told that I am above 80% of the people on the lung transplant list nationwide.  This is good news and means I am right up there for a pair of lungs.  Just waiting on one that is my type and my size.  Being as small as I am (4'10") it can sometimes be hard to come by lungs that will fit in my chest cavity.  I just have to be patient.  Physically I am starting to notice increased coughing and I had a fever yesterday...

As most of you know CF is not a simple disease.  It affects so many different body systems it feels like there is always something going on.  A few days before Christmas Eve my CF induced arthritis (which I have seen called Sporadic Arthritis) started acting up.  It was mostly just my right pinky with off and on symptoms in my right wrist.  I didn't need anything for it.  I dealt with it and put ice on it when it was really stiff.  It then spread to my right elbow and my left shoulder.  I was also feeling a tiny bit in my left knee.  One night it hurt so bad it woke me up out of sleep.  That is when I had to take some pain meds.  I normally only get this when I am on IV's in the hospital so I looked it up recently to find out what causes this.  I found that no one really knows.  For the most part it is something that comes with not much warning and lasts about a week.  They did say it seems to happen in people with CF that have lower lung function and have deceased activity.  I could not find much more information than that.  I did find out that this type of arthritis does not do joint damage.  I was very happy to hear that.

Saying it lasts for about a week is right, because that is how long I was feeling it.  It stopped Friday.  Sadly however Saturday I was having a hard time breathing.  My cough is increasing too.  :(  I would take the arthritis over the breathing difficulties any day.  Today has been a little better than yesterday with breathing.  My cough is still increased and I am using my Albuterol a lot.  I am going to call my doctor tomorrow and get a script and hopefully be able to stop it and last for a little while longer.  I don’t know though.  It hasn't seemed to work the last few times.  I think I am going to ask for Cipro.  I haven't used that one in a long time.  I have been using Levaquin lately.  Some of my bugs became resistant to Cipro, but I was told resistances do change.  Maybe a change is in order.  We will see.  Wish me luck.