[Clrday]

I just graduated from pulmonary rehab at the hospital. The rehab people say 89 and lower need supplemental oxygen. 90 and above can use oxygen if desired. The number on your supplemental oxygen machine is determined by your dr. Or by a walking test. This takes your oxygen level at the beginning and after 10 or 15 minutes of walking and then another oxygen level. A respiratory nurse can perform this test. The number on your machine is a function of your recovery time after walking.

[Clrday]

What you need too do is to ask for a Walking Breath test.  When I had mine a person came to my home at my doctor’s request.  She took a resting oxygen amount on her o2 meter. I walked for a distance with no oxygen supplementation and she again took a oxygen level and then I rested for about 5 minutes and she took another reading.  She then announced that my recovery rate was too slow so I definitely needed oxygen supplementation.  She suggested I try taking oxygen at a higher level of supplementation than I had previously used.  My pulmonary doctor approved the higher rate and then I could control my breathlessness much more easily.

[Clrday]

My ILD started after I had Sjogrens for 17 years.  Apparently ILD is or can be the result of having Sjogrens.  I have taken Aziopthrine for 3 years with no change in my breathing tests but now I have asthma and must use albuterol inhaling 1 or 2 times a day as well as Advair 2 times a day.  I have not gotten wood floors in my bedroom but I have no down products in the house.  We have 2 cats and a dog. Guess I need to do some allergy testing.  I know I have hay fever in the fall and spring allergies in March/April.  Summer, hot and dry, is my favorite time of year but we have had 30 days over 100 degrees and this heat is too much for me.