(no subject)

[camwyn]

Had my initial blood/urine/lung X-ray screening for the World Trade Center Responder Health Registry monitoring program last week. Not sure if there's gonna be another since while I was in the X-ray room one of the radiology techs mentioned that the program had just lost its funding, but we'll see how that goes. I'm not too fussed at the moment. Mostly I went because I have a tendency to get colds and/or sinus infections that linger for God knows how long, to the point where if I could only call God to account for one human design flaw and my choice was between the menstrual cycle and the arrangement of the upper respiratory tract, I'd happily chorf my Motrin but start yelling YOU DIDN'T DO IT TO THE DOLPHINS, LORD, WHY DID YOU DO IT TO US.



Anyway, the blood and urine test results came back yesterday. Everything's within normal healthy parameters except that my serum cholesterol is one point higher than the top end of the healthy range, and my LDLs are somewhat higher than they ought to be. That can be controlled through weight loss, so I'm not worried. There were also results of 'blood and protein in the urine' but given that I was still spotting when I provided the sample, I know exactly where that came from.

They showed me my lung function results on the premises. I apparently scored slightly higher than predicted, although I don't know if that was determined by age or gender or what. Point is, healthy lung function despite the first two uses of the stupid machine inducing massive coughing fits (turns out that 'blow as HARD AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN for five to seven seconds without stopping even once' is not something my upper respiratory tract likes to do). The chest X-rays were also clear; I'm no radiologist or X-ray tech, but the tech showed them to me, explained all the anatomical features including the pulmonary blood vessels, and said it looked perfectly clear to him. So there's that. My pulse rate and blood pressure were good, too; something like 120/76, pulse 74, or 120/78, pulse 76, I forget which. Not sure what my temperature was but it was either normal or 99 F. About the only test results left that I haven't seen were the EKG results.

It's not a full, proper physical, but I'm good with those results.

Comments

[autographedcat]

Congrats on passing your 40,000 mile servicing and oil change!

[wedic]

Sounds promising - is this a follow up from being at the world trade centre attacks?

[camwyn]

Yeah. They've been doing tests like this and monitoring responders for a while now, but I only just got started in the program this year.

[wedic]

It's good that they followed you up - is it because of the dust?

[camwyn]

They're trying to follow up as many of the responders as possible. A lot of us developed symptoms of different respiratory problems or other issues as a result of dust exposure or PTSD.

[wedic]

*nods* I did think PTSD must be an issue, though not measured with spirometry.

[camwyn]

They asked about that to some degree in the initial prescreening. I had to answer a forty-page questionnaire over the phone; there was a sizable section dedicated to psychological stuff including asking whether I'd seen the planes hit, the buildings collapse, or other sights from that day, not to mention any emotional or mental symptoms and their approximate severity.

I haven't had the actual full physical workup yet. That's apparently going to be an extended exam in a doctor's office, assuming the 'lost their funding' comment from one of the radiation techs doesn't mean the process is being canceled.