So......no joke today! Splenda got a great phone call last night! We were waiting for his doctor to get home from Europe and review all his test results. Had an appointment for 4/6. Apparently Doc got back in town, was proactive and reviewed the test results and called Splenda late last night.
NO, I repeat, NO IPF! Great news! No more "mid 50's , mid 60's" mortality rate.
NO Antitrypsin Deficiency. More great news. That is a hereditary disease that also has no cure, and the treatment is nasty.
YES - Emphysema. Huh? Wha? Dave's never smoked a day in his life! His exposure to second hand smoke is no more, likely even less, than most people. However, his breathing tests, his xray, and his CT scan all conclude Emphysema. Doc is a little stumped, not sure what could be causing it. But not much to do other than keep an eye on it and see how it progresses. We are keeping are fingers crossed that it is slow. He'll get followed up in another 6 months. If no change, he'll go to yearly follow up's. He still needs to be careful to not expose himself to smoke, dust, chemicals, bad air etc. However, this diagnosis is much more livable than the original one. And for that we are grateful, and feel very blessed! Nice knowing that you now have the same chance of mortality as everyone else now, and no predicted death sentence! Is he completely well? No, but this is manageable. If we find it's progressing fast (doubtful), then we'll cross that bridge then.
For now, we are ecstatic at the news!
And yes, Splenda is still buying his 'stang. Hoping to have it before next weekend so he can drive it down to St George!
Huge thanks to all the kind words, thoughts and prayers that came our way. We are blessed with great family and friends!
Now, to get his butt to the gym! : )
