They did the ABG but they didn't tell me anything. . .just put me in ICU. They did sent in the respiratory therapists almost daily to assess and the first day after one blow out hard, it took a full 10 minutes to recover and they did not continue. i know on the spirometer, it was only 500ml the 2nd day since i could see that number. they didn't want to say much--just that my saturation (?) i think was 97-100% all the time so that was good (you know, the one that is on the monitor that you can watch with your heart rate that they take with your fingertip).

btw, my heartrate stayed around 95-100 at rest all week and would go to 125 if i lifted my arms, ate, peed or anything. no one spoke of that either. i also had some tachycardia for no reason and swinging b.p.

i don't understand about plamapheresis. can you explain how that would help?

and my neuro is booked and on vacation through monday and i don't have an appt til the 27th to see him and they are trying to refer me to a specialist in the group and i haven't even an appt yet for him since there has been no communication due to the vacation. i'm kinda freaking out.

great info guys, thank you. . .i have a lot of paper to get and i know nothing of pulmonology and although i was in pulmonary ICU, by day 2, the head was unimpressed with my numbers and my tests being negative so i was moved out.

right now, the breathing is up and not fluctuating on the pred. i get scared watching it go up and down on the spirometer they gave me. . .i just want to get in somewhere so that i am being followed before i run out of meds in case i crash. i don't want to have another crisis. it was VERY scary.

debra