diagnosis

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Amigas del Señor

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Jul 19, 2026, 9:17:06 AMJul 19
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From Sister Confianza:

After six weeks taking iron supplements (including eating chicken liver weekly), my blood iron levels got back into the range of normal.  I told the cardiologist's office, and made an appointment to go to La Ceiba for the heart stress test (where you jog on a treadmill and the doctor watches the live echocardiogram).  I arrived Thursday afternoon and waited three hours to be seen.  First, the doctor was surprised not to see me in sports clothing -- no one had told me I was supposed to dress special, including tennis shoes, and I explained that I don't own any such clothing anyway.  Then he said (paraphrasing), "You shouldn't be here anyway.  Your EKG is normal, and your test results didn't show any abnormalities that indicate heart problems.  Your symptoms tell me you need to go to the pulmonologist.  He called her right then, at almost 6pm, to let her know I'd be at her office first thing in the morning.  

As I tried to fall asleep in the hotel, feeling consternated about this turn of events, I reminded myself that although I don't understand what's going on with my body, God does.  I trust in God, so I can trust God with my body as well.  

Thus, instead of coming home right away as expected on Friday, I went instead to Hospital D'Antoni where many medical specialists see patients.  Doctora Manzanares, a kind and professional young woman, saw me promptly at 8am.  She took a careful history and gave me recommendations on how to better use the nasal spray (for allergies).  She also changed the medicine I take for GI reflux to one that doesn't cause osteoporosis.  Then she administered a spirometry test, which is what the cardiologist told me to expect.  I did this test back in December 2024 with the pulmonologist in Tocoa. At that time, Dr. Castro told me my breathing was in the range of normal, and the use of a bronchodilator didn't make a significant difference.  I, however, found it was easier to breath after the nebulization.  Because of that, on Sister Alegria's recommendation, I have been regularly using an inhaler since Feb. 2025, except for the several months that everything was going so well between December and April.  

Well, this time, Dra Manzanares showed me that my regular breathing was only at 67% of expected capacity, and it improved noticeably after using the inhaler.  "Definitely asthma," she said -- twice.  Then she prescribed me a different inhaler (same ingredients, but cheaper!) and also gave me a six-day course of steroids to open my lungs back up.  "You'll be back on your bike in no time!" she told me.  I'd like that!  

I was able to catch a bus in short order to Tocoa and caught the last bus in our direction as it pulled out of the station there at 2pm. I made it back to the monastery in Limon by 5:30pm!  

It is good to have a diagnosis.  My mother also was diagnosed with allergies and asthma in midlife.  Now I have to learn to manage it well so that it doesn't incapacitate me.  However, this doesn't explain the exhaustion and fast heart rate I was having.  I plan to read up more on other Long COVID symptoms, like post exertional malaise.  Also, I discovered that I have gained weight when I wasn't looking (more like, when I was lying around resting!), and could stand to lose about 20 pounds.  So I will start being careful to eat a little less than I have been, along with exercising more as I am able. 

Bendiciones, 
Sister Confianza

 


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