Alright, people...good news finally!

I went in for my Broncoscopy this morning, which includes a tube being threaded into my nose, down my throat, and into my lungs to take a look around. The hose is guided by x-ray viewing during the whole process. They took a Lavage Biopsy, which is a process where they put fluids into my lungs and immediately extract them back up through the hose. The samples are sent off and we should have some results in a week.

The good news is that there was no need for a lung tissue biopsy. This means that there was nothing significant showing in my lungs to cause much concern such as growths or cancerous looking spots. The other good news is that I can resume my life as normal, but will have to avoid anything too extreme. The definition of extreme is yet to be defined and is up for speculation as far as I'm concerned. The reason for avoiding overdoing is to prevent an air sac from popping which would cause my lung to callapse. Joshua thinks this means no more marathons and no body building. Shoot...that was so my next adventure...totally kidding!

The not so fun side of things is that I will have to check in with my Pulmonologist 2-3 times a year to make sure my Emphysema is not progressing. It is still so weird to check this disease on my medical history profile when just 3 months ago I literally could go down the list and mark "no" for every item. I am sure this will continue to be a hard thing for me to accept, but I know God has a plan in this. I am not so good at accepting things that I can't explain, let alone the doctors. This is truly where faith in our eternal home and body sustains me. They keep saying that Emphysema is not uncommon with not having ever been a smoker, BUT it usually occurs in old people. Not cool, but better than the alternatives.

My thoughts have been all over the place. When I went in to the Pulmonologist for my first visit our conversations included "out of state care", "possibly a lung stint like they put in a heart", and "I know a great guy who is the best at lung transplants." You can only imagine how that went over. But, in typical me fashion I chose to freak out at first, get slightly down, and completely adopt the first stage of Denial. I realize through this adventure, I have often forgotten to rely more on God and I have questioned many things. I eventually return to HIS word and find comfort and peace. I am so thankful for this outlet.

During this time, I have been reminded of how many true friends I have. Those that send sweet cards & messages, or bring us dinner or just ask how things are going when we are playing the waiting game. Thanks for listening and praying too. As I know that the power of prayer can do miraculous things. I appreciate you all!