I find it very interesting every time I go for my Specialists Appointment at Greenlane Hospital. I am eager to learn all I can about PAH and for them to tell me hopefully there is no deterioration since my last visit. I really look forward to it (not the six minute walk, mind you, I don’t think anyone enjoys it). On my last visit, I walked an extra twenty metres, which I was very proud of. My husband and I have been going to our local pool at Pukekohe three times a week and walk up and down for an hour. Maybe this is helping, I am not sure but it surely can’t hurt to try. The Doctors and Nurses I see are very nice and help you to understand what having Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension is all about. Thank goodness they are there to help us with this not so nice disease.
 

One of the best items I have is a diary.
In this diary, I write down everything I want to ask the specialist on my next visit on the date of that appointment. It could be excessive mucous in my throat, to a pain here and there, spots on my skin, whatever has happened since my last visit. A couple of weeks back now, we had friends over for dinner and I ended up being not well, so I jotted down what was happening and asked about it on my next visit. Everything was alright, thank goodness. Every morning I take my blood pressure and write it at the top of the page and when I get my INR results I put it in my diary and my little red book. Sometimes I have to take a Warfarin dose of two one day and three the next. It used to get a bit complicated so on my husband’s suggestion, the even days I would take two and on the odd days I would take three. I found that helped quite a lot.  My diary gives me a reference as to what has been going on over the last year, and if I need to look up something, it is there.
I could not do without it as it takes a lot of stress out of my life.
Sandy 5/10/2011