Health Update: Pulmonary Function Tests

Last Friday I had my first repeat of Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) since being told I need a lung transplant. You can imagine, I was quite nervous about them. Along the way I am making all kinds of decisions. So many of them seem like gambles, yet they are literally life and death. Luckily my PFTs were a confirmation that, for now, I am making the right decisions. The plan can still change at any time, but for right now, we are just pressing ahead with handling some more immediate issues I have to get under control before I see the transplant center.

As for the results, I must confess, given how much better I’ve been feeling, I was secretly hoping for a miraculous improvement that would wow everyone. What I got was a mixed bag, but the important part is that, for now, I have stabilized.

My forced vital capacity (FVC) fell three points, but my DLCO (the bigger problem right now) went up three points. Machines can vary from hospital to hospital. For some reason, my numbers are always lower at KUMed than at NIH, so the fact that they were about the same was happy news.

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Ratner's Cheesecake

Here's another recipe from Toby! Thanks Toby......and I'll get the others posted soon! Ratner's Cheesecake and plain cookies Ratner's was a Jewish dairy restaurant in the lower East Side of Manhattan. This recipe, from my disintegrating, no longer in print Ratner's cookbook, is the closest I've ever gotten to reproducing the rich, heavy cheesecake my mother made when I was a kid. It's worth the time it takes to prepare and every last calorie. Dough Can be prepared in advance. Makes enough for two cakes. Can be frozen or used to make cookies – see recipe below. 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup shortening 1 teaspoon lemon extract 1 cup butter 2 eggs 3 cups sifted cake flour ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients with hands. Refrigerate 3 -4 hours, or preferably overnight. Filling (for

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Help for one of our newest HPS friends

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Living on the frontlines

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