Question:
I am going to the Pulmonologist tomorrow, what exactly can I expect.

   — cindy17 (posted on October 6, 2009)

October 6, 2009
They are gonna do a Pulmonary Function test. Which is where they yest your lung capacity. They will also take your pulse and measure your ability to withstand the surgery. It is really simple. The hardest part is when they put you in the tiny enclosed cube. Good luck this is a painless procedure and should take you no more than 30 minutes.
   — saucedoj78

October 6, 2009
Thank you.
   — cindy17

October 6, 2009
Well, I had to breathe into this machine several times, blowing out for as long as I could, and I would watch this monitor show a line that looked like a big hill on it, peaking at the point of the most powerful part of my exhale, then going back down again. Then, they took my blood pressure and pulse, and put a pulse oximeter on my finger and made me walk really fast around a circular hallway in their office - I probably did about 15 laps as fast as I could go. Then they recorded the blood pressure and pulse again, and took the readings from the pulse ox monitor. Finally, the doctor came in, looked at the results, and questioned me about the swelling in the lower half of my legs - I generally have edema about halfway up the shin. He thought it might be related to pulmonary hypertension - something that is not good.... but the more he looked at the test results, the more he thought that wasn't the case. It was pretty non-threatening. And the letter he sent to my surgeon along with copies of the results was just lovely...he called me a "thoroughly delightful patient who was presenting for evaluation prior to gastric bypass surgery."
   — Erica Alikchihoo

October 6, 2009
Hey! I just wanted to let you know that I'm a Respiratory Therapist and if you are getting a PFT, you probably won't even see the pulmonologist, just a RT. It just consists of some breathing exercises to measure your lung capacity, volumes, etc. Not much too it, unless you are short of breath, or already having an underlying issue. If you have any difficulty breathing though your mouth alone, they may slide a soft clip on your nose(similar to holding your nose!) The box is nothing to be afraid of as they are usually clear all the way around so you can see everything around you. I am sure whoever does the test will make you feel as comfortable as possible.
   — BethR0523

October 7, 2009
I was also given a plastic breathing device to use prior to my surgery. This was to strengthen my lungs - I had never had surgery before.
   — Muggs