Should I stay or should I go??

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spicyone18

New member
Ok, so I am suppose to go to Denver on friday with my aunt. My aunt told me to call my doctor to make sure I would be ok with altitude and what not. So today I call my doctor and ask him if he thinks that I would be ok. I am not on oxygen, the only time I go on oxygen is normally when I am in the hospital and then I am normally only on it the first couple of days. Right now I am on home IVs but and suppose to be finished by thursday. I got out of the hospital on the 4th of May and since I have been home I have had swelling in my stomach and legs. My doctor knows this he thinks its due to the medicine. I also get short of breath. So with all this he advises not to go. Cause of the swelling and being short of breath. But if the swelling is due to my meds then it should be ok since i finish thursday. Thats what I am thinking. So what would you do?? Go with his advise or go against it??
 
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anonymous

New member
Hey Courtney-
The one time the doctors are right ALWAYS is the one time you decide to take a chance. Altitudes are tricky....sometimes they bother you sometimes they don't.

Sorry I can't really help. I hope you feel better.
mandy
 
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Diane

New member
I also would not go if my doctor advised against it. You dont want to get there and have things go haywire....
 
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HairGirl

New member
I would base it on how you feel, if you think you can handle it, I didn't notice a difference when I moved to high altitude but again it affects people differently, if it was me, I would probably go since I was finishing up meds and hopefully feeling a lot better. But totally up to you.
 
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JazzysMom

New member
I wouldnt go......not only because of the POSSIBLE problem with altitude, but even tho you are feeling better & will be off iv....your body is still in recovery & will have to get use to NOT having the meds running thru it. In addition to the rest of the problems you are having of some he contributes to the meds, but it might not be. I would just hate to see you back slide! Whatever you decide please be very careful!
 
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65rosessamurai

Guest
Hey Courtney!
I'd have to agree with the doctor on this one. I've been to Colorado Springs, which is an even higher altitude than Denver, and with regular lung function, you can feel it if you go faster than a brisk walk.
In fact, when I was there last February, my Brother in Law, Alan, took me to a shooting range. Well, it was about a 200 yard range, and this one time, before everyone was going to shoot their targets, I didn't get a chance to set mine up because I was helping with someone else's. Well, Alan told me to RUN out there put the target up and RUN back! I almost didn't make it back cause I was so exhausted. It was so funny to me because I realized the altitude was so high as I was running back.
Anyway, if you were going to Los Angeles, New York, or somewhere with about the same altitude, I'd say ignore the doctor's orders and go. But, Colorado is NOT a normal State! When I took my wife last September, I was perfectly fine, but she had a reaction to the altitude, and Alan (who has finally graduated and passed the test for an RN) had told her to put on O2 and rest a bit. she was fine a few hours later.
I hope with this, if you can wait a few weeks before going, then you can't feel to bad about not going. I hope you are able to go, but within time, and with less possible complications.
That's my personal opinion based on experience.
IF (and IF) you did decide to go against the doc's request, take an O2 tank, and get the Denver CF Clinic's phone no., or make some sort of preparation just in case, as a suggestion.
 
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spicyone18

New member
Thanks for all the advice. If i do decide to go, whats the worse that can happen?? I have been to colorado once before to ski, but I was younger. I dont think it bothered me then. I am thinking I may go anyway, b/c we are only going for a long weekend. Like we leave here friday and coming back monday or tuesday. And we are driving so I would be gradually getting to higher altitude. Today my legs didnt swell to much, so thats a good sign!!
 
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princessjdc

New member
I wouldn't go Courtney, I'd make sure you're 100% better and go with docs advice. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
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Mockingbird

New member
If you want the phone# for the clinic I can give it to you, though I'm not sure it would do much good.

If a doctor told me I shouldn't go because there was a possibility something might happen, then I'd probably just ignore it. =-) However, if the doctor said something more specific, like because of the medication the high altitude might collapse my lung (I don't know if it actually can, I just made that up) then I might take it a little more seriously. Sometimes doctors doctors give precaution simply because that's their job. It really depends on who the doctor is and how strongly they give the advice.

Edit: one more thing: If you stay there will be trouble, but if you go there will be double. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0">
 
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