Later today I’m off to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the SARP study. While I’m there, I’ll finally get to meet the famous Dr. Sally Wenzel . She’s done so much to advance the knowledge of the severe forms of this disease. I admire her and feel like I already know her.
My plane leaves at 11 pm tonight, and with a connection in Chicago, doesn’t arrive in Pittsburgh until 9 am tomorrow morning. I hate overnight flights, but that’s cool this time, because it’s one less night I would have had to shell out for a hotel room. In that regard, I was able to find a hotel just 2 blocks from the University of Pittsburgh’s Asthma Institute, where they’re doing most of the research procedures.
I’m scheduled for 3 days of testing, beginning with spirometry , CT scans and sputum collection on Wednesday afternoon. Thursday will be a day of pulmonary function tests and blood work, and then on Friday morning, Dr Wenzel is going to take look inside my lungs (bronchoscopy) and take some lung tissue samples for analysis. As a precautionary measure, they want to monitor me overnight in the hospital following the bronchoscopy procedure. If there are no complications(knock on wood), I’ll complete the study late Saturday morning, just in time to catch my afternoon flight back to San Francisco.
Not sure if I’ll have much time in between appointments to check out the sights, but I’d definitely like to try some of the local food joints. Pittsburgh is supposed to be home to some of the worlds finest fast food eateries. Primanti Bros and Original Hot Dogs, just to name a few. I saw both of these places on the travel channel a few years ago. The food looks awesome. Not exactly healthy cuisine, but it sure looks really tasty.
Ive decided not to haul my computer along on this trip, so I unless I have access to one while Im there and feel like blogging, I probably won’t be updating again until sometime next week.
Behave yourselves and try not to miss me too much.
LOVE the shirt!!!!!! I was waiting for it to appear on the blog after you told me about it.
. . . I definitely read "Organic Hot Dogs" instead of "Original". My bad haha.
Looking forward to the update when you're back, and I'll miss ya, Steve!! [Or, as Amy called you this morning, my virtual respiratory therapist.]
Rock that research, dude
If you read the reviews about that Hot Dog place, many will say it should be condemned by the health dept. People don't really go there for the hot dogs anyway, they go for the fries!
The other place is best known for their Hofbrau style sandwiches. Get this..they put the French fries and Cole Slaw right inside the sandwich and then stuff it with your favorite meat.
Both of these places are pretty close to the hospital Im going to, so you know I'll be checking it out.
Hi. Good luck with your trip and your contribution to asthma research…and hope you get to sample some the local tasty food you noted : )!
GayleMyrna
Thank you, One of the fun things for me in traveling to new places, is sampling the local junk foods.
I wanna be Dr. Wenzel when I grow up! Ask her if she would like to have a Canadian grad student in 18 months' time…
Just kidding!! Good luck with the lab-ratting. Hope all goes well and that the study is cooking along nicely. Keep us posted.
Danielle
Danielle , I'm actually going to be in Chicago for 1 hour tomorrow morning. Isn't that where you go to school?
Unfortunately, not! I'm up in Ottawa.
Sorry Danielle, Gotcha mixed up with someone else.
stephen have fun but be ware the hotdogs i always get my asthma from hotdogs sausage and bologna??? even if i eat all beef???? also ask dr if anyone she knows has trouble with tomatoes and choc ican only eat if i'm on top of my game???? if not i can expect a visit to er???? well enjoy your self and remember to get your rest too bless you marsh
Thanks, but this is a research visit…not sure I would call it fun. Some of the stuff they do actually hurts. The food is just to reward myself.