Bronchoscopy Patient for Hire

Yep, I am back at it…I did another asthma study in the name of science (and for some more cash). 

A month ago I was screened to participate in a follow-on asthma study to one I participated a few years back.  This time they were looking for asthmatics who also had Vitamin D deficiency.  If I would have screened for this study while I was living in Seattle, I would have qualified.  Unfortunately, I now live in sunny Denver and spend probably 60+ hours a week in the sun between work, running, hiking, and camping…. needless to say, I was NOT Vitamin D deficient. 

Then a few weeks ago I got a call asking if I wanted to participate in a different asthma study.  They were looking for people with controlled asthma, like myself, who would be willing to undergo a bronchoscopy to look at my airways and take some biopsies.  They wanted various subject data to look at the correlation between asthma and GI issues effecting the esophagus.  They would pay me $450 for about 6 hours of my time…. um, yes please, sign me up!  In addition, they asked if they could take pictures of my airway to include in a medical publication; I was going to be a airway model!!! 

Not only would I be earning some side cash, but I would be helping asthma research. I’ll consider it my little piece to make the world breathe easier. 

Monday was the bronchoscopy.  I have never had one before, but surprisingly was not nervous.  Mostly I was not nervous because they give you some nice sedatives so you don’t even remember a thing. 

I have had similar sedatives for the other –scopy  and knew the sedatives they give are some fun drugs!  But those drugs made me crazy; in fact, the doctor said I was one of her most entertaining patients….but wouldn’t elaborate on details, she just said I was very talkative and inquisitive during the procedure….. sooo embarrassing since I don’t remember a thing!

The asthma folks didn’t mention any craziness with the sedatives this time around, but I did come away with TWO copies of the photos they took during the bronchoscopy. 

I don’t know why they gave me one copy, let alone two.  This seems like something drugged-up-Barb would request, “Hey doctor, can you please print two copies of the photos you took during the Bronchoscopy; I want one for my files and the other to hang in my cubical at work.”  What is wrong with me!?

And if you didn’t know what the photos were of, they look kind of naughty.  But they are just of my larynx, trachea, mucosal and bronchial tree.  And maybe if you are a doctor reading a published asthma study one day, you will see these very photos and think, “Hey, I know that Larynx, that is the runner person who posts pointless blog entries on the internet!” These photos might just make me famous.