Member-only story
Why I can’t always wear a mask
It’s frustrating and annoying
I have metastatic lung cancer.
I was diagnosed in May, thanks to a lemon-sized brain tumor that immobilized my right leg. When they did a scan on me they also discovered the cancer in my lungs as well as a spot in my liver.
Thanks to surgery, the brain tumor is gone and I’m walking again.
Because of the lung cancer, I monitor my O2 stats twice a day. I record the numbers in a spreadsheet. Despite the lung cancer and my asthma, I’ve been keeping my O2 levels at a respectable 95%-97% for the last few months. This is in the normal range and is a good sign that I’m keeping the cancer at bay.
Recently, I had pneumonia and despite using nebulizers and medications, my stats hovered between 92%-94% for several days. This level is low enough to be of concern, though not bad enough to send me to the emergency room.
However, when I wear a mask properly… After 20 minutes, I feel faint, and my O2 levels drop to dangerous levels. Last time I tested this at home, they got down to 88%. That is enough to merit a trip to the emergency room.
Fortunately, taking my mask off and doing deep breathing exercises restored my levels to a healthy range.
