Jeff went to his doctor appointment Monday morning, the 19th. Test results from the week before had shown that Jeff has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the reason for his diminished lung capacity. The doctor says this is very likely caused by his scoliosis. His spine is rotating and one of his ribs is pushing up against one of his lungs, cutting down on his ability to get a full breath of air into it.

Jeff told the doctor about his wheezing the day before. She said that, although the cold air may have contributed to it, his breathing difficulty was not caused by it. Test results showed that Jeff responded very well to the albuterol inhaler, and the doctor prescribed it to him. I wish the doctor had been able to get him in to see her BEFORE our trip. He had a need for it while we were at Mancos and Mesa Verde. Since getting his albuterol prescription, Jeff has occasionally had to use it.