I am not sure what that means but one thing I do know.

If I had a Doc that I or my insurance paid for the visit to his office, that I could not understand, I would not leave his office until I did.

You might want to change Doctors, you health is a stake.

One thing I insist on is a written report of test results and doctor interpretations. It's clinical but can be broken down into laymen's terms. If you do not understand your doctor you can ask to have a nurse present to explain the findings.

He didn't "put you on" the meds. He gave you a prescription for some that a pharmaceutical salesman had asked him to recommend.
Now you should research them on the internet and see if you agree they'd help you and not conflict with anything you are taking.
You can also check out that doctor by Googling him. Take charge, woman!

Let me give this a shot. I hope it makes sense and that Im not off the mark.

I am assuming that the 71% your doctor referred to is the FEV1% predicted value.

The FEV1% predicted value is the value most used to express lung function. It is how much air you can exhale in one second expressed as a percentage of what is predicted if you were healthy. If your FEV1% predicted value is 71%, it means you can exhale in one second 71% of the amount of air predicted if you were healthy.

The FEV1% predicted value is used to establish what COPD stage you are in. Using the GOLD (Global Initiative for Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) standard, an FEV1% predicted value of 71% puts you in the moderate stage. The moderate stage has a range of 50% to 79%.

For definitions of the stages see: http://copd.about.com/od/copdbasics/a/stagesofcopd.htm

I strongly recommend that you get a copy of your PFT results. A good web site for helping you understand the results is:

http://www.copdcanada.ca/pft_numbers.htm

Susan

boldprint gave you some great info.
i always get a copy of any tests done, just ask the dr for a copy & they have to give you one (dr's are getting better about this it seems, or my dr's & hospitals are used to me wanting a copy & just print one up while i wait)
when i can't understand a dr (or anyone) i just say that my hearing isn't good & that i am having a hard time understanding their accent. then i ask if there is a nurse or someone that can help.
what new meds did he try & do they seem to be helping? (yeah, i'm nosey ;) ---never heard of a med for sleep apnea though; i thought one needed 02/cpap for that?

On the mark and what she wanted to know, Susan.

I have never heard of a med for sleep apnea either, but there might be one. I'll bet we can google it...http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/sleep-apnea-medications Ok, the way I understand it, it is for day time sleepyness....

Ann, I would not put a lot of faith in a doctor I could not understand. he may be the best around, but orders and advice need to be clear and understandable, as well as clear answers to any questions you may have.

Did he explain each med or inhaler and tell you what to expect and how to use it (them) ? I would tell him , you do not understand him, so either have someone in there to translate or get another doctor.

Remember, you are paying him (or your insurance) not the other way around...

Do not leave that office until you understand everything you need to, if he gets offended, perhaps he will realize he needs to practice his English a whole lot more, or he could hurt someone if they mis understand an order.

My Pulmy is from Columbia, and speaks English real , good, but when he slips and says a word I do not know, I just say, translate, and we both laugh...

BJ

the only thing i am on for sleep apnea is my auto cpap machine, i was just on symbicort and combivent but he also put me on singular and flonase 4 years ago my lung function was at 84% and it dropped to 71% so the pulmo was concerned and put me on those other 2 meds and told me to do breathing treatments every 4 hours and that is with albuterol instead of brovana. thank you for all the great advice everyone, sorry it took so long to respond.

glad you have the cpap at night & that will help your 02 stay proper levels during sleep too.
sounds like he has you on good meds for copd AND the asthma.
hope it is helping you breath a bit better.
thank you for getting back to us.
((((HUGS))))

I wish I had 71% ! I0nly have one lung left. My last FEV1 was only 25% of my only working lung, changing my DX to severe end stage! Jim

Jim, sorry to here your one lung is in so much trouble. From your picture I'm guessing you, like me, are post puberty. I hope you have the peace of mind I have now about death. I really feel quite comfortable with the idea and don't intend to fight it in any way.
I am very grateful that hospice now exists to help us on our way.
I'm not writing you off, mind you, just being, in my mind, practical.

Don't be jealous, Jim. We worked hard (literally) for these low % . Mine was so bad the tech wouldn't even make me do the 6 minute.

Also sent me only 1 sheet of results in the mail and I knew there was a second sheet so I called the office and asked the office staff member to send the 2nd page and she did.

That was where the bad news was. Guess that proves you should be careful what you ask for. LOL

I wasn't surprised so it wasn't too much of a shock. Just took my breath away (pun). :)).

Hugs, Anna

Me too j.h. only just want drugs at the end.:)

I don't know whether to laugh or be angry about your not being sent the second sheet. It is interesting tho. I suppose they thot they were being kind. Like we don't realize when we get worse and can die.
I have an older friend who just developed a very aggressive lung cancer. He was told he had less than 2 months. We had dinner with him, the next couple of days he told each family member goodbye
and he is now asleep at home with hospice in attendance. It's really been kind of lovely. (That's from my perspective. Don't know that his wife would agree.)