D: What brings you in here today?

P: Um, I've just had difficulties with breathing for the past, I want to say eight, nine months. And um, my wife just told me to come in. It's just, she was worried about it and uh, I thought I'd just come in and have it checked out.

D: Okay, so it's been going on for the last eight to nine months. Has it been getting worse at all?

P: Yeah, I would think so. I would say so, yeah. So,

D: Sorry, go on.

P: So, it was just um, I feel like I just get short of breath more easily now.

D: Okay, and is it short of breath with activities? Or are you getting short of breath with uh, sitting or resting as well?

P: So when I'm, when I'm, with activity.

D: With activity, okay. And the cough that you're getting, is it a wet cough or a dry cough?

P: It's a dry cough.

D: Okay. And are you bringing up any material at all, like any um, yellow or green sputum?

P: No, no.

D: Any blood?

P: Um, no, no blood. 

D: No blood, okay. And with your shortness of breath, is it, are you having difficulty taking deep breaths, or do you find that you're taking more fast, shallow breaths?

P: Um, just, I guess, just uh, shallow breaths.

D: Okay, okay. And um, so this is over the last eight or nine months. Have you noticed any other symptoms at all, like chest pain, dizziness or fainting? No?

P: No.

D: Okay. And do your symptoms get, get worse at all when you're lying flat, like when you're sleeping?

P: No.

D: No. And do you ever wake up gasping for air?

P: No.

D: Okay. Um, and have you tried anything that's helped you uh, relieve some of these symptoms? 

P: Sorry, could you say that again?

D: Uh, have you tried anything like over the counter, to help you relieve these symptoms?

P: No, no I haven't.

D: Um, have you traveled at all recently?

P: No. 

D: Have you been in contact with anyone that's been sick?

P: Um, no, not really. I, I did go out to the pharmacy to get my medications, but that's, that's the only time I actually interact with anyone outside of my home.

D: And what, what medications do you take?

P: Um, I just take aspirin. 

D: Aspirin, okay. Have you been diagnosed with any medical conditions?

P: I had a heart attack. 

D: Oh okay, well when was that? 

P: Last year.

D: Last year, well I'm so sorry and um, did they give you any medications to go on after that?

P: Yeah yeah, yeah there, there were a couple of other medications as well. Something um, something, something -pril. And uh, I think there's uh, uh, rosuvastatin.

D: Okay, and do you still take those? 

P: Yeah, I take those. Sometimes I forget that I do, I try to take them as much as I can.

D: Okay, and you also take the aspirin. Alright, have you noticed any fevers or chills?

P: No. 

D: Nausea or vomiting?

P: Nope.

D: And any chest pain?

P: Uh, no. 

D: No, okay. Any increased fatigue?

P: No.

D: Any diarrhea or constipation?

P: No. 

D: Any numbness or tingling anywhere?

P: No.

D: Any confusion or memory, like memory loss?

P: Um, no, I don't think so.

D: Any trouble urinating?

P: Um, no. 

D: Okay, have you noticed any swelling um, in your feet, ankles, legs at all? 

P: No.

D: Okay. Um, and how's your appetite been like?

P: Um, it's been, it's been the same.

D: Okay, and any um, significant weight changes? Have you lost any weight? 

P: No.

D: No. Um, any exposure to fumes or dust within your environment?

P: Um, not right now. When I was young, yeah.

D: Okay, now did you, so did you have exposure to fumes or dust?

P: Um, I used to work in a mine so.

D: A mine?

P: Yeah, lots of chemicals and things like that.

D: Okay. And any exposure to any pets or animals?

P: Uh, no. 

D: Besides your medical history of having a heart attack and some blood pressure, um, any other medical conditions?

P: Uh, I just have high blood pressure.

D: Okay, any allergies to any medications or any environmental allergies?

P: No. 

D: Okay. Um, any hospitalizations besides when you had a heart attack, previously?

P: No.

D: Any surgeries?

P: No.

D: Okay. Did they tell you at all what the cause of your heart attack was? 

P: Um, they just uh, they said it was my, my diet.

D: They said diet, okay. 

P: Yeah, something about cholesterol.

D: Did you require any stents, or did you have to get a bypass surgery or anything like that? 

P: Uh, they put in, I think they put in stents.

D: Stents, okay. Um, any family history of any heart or lung conditions? 

P: Yeah, um, my um, mom had heart failure. 

D: Okay, um, and how old was she when she had her heart failure? 

P: She was young, she was uh, 55. 

D: 55, okay. Um, and currently, right now, or sorry, do you have any family history of any cancers, any lung cancer or anything like that?

P: No. 

D: And currently do you work or are you retired? 

P: I'm retired.

D: Okay. And what's your living situation like right now? Do you live with anyone?

P: I live with my wife.

D: Okay, and do you smoke?

P: Uh, no.

D: Have you ever smoked?

P: I did when I was young.

D: How long would you say you smoked for?

P: Um, I'd say 45 years.

D: And how much would you smoke in an average day? 

P: Um, about a pack a day. 

D: Um, any recreational drugs like marijuana?

P: No. 

D: And do you drink alcohol?

P: Yeah I do. Um I'll, I'll drink a glass at night, every night. 

D: And a glass of, what would you drink?

P: Oh just a, a glass of wine, white wine.

D: Okay, so those are all the questions I have for you today. Any questions for me?

P: No. 

D: Okay, so yeah, there's definitely like the coughing and shortness of breath are definitely concerning, and they've been going on for a pretty long time. Do you ever have any night sweats or anything like that? 

P: No.

D: Okay. So there's a few things that we think about with the chronic shortness of breath and a cough. One could be just a COPD diagnosis with your long history of smoking. And this pulmonary function test, get an x-ray, chest x-ray as well. Um another thing that we need to look out for is uh, lung cancer. And since you have been smoking for a pretty long time, even though you may have quit, which is really great, but that long history of smoking, especially also with um, you working in a mine, those are some things that means we can test as well, and so we may require like a chest x-ray, and even um, a CT scan of your lungs as well. Um, so yeah, first we'll just do a couple tests, do a physical examination, get your vitals, do some blood work and do some of those tests and then we'll also get a COVID swab test done for you as well, just in case. Does that sound good?

P: Yeah.

D: Alright, so we'll be with you shortly.