FAA Medical Exam Coming Up

Here we go. The dreaded FAA medical exam.

Mine situationi is different than most pilots. We before I can take my exam I have to turn in preliminary paperwork to the FAA to get permission to take my medical with the local AME.

Two days from now I meet with my kidney transplant physician. With him, my main concern is my blood pressure and kidney functions. All of my kidney functions number have been pretty much on target which leads my next concern, my blood pressure.

Currently I'm taking a medication called Amlodipine, and so far the results have been fairly stable. Once a week I regularly check my blood pressure levels. Once a month I may not take my blood pressure meds for two to three days and then check the level. I have a history of being pre-hypertensive, which means I am in the caution range for hypertension but below the danger level.

To keep the FAA happy I need to be below 140/90. Currently without medications for three days my blood pressure level averages 129/81.

I pretty much believe that my blood pressure levels have been decreasing due to the fact that I exercise at the gym three to four times a week. My exercise regiment include weightlifting and cardio. My cardio exercise primarily is 45 minutes on the elliptical machine.

With pretty much everything being within guidelines I should receive a decent letter from my kidney physician.

In two weeks I meet my liver physician, and pretty much everything should be the same with him. Five days ago I met with him for my annual colonoscopy. (Yes, mine is annual due to the medications that I take for my transplant.)

After I receive my letters from my liver and kidney physicians, and maybe one other letter from another physician explaining my osteoporosis (common for transplant recipients), which is very minor, I send in that package to the FAA and request my authorization to take my medical exam with my local AME.

So far with the FAA and everything has been pretty smooth, contrary to what many of the pilots have gone through. Maybe they just like me?:)