Breathing is good for you

I am a list maker. Are you? Don't quite know what the appeal is but I have done it as long as I can remember. I can recall a time when I was a teenager of writing a list of all the things I would buy and do if I won the lottery. It wasn't lotto like we have now, but you bought a ticket, something like the golden casket I think it was called, and if you won, then a lot of money came your way.
Sadly I never won anything. Of course I didn't buy a lottery ticket either, but there was no harm in dreaming.

So today it was shopping list writing day. This is where I try and come up with a weeks worth of meals that all three of us will eat. Right....that's where the problems start. The Bloke and I are similar in what we eat, so we can come up with some meal ideas easily. But the problems start when it comes to the girl. She has a very small eating repertoire and so unless it suits we find we are just two eating.

The Bloke is a great cook and he is so happy to potter around amongst the pots, pans and pantry. 

On another note, I am still not feeling the affects of the iron infusion. I had hoped to be hopping around by now, but not to be. But it still might happen. The doctor told me if the next blood test is low then I will have to repeat the procedure and that is okay with me as I just want to improve my health.

I am in the process of arranging my next months visit to the city for the sleep apnoea tests and treatment plan. Trying to find decent accommodation at an affordable price is like finding hens teeth. There is a scheme called PATS, which assists country folks who can't access medical treatment locally to attend Perth. They pay you some fuel money and $80 per night toward accommodation. As I am way past the backpacker style it is going to cost us significantly more. I need the Bloke to come with me as he is my support. I am really hoping the tests result in me being able to have a treatment plan that works for me.

 This alone will go a long way to helping me. Currently my body is not getting enough oxygen so has too much carbon dioxide. This is not a good thing. But one thing I have doing in order the help myself is learning to breath properly. Many people don't use their lungs to their full capacity. Rather they shallow breath. Anyway without sounding like an expert cos I'm not, I inhale as deeply as I can then exhale slowly, trying to take deeper breaths each time. I have notices since this that I am not as puffed and have not used my inhaler. Coincidence? I think not. So I am going to keep at it.

chat more next time, hope all is well in your life.

Friday Chatter

                    Photo from blinks.of.life

Well Friday is here again. I'm not sure why but I like Fridays. It could be from when I was a working girl and it signal led the end of the week and the start of time off to be spent relaxing, catching up with family, BBQ's, seeing the bloke.
But even though I have not worked for a few years I still get a little buzz. :)
I got out of bed for the second time at 9 am today, after an earlier arising at 4 am. It feels quite luxurious to lie their drowsy and drifting off to sleep just because I can.


DD is still asleep, she was watching movies all night. Wish she would wake up, I want some company, had enough of myself now.


The week has gone quite quickly, and this week I had a nice surprise when an old friend, who I haven't seen for approx. 14 years came to visit. We caught up on the kids, she has three, and are similar ages to mine. She doesn't look any older than when I last saw her. We will now keep in contact thanks to Facebook and mobile phone. Boy do I love technology, it makes it so easy to stay connected.
I received news from my doctor yesterday that my vitamin D levels are now within normal range at 60. :) previously they had been below 20. I was pleased as I have been taking vitamin D supplements for about 9-10 months I think, and now I have proof that they can and do work.

Not that I'm feeling tops yet, but that is due to the other major problem.


Oh and one very special event occurred on Monday. My nephew and his wife welcomed the arrival of a son. Older brother Kye was pretty excited to get a brother too. I made this orange, zoo animal quilt for the baby.

The quilt I made for the new baby



Okay I will end it here as I am getting weary again. Talk to you all soon. Oh and if you can do me a favour and leave a brief comment as I would love to know if anyone reads my blog, come on don't be shy. :)

Iron Maiden

Good afternoon folks

I thought I would post about my little procedure yesterday. We awoke a little later than we had hoped to. After a fitful sleep I prised my eyes open to see it was nearly 6am. As I am quite slow moving,especially in the mornings, I didn't want to rush. Anyway after a shower, a quick toast brekky, we set of for the hospital. Upon arrival we soon discovered that the 'larger' than usual wheelchair we loaned from the hospital Occupation Therapy Dept. was too small and what was worse the feet plates would not move to allow my feet to rest below me in a lady like fashion.
Picture this if you can; then again if you are easily shocked, perhaps not.
Here we are the bloke and I right out the front of the A & E Dept. of the hospital,where the admissions is also located, freezing wind blowing on us, people arriving for work, and this fat woman jammed into a too small wheelchair legs akimbo pointing toward her ears, voicing her discomfort in a rattled, manner. Yes this is just another regular day in the life of this author.
I was embarrassed, ashamed and verging on tears when the bloke, god bless his little heart, decided to raid his toolkit in the back of the Statey (our pet name for our Holden Statesman car).With his trusty wrench he managed to adjust the feet plates and off we went to the day surgery, a little late, but there all the same.
After being checked in and assigned a corner of a room, I choose what I think is a most comfy chair for the duration of this procedure. However after only half an hour I discover that it's not a good fit, and so I move across the room into another not big enough chair, but at least my feet touch the ground.
Finding chairs that can accommodate me is a huge problem for me and one of the major reasons I don't go out.


Anyhow although I was required to report to the unit by 8am it is nearly 10am when the a doctor comes and tries to insert the cannula into the back of my hand. I say OUCH here, but this is not what I was saying under my breath. I have had quite a few of these large needle things over the years but this was the most painful. After pushing and pulling she gave up, telling me that my vein had blown. Oh naughty vein, why did you do that? So she had to use another site. This time there was a short sharp pain and luckily it was in. The nurse came along soon after with the life force serum-iron infusion and put it on the drip stand. They ran it very slowly something like 45 drips per hour. I received 2 grams of iron, which they told me is not the norm so it was going to take quite a while, and it did, as I left at  about 5pm. A long day for me and the bloke who stayed part of the day with me.
In the afternoon I had two day surgery patients join me and we began the usual chatter, reserved for roomie strangers. You know-what are you having done, is that an iron infusion? Oh that looks painful. It's amazing the instant bonding that can occur in this situation. Telling complete strangers the most personal matters. I experienced that yesterday. One woman introduced herself and within 15 minutes had told me about her religions beliefs, her husbands sacking, what she did for a living, her relationship status and her previous fiancee, and that she had not long returned from an extended overseas holiday. Whew!
Of course when someone shares such intimate details with me, I nearly always feel that I need to reciprocate and disclose some of my own personal information. Does anyone else ever feel like this?
Oh. okay, might just be me then. *blushing*.
Don't get me wrong, I love making new friends, and she was a lovely friendly woman but something was saying take it easy here, she seemed quite exuberant.
One thing that did annoy me was my reaction at the usual interest shown by people toward my size. Two staff members and the friendly woman all asked if I had considered WLS. When I told them that I had already put myself through that mutilation and it had failed me, they all suggested other types if self mutilation. Why do people offer these 'helpful' ideas? 
 The super friendly lady asked me the most silly question, not new to me, but silly all the same "Have you always been this big?". Now really what does she mean? What is always? Since birth? When?

I was disappointed that I did not have an answer ready for just this occasion. I have come across many good comebacks in recent months but I don't remember them at the time.
To answer the friendly ladies query I told her no I just grew this big. *shaking head*. 

I feel okay today but they they tell me the full affects of the transfusion will be felt in three to four weeks. I am optimistic that this will work and it will give me the boost I need to take the next step in regaining my health, firstly by resuming my exercise (walking with my walking frame on side verandah), and undertaking the sleep study.
Surely these will help me? I am feeling quietly calm, very tired but optimistic today.
It has been some time since I felt this way. I am grateful.

On an aside, I was in the same ward and even bed area that my
dear mother was in when she passed away last August. I didn't work that out until I was leaving the unit. The room bares no resemblance to the one mum had been in. It has been made over to the day surgery unit now and the palliative care patients have their own unit.
I did feel a sense of calmness and harmony whilst sitting there. Maybe mum was looking out for me? I like to think so.
Images from blinks.of.life

Take care people,

Feeling thankful

 
Just a quick drop in to say that I am all set for tomorrow morning's

iron infusion. I intend to enjoy every last drop, of the life giving juice. I send thanks to the kind person who donated it so that others can use it.
We got the results back of my blood tests and lets say that the bits we could read make for thrilling reading. Some very low levels there which explain many of my current challenges.






Anyway, I will let you know how I get on.




Take care

Sleepyville

I am trying to post using my ipad2 and it is a little different to using my laptop, so if this ends up looking a little stranger than usual you'll know why. (Okay this is now me on my laptop as I can not figure out how to put pictures up via the ipad2).

(The following was Saturdays chat)

Today has been quieter than usual, and I never thought that was even possible as I spend many lonely, quiet days on my own. The young one was at work the old one, sorry I meant to say the bloke was out shopping and then once home he planted himself firmly in front of the Telly to watch the football, sadly his team lost.
I had a little nap, not refreshing when you have a blocked nose thanks to a head cold. Oh well its getting better I think.

Had a mini tidy up today. I have been telling the bloke that I was missing some stuff from my sewing. "What stuff" he asked. " Ahh... my sewing stuff". "like what", "um dunno but if you find some sewing stuff and then I'll know". Ha ha. Yeah I know; the logic of a goldfish!
Anyway he carted a few bags and baskets out and lo and behold what do I spy? The stuff I was missing that I could not even name, but it was a good find. My bag patterns because I have a hankering to make a bag after a friend showed me the pile she has made. And then I came across the pattern for a star quilt that I have had in my mind to try for months and months.

So after than delightful find I now need to stay awake long enough to do it.
As regular readers might know I have often written about my tiredness and not so good health. And the last two months have seen me hit the bottom of the barrel. Sleepiness so bad that I am unable to read my books, sew, since completing the last projects. I sit here on my couch nodding off all day. I have been awake since about 2am.


There are various reasons but one major one is sleep apnoea, still awaiting my appointment in November to sort that one out I hope.
But my other major issue is anaemia. I want to put in a TMI alert here in case some people don't want to read about my plumbing problems.
For many years now, I have been having trouble with my periods in that I bleed very, very heavily and can do so for months at a time. This has led me to be anaemic. I can not take the iron tablets, so a couple of weeks ago my doctor finally suggested I have an iron infusion. This is happening on Tuesday 27th, next week, and never have I been more excited to have a great ruddy cannula jabbed into my arm. :)

If it helps me I will be a very happy woman. Some other symptoms of anaemia are restless legs, extreme sleepiness, headaches, memory loss, breathlessness. I can hardly manage to walk from bed to my dining room some days. I struggle to get enough air, it truly is atrocious.

The biggest question is why hasn't this been offered to me before?
So I was just coming in to say hello and keep you up to date on my little world. I am ever hopeful that things will change for me and I can stop whingeing so much. I don't like to suffer in silence.

Take care,