Hobbies

[Wizzer]

Hi everyone. Hope you're all ok. My hobby is machine sewing/embroidery and counted cross stitch. I find it helps to concentrate my mind ,when I'm not well, and stops me focusing on my breathing. It must be very difficult for someone to have to give up a strenuous hobby when becoming asthmatic. Fortunately I've always been asthmatic so never got into anything strenuous which had to be given up. Sewing and many other needle crafts have been my hobby since I was 5 years old

[Karjade]

You must get a lot of satisfaction from doing that. I have three golden retrievers which take up a lot of time and I enjoy walking them. I have had asthma for about twenty years amongst other health issues so having animals is a great comfort to me xx

[Wizzer in reply to Karjade]

How wonderful that you can enjoy your animals. I am allergic to fur and feathers(as well as many other things) so its impossible for me to have pets. Walking your pets is good excersize for you as well. Have a lively day. xx

[starveycat]

I am with you on the cross stitch I make my birthday etc cards but now my left hand seems to live its own life they now look "interesting " when they are finished suduko crosswords I enjoy and not forgetting my tai chi. There is always something to do we just need to find it. Happy stitching ♥

[Wizzer in reply to starveycat]

Hi starveycat. Good too hear you also enjoy xst. My problem is with my right eye. The sight is very distorted and sometimes deciding which square to out my needle in is quite a dilemma.lol I also make cards. I only do small pictures now, in fact very small but I love filling multi frames with a theme. My dining room has a total of 42 seaside pictures in 5 heart shape frames.keep on stitching. Have a good day.xx

[Helen0909]

Hi, it was so lovely to read your post. I have had bad asthma since a baby, and also never delved into any strenuous hobbies due to my condition. I sat up many nights doing cross stitch to take my mind off my poorly breathing. Words cannot express how challenging the condition can be, can they, especially if suffering severely as a child. I have longed to try sewing on a machine, and i have been considering buying a machine. A basic one i think, but i have no idea really how or where to start in the machine sewing area. Any pointers, advice would be wonderful. Keep well..best wishes. .Helen Dowell

[Wizzer in reply to Helen0909]

Hi Helen. Lovely to hear from you. It sounds as if a sewing machine would enhance your life. I would say don't buy a too basic machine as you will get frustrated with things it can't do once you get used to it. The concentration required will take your mind off your breathing and you can produce some lovely items which will give you a lot of satisfaction. What I would say is go for one with a few decorative stitches as well as the basics. An automatic buttonhole is useful but not necessary. Automatic threading is also desirable think most machines have this now. Do get one. Just ask and I'll help if I can to get you into this relaxing hobby. Have a lovely day.x

[Helen0909 in reply to Wizzer]

Hiya, thanks so much for all your help and advice on buying and using a sewing machine, so kind..and really helpful. I will definately keep you updated. I have wanted to try for so long and feel quite excited about the whole experience. I have always enjoyed cross stitch and cannot wait to try sewing on a machine. Thankyou again for your reply. Have a lovely day..keep well too..Helen x

[Minushabens]

I envy anybody who has creative abilities. I tend to spend my free time shouting abuse at inept referees (or indeed my own inept team!). Like others I can't have pets due to severe allergies although I do have a very cute little leopard gecko who, like his carer is as daft as a brush

[Wizzer in reply to Minushabens]

Hi minushabens. Sounds like you have fun yelling at referees.lol look at it as therapy. Yelling requires deep breathing so it must be helping your breathing so keep on yelling.lol. nothing wrong with a good yell.x

[Minushabens in reply to Wizzer]

What you gain in breathing you lose in stress! As the old saying goes (very well applicable to supporting Huddersfield Town); it's not the despair that kills you, it's the hope.

[servewithmintsauce]

I started ice hockey a year and a half ago and I've ice skated since before I could even walk. I only got diagnosed with asthma a year ago and it has been a tug-of-war between ice hockey and asthma. Cold air and exercise are both triggers for me (along with pollens, smoke, E-cig vapour etc.) and my asthma is classified as severe persistent and it makes hockey very diffucult. We've managed to get it somewhere into the realm of controlled, with Montelukast 10mg, Symbicort 200/6 2 puffs twice a day, regular Salbutamol if I even start to feel a bit off, and strict avoidance of every other trigger I have. Very strict instructions about short shifts, regular breaks, and coming off if my inhaler doesn't fully help. 5 weeks ago I had a severe asthma attack after U18s trials and ended up in A&E with nebs, O2 and steroids and was sent home on prednisolone. I went back to hockey the week after and ended up in resus with a life-threatening attack, narrowly missing ICU and staying in hospital for 6 days. I've only just got back to hockey 4 weeks later. It's going fine now but my coach is concerned that he has no confirmation from any of my med team that I'm 'fit to skate', so he's not going to sign me to the team as a player until he has that..luckily I have my follow-up at the asthma clinic at the hospital next Tuesday at which point I intend to discuss ice hockey at length with them. I may not have played ice hockey that long but I have a deep-rooted love of the game, and field hockey and their variants (which I have played for a long time), and I have skated since quite literally before I could even walk so being told I could no longer skate would be like being told I could no longer walk. I also sing which can be difficult when I have a flare so my hobbies and asthma don't really go that well XD

Ah well, fingers crossed for clinic..

[Wizzer in reply to servewithmintsauce]

Hi servewithmintsauce. Sorry to hear your asthma is interfering with your much loved hobby. Hope everything works out for you. I always think it is worse for anyone who comes to asthma later in life because hobbies etc have been formed and may have to be midified. I've never known what its like to breath normally so I've never formed an attachment to anything strenuous. I'm used to being breathless which I think must be easier to cope with than suddenly having after breathing normally for years. Keep you chin up

[LittleMissFaffALot]

I have quite a few hobbies and maybe strangely for an asthmatic who is definitely triggered by exercise many of them are active / exercise based!

My absolute all-time favourite hobby is my tap dancing, for a while it looked liked potentially i may have to give it up for financial reasons and i was absolutely gutted, luckily for now at least i can afford it.

I also enjoy hiking with a club once a month, usually about 8 miles, swimming 2-3 times a week and cycling very occasionally LOL

All these do set my asthma off but i feel i've got just enough control to be able to fix it before it goes *too* far (sometimes i take it further than i should, oops)

My non-exercise hobbies are musical. I'm a music teacher teaching woodwind and piano. My favourite instrument is flute and unless i'm ill anyway that causes no asthma problems at all I also enjoy playing the piano which of course is fine asthma-wise although i do notice if i've had any significant amount of ventolin recently the shakes mean i can't control my hands properly haha

I've recently started playing the clarinet fairly seriously too, that is much harder than flute in every way!! I'm planning on doing an exam at Easter time so i'll need a lot of practice. I'm feeling that i may have to treat it like exercise in terms of asthma and take my inhaler before i start - i was really struggling by the end of an hour lesson the other night, and for a while we weren't even playing, we were talking.