Another conundrum

[Wheezycat]

Hi all! I have one of my frequently recurring conundrums, which has to do with lack of energy. Today I gave up going to yoga, turned the car round and went home. I do not feel well, in a nonspecific, lack of drama way.

Last Saturday I woke up with a sore throat, but just in one patch. Also I have had a funny ear. But I have not had a cold, not having a cold, but some signs of inflammation in my throat area. Peakflow is my usual normal. Yesterday my friend, who is a doctor, commented she could hear my asthmatic breathing. “Not quite well controlled” she said. “And never mind your peakflow, it doens’t always show, but still needs to be taken seriously”. Or words to that effect.

This kind of episode is so me. And I am never sure what to do with it. I feel weak, not right,but not really ill either. And I feel a bit of a wuss. But as I have a history of significant non noticing, I am trying to learn to take more heed, especially as I am going on holiday in just over a week.

The sense of weakness is the worst bit, and could be due to some degree of inflammation in my lungs.

What about you lot? Does this sound familiar to you? And how do you deal with it. Ignore it? Take it seriously?

I have an asthma review later today, with someone I have never had a review with before, but I need it as I do need some support/help in knowing how to manage such episodes. And, as said, I have had this sort of thing loads of times before. And once, when it was quite bad I ended up in hospital for a few days. I need to learn.

[emmasue]

I know your feeling. My peak flow is usually good, even when I feel bad. It's hard to know when to see the doctor or go to A&E. If I need more Symbicort than usual, that's when I know I need to increase my steroids. If my Symbicort doesn't help, the Ventolin doesn't help then I know that I need to go to A&E. That's usually how I do it. Good luck and hope you feel better soon. x

[Wheezycat in reply to emmasue]

Thank you Emmasue! I haven’t increased anything......perhaps I should. It is all part of not really being good at assessing my own symptoms. If I am really bad it is ‘easy’ to know, but this? Certainly not bad enough for A&E, but glad I am seeing the asthma nurse.

[emmasue in reply to Wheezycat]

Hopefully the asthma nurse is helpful. They should be able to tell you how to deal with it. If not, try the Asthma UK nurses. They are pretty helpful. Good luck. x

[Wheezycat in reply to emmasue]

Yes, the Asthma UK nurses are worth their weight in gold!

Yes, it was good. Apparently typical signs of not well enough controlled asthma, so up my meds. And, thinking back, it is a familiar feeling, one I normally explain with ‘ I must have a wee virus’, but maybe it was mostly the asthma not being quite well enough controlled. I am learning!

[emmasue in reply to Wheezycat]

Glad you got sorted. Hope you start feeling better soon.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

Oh i hate these kinds of rumbling flares! Very frustrating and can be hard to treat - if I have a worse attack and need hospital at least there is stuff they can do! Doesn't help of course that I am weird and pred doesn't always help so I just have to wait it out with a lot of blue.

I hope the increased meds help. Your dr friend sounds like a good dr who gets asthma.

[Wheezycat in reply to Lysistrata]

Yes, my friend the doctor read me the riot act a couple of years ago, when I was not well, but not realising the significance myself. She and our daughter both said ‘great’, finally you will be sorted!’ when I ended up in hospital a couple of years ago. Everybody else expressed sympathies! And, yes, by the way, I did become ‘more sorted’.

My problem is that I do not realise. This winter has felt long and a bit difficult in a non dramatic way, the cold being a problem I have not had before. And I can’t decide if I am genuinely unwell or just a wuss. Anyway, I hope this will sort it, no reason to think it won’t at this stage.

It is always nice to know you are not the only one! That others recognise the issues!

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Wheezycat]

I realise I think, but I also can't decide if it's worth doing something about. I spent a lot of time being told I was a hysterical hypochondriac when in fact I am more likely to ignore my health! Now I am inclined to leave it unless it is really not controllable at home, but always a hard call, and I am still afraid that if I.see someone and I'm not 'bad enough' they'll start thinking I'm a hypochondriac again (I hsve changed cons since then, because the old one did nothing useful with that attitude).

[Wheezycat in reply to Lysistrata]

That is horrible and unhelpful! I am glad you have a better one now. I am the other way round, that I ignore, based on having gradually become used to, and thus not feeling, that I am not well enough, and also tending to think I am just a whimp. That did get me into trouble. I am lucky in so far medics, since my admission have by and large taken me very seriously! A combination of my age (late sixties) and that I have it significantly in my family, not to mention my loud coughing of course when I get really bad..........I am a cougher.

People around me, non medics, have been known to comment on my health, how I don’t look well, don’t sound well etc, and I try to keep going, with the attitude it will be better the day after tomorrow. Recently someone in circle dancing (yes, I know, but it is a way of getting some excercise with a laugh, indoors) whose name I didn’t even know at that time commented how she had heard my strained breathing, and I hadn’t noticed myself, even if I was a little bit aware of not feeling quite my healthiest self. That was disconcerting! So I am having to learn what about myself I need to take seriously, and to notice. I don’t have your difficulties, but it still troubles me a fair amount, and impacts on what I do, even if only to need to think ahead in planning, to consider potential difficulties.

[Robin77]

I sympathise. As another significant non noticer. Hope your review was helpful.

[Wheezycat in reply to Robin77]

Hi! Yes, thank you, it was! As it was with a ‘new’ person I was worried, but she was good! As I am on SMART I could have increased my meds without going (though my annual was due as well), but I seemed to need someone to confirm I was right in what I had noticed, and not just a whimp. I am a ‘non-noticer/ am-I-a-whimp-for-noticing’ combo, so not always the best at helping myself. But my experiences two years ago has helped me at least to flag things up a bit better, and as she said, better nip it in the bud rather than let it go as far as it has in the past.

[Tonitru]

I do identify. Almost anything that stresses my system - allergy, depression, my arthritis acting up, infection, makes me feel pooped...except for some reason a common cold! I often have a burst of energy in the first couple of days. But we shouldn't beat up on ourselves -- it's our body telling us it needs extra rest. Yesterday I picked up my Rxs, meant to go to the grocery store but it came on to rain and I was already stressed out from MDD+anxiety, so I headed for home & told myself it's OK - I can shop tomorrow (here in the PNW the weather changes daily, if not from hour to hour). Got out again today in "useable" weather & picked up necessities & feel the better for it.

The view of depression has changed in interesting ways in the last decade or so. The medical picture used to be based mainly on severe depression requiring hospitalization. Functioning depression, generally accompanied by anxiety, stress & exhaustion was called "atypical depression". Turns out "atypical depression" is actually the commonest form when you look at the whole population! I believe there is a spectrum of depression; whether diagnosed as MDD or not, we all experience it from time to time. A friend posted recently "Depression is an altered state of consciousness", and I think he's right. Even a mild state of depression that anybody can have from time to time warps our view of reality and ourselves, and makes many of us feel guilty for not "just doing it". Be kind to yourself.