When you're triggered by cheese (of the musical type)...

[Lysistrata]

A light-hearted festive post!

I was at my work Christmas party yesterday and naturally, as the evening went on the music became progressively more cheesy. And naturally, despite some impressive-looking heels, I had to 'dance' (or something approaching it - moving on the spot in an uncoordinated way more like). I wasn't even drunk either because for reasons unrelated to asthma, I really don't get anywhere with more than a sip of alcohol. I'm such a lightweight I don't even need booze to do silly things at parties

My lungs have been behaving in a way that passes as acceptable for them for the last week or two (Cold War is how I'd describe it), but the cheese really got to them, and then we had several absolutely classic cheesy songs in a row that I was pretty much compelled to dance to - ie move around a bit more and wave some arms. I was grateful for one I didn't errr like so much.

If they'd been worse I could have found myself having to say to some medic, in reply to the question 'what brought you in here?', 'Steps and Mariah Carey'.

Anyone else have entertainingly ridiculous triggers/situations? Asthma drives me nuts a lot of the time but I like to get what humour I can from it as 'payment' for the annoyance

[hypercat54]

Well done for doing so much dancing. Whilst reading your post I was wishing I could dance for more than a couple of minutes again without my copd and bad back kicking in! I also was wishing I could wear heels again as I stopped those when I kept falling off and ricking my ankle!

Oh and I haven't been to any Christmas parties this year x

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to hypercat54]

If I'm honest, it wasn't really dancing lol. I made it sound like I was hopping around half the night energetically, but just as I was congratulating myself on my stamina (let's ignore the sitting out bits for the heels/being tired, and the fact I was shuffling around on the spot like someone's dad), the cheese came on, I started to move a bit more and THEN realised oh, lungs actually don't like anything more than the on the spot shuffling. I was grateful for the amount they did allow though - many times this year I wouldn't have got to the party (and I had to navigate the preparation in the office with sprays etc).

My feet also are out of practice with heels - maybe I should train them! They looked good though.

Hope you get to some form of celebration, even if not involving cheese and ridiculous shoes.

[hypercat54 in reply to Lysistrata]

Oh I have ridiculous shoes without heels and the odd pair with which I bought just to admire but not walk in! Being a UK size 8 I could never buy nice shoes when young so when back in the 80's and living in London I could, I bought loads all different colours, styles etc. Wonderful.

There are occasions when I can actually hop around for England (well not quite) and only for a few minutes but it does take me back to my table dancing and head banging days many years ago Nowadays though the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.... x

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to hypercat54]

Ooh you have the same approach as me! I'm size 9 which is better now with online shopping, but used to be awful when I was a teenager, so now I can't resist nice shoes in my size. I take it you know about Irregular Choice?

It sounds like your life in London was much more exciting than mine gets even without the lung issues. But then my mum was at university in the late 60s and I never felt I could compete with that!

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

I think my most ‘embarrassing’ asthma attack explanation was caused by laughing. Can’t remember what initially set it off but I laughed, my friends laughed at my muttley laugh, I laughed again and so the cycle continued (I know it was near Christmas and we were relaxing after dissertation hand info we were all a bit hyper). Got to the point that good old blue wasn’t helping and ended up in hosp trying to explain what happened (then laughing over the situation, making it worse 😂).

But I also get the ‘need to dance/jump/sing’ song situation too (my weakness is Mr Brightside 😉) where you just can’t not, no matter what your lungs are saying 🤣

Sounds like you had fun and I’m glad you managed to get out and enjoy yourself without too much fuss from tweedle-cough and tweedle-wheeze!

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to EmmaF91]

Lol now that's making me laugh and make weird noises hehehe! Can't have an attack from that - can you imagine *that* explanation?!

I am very glad that *so far* I have been able to get out and about to do fun things this month as there is a serious risk of Ronnie and Reggie (also love your names for them lol) deciding that fun is not allowed. Maybe I should call them Scrooge and Marley - hoping I haven't jinxed it now as there is more planned...I have a few days off work now that I had to take to use them up. Also I want to do carol singing outside tomorrow but I feel like with this weather I could be playing with fire...

btw have you escaped yet? I hope it was a flying visit!

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Lysistrata]

I’ve touched all the wood in my room for you... that’s always a risky/bold statement to make! 😬😂 good luck with the carol singing, but definitely wrap up warm (sing extra loud to get through the buff/multiple scarfs!). Be careful - where I live we have the snow/ice warning this weekend 🥶

Finally escaped today. I now have an AN and consultant appts at my new local hosp, and am restarting uniphyllin (yay 😒). Addenbrooke’s has possibly been warned to expect me too as I happened to be in on the day of their monthly webchat about their severe asthma patients 😂. Plus... my consultants main interest is actually asthma! I’m so used to my local cons being COPD/bronchiectasis, that actually having someone who truly knows/understands my condition/POV was astonishing! Discussed the mepo issues I’ve had and she’s immediately in with ‘well there’s lots of other options we can try. They’ve just approved benralizumab or there’s reslizumab..!’

Have also learnt that this hosp religiously follows asthma protocols too. Had a neb in the last 24hrs? No you can’t go home! Too much PF variability (despite no symptoms)? No you’re staying in! Not maintaining above 75% PF? No home for you! Sats below 94%? Get that oxygen on! FeNO? Yes used every admission/appt. Spiro? At every appt. ABG? For every asthmatic in a&e majors/resus. Mag bags? Frowned upon so last resort only. Home nebs? Very frowned upon, but maybe acceptable due to rules and distance from hosp. Any history of being an odd-ball asthmatic? Definitely in for at least 1 night. 😅😟😒🤣

It’s the first time I’ve been admitted (for 2 nights at that!) despite no wheeze, only very mild SoB/tightness, a mid-range yellow zone PF, and genuinely felt like I shouldn’t be there as very little symptoms. Despite the bed shortage I got placed onto the resp ward, and talking with cons/AN/gen nurses, I tried to explain I should go home/didn’t need to be there and their responses were ‘as much as I like to hear asthmatics saying they’re feeling fine and usually send them home, you are not reaching the freedom criteria so are staying in’/ ‘well asthmas such a variable and unreliable condition, we want to know that you’re controlled as best as you can be’ / ‘well you obvs need to be here... if you didn’t you wouldn’t have gotten the bed!’

It’s typical tho... when you want docs to follow protocol cause you know you need admitting they don’t, but the one time you get someone following protocol is when you don’t need them too 😂. Bloody soda law!

At least it was only 2 nights in, and 3/6 on my bay were asthmatics so was only the youngest by about 5 years not 50! Great group consisting of 1 ‘newbie’ asthmatic needing a med upgrade, 1 severe asthmatic with possible mepo treatment to start soon, and me 😅. Cue lots of asthma talk/advice/discussions/commiserations (when one finally decide that she needed a neb at about the 16 hour mark). Back home now and ready for work tomorrow (I’ll try to keep it light 😅).

Ronnie and Reggie behave for your mama! Have a good weekend! X

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to EmmaF91]

Glad you're out! This hospital sounds very promising - though not sure I could get along with no mag bags if I were there - what else are they going to offer when the nebs are doing zilch?!

Also ugh to the ABGs. It's not even just the ouch with those - I just never know what they're going to show and I'm very wary if normal given the reactions I can get from that esp with people who think slightly low CO2 = panic/anxiety/not asthma, or forget to account for the oxygen driven neb. Did I see you once a while ago posting that yours often were normal? Because I feel like a total fraud when it happens! This hosp sounds like they'd go on other stuff though - they properly seem to be careful which is good but as you say frustrating. Wish I'd been there in June lol.

Cons also sounds very good - can you maybe clone lol?

16 hours ugh - so near and yet so far! Nice that you had some company slight tsk for work tomorrow, hope it goes ok. Did you make it there at all on Wed?

Debating the carol singing still - might have to see how weather/lungs are tomorrow. Hope you have a good weekend and get some rest!

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Lysistrata]

Thanks. They will give a mag bag but only if nebs and hydrocortisone haven’t worked or if you present so bad that they ‘bypass’ waiting to see if it will 😅.

I know... I’ve only ever had 1 dodgy abg (when they’ve been taken which isn’t always). For me it’s like xrays... basically pointless unless I’m really bad cause it won’t show anything! This cons basically stated that I probs don’t show anything until I’m really bad cause my body has had time to adapt to the situation so can ‘hide’ things for longer... I think it’s cause I usually get in before I’m really bad 😅. I feel like a fraud when I’m in if I feel fine and/or have only had nebs (like this time). I’m so used to either needing more med or not being allowed to stay this one was a shock and irritating cause I knew at other hosps I would have been home from a&e 😅. It is typical tho, cause I’ve also had times when I’ve been sent home way too early (or not admitted at all) when I knew I needed to still be in!

You can definitely have a clone of this cons (and the rest of the hosp if you want)! ☺️ 2 main faults of this hospital... long waiting times and poor hot food (sandwiches were great tho) 😂.

I know, we felt so sorry for her as we were all aiming for the same release day, hoping she gets home today tho!

I know... 🤫😅 Only going to work cause I’ve only got 2 sessions left before I stop after Christmas and the sessions are completely cancelled... for some of them this is the last week I’ll ever see them 😢.

Nope still haven’t made it to my new work... woke up Wednesday and knew I wouldn’t be able to trust my lungs so planned to get other things done (book appt with accountant, furniture shop etc etc)... all I managed was a trip to the local store 😅. Hopefully Monday will be the day!

Trust your brain (not your heart) aka the carolling! If there’s a strong possibility of issues then miss it 😞. Maybe start an alternative... sing at whoever comes to your door! 😝😂

Thank you... I will! Hope you have a good weekend!

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to EmmaF91]

Ahh gymnastics work not.new work! Crossed fingers for new job on Monday.

Ronnie and Reggie clearly heard me the little so and sos and are acting up, so sadly no carol singing for.me as too cold and the journey would likely be difficult. We are under cover but still outside. Ugh. So annoying. I might try the impromptu singing at the door though lol!

Relief to know it's not just me with the ABGs as I often get such feiwg over it! Now remembering a delightful cons telling me in clinic I should never have gone because my ABG was normal. Err if I could predict them I think my skills would be In demand?! I believe that was the same one who told me not t9 get help if my PF was above 50% best.

Your new one sounds great, very sensible. Hope all the rest are.as good!

Also hope work goes ok today and you have a good weekend.

[lakelover in reply to EmmaF91]

I love "tweedle-cough and tweedle-wheeze".