Session No 9 , Pulmonary rehab.

[canalchris]

Survived a other One !!!, it's funny but now I'm on the downhill stretch to the end of the course and getting to know the other " inmates" better, I'm not really looking forward to it ending. This course has been so motivating, the results so obvious and the benefits so blindingly obvious that I wonder what is going to take its place??.

Since the walk went wrong last Friday, I was determined to practice more walking at home, in preparation for today. I had been watching some programme on Netflix last Saturday and it had lots of episodes. So as each episode finished I paused it and walked into my front room and back, recovered, repeated, recovered and repeated a third time before starting the next episode. I did this between 4 episodes, so effectively walked into the front room and back 12 times. This was far more than I had walked for as long as I care to remember.

Today at PR I did my three walk " session" while everyone was doing warm ups, then leg-lifts, all the arm weights and finished of with the heel lifts. Another session done. Our chief physio Natalie says to improve now I have to strive for longer distance, less recovery time and more repetitions.

If your waiting for a course, I hope you get one ASAP and you really enjoy it.

Bye for now.

Chris.xx

[HungryHufflepuff]

Thanks for this next instalment. It’s sounds like you’re making amazing progress. How many more sessions do you have still to go in your course? I’ve ordered the BLF exercise DVD, eagerly awaiting its arrival. I bought the book a while ago but I’m hoping the DVD will motivate me more. I find it really hard to get motivated. Even though I really want to lose weight and breathe better and get healthier, I really struggle to get motivated. Your determination is quite inspirational though, perhaps I can use some of that to give myself a kick up the behind and start doing something 👍

[canalchris in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

Hi, thanks for your comment. That was No 9 of 14. If your thinking of exercising you may want to look at eBay or Amazon, I bought some cheap dumbells consisting of 2x 1kg, 2x2kg and 2x3kg . I think they were about £14-£15 inc postage. I also bought 2x 1kg leg weights. This equipment really helps out with the training at home, I was originally using bags of rice but ended up with more than the local Chinese restaurant.

I will have to keep motivated when the course is finished.

All the best.

Chris

[HungryHufflepuff in reply to canalchris]

Thanks for the reply. You made me laugh about the rice 😁 Thanks for the advice too, I’ll take a look at those. I really hope you can keep motivated once you’ve finished your course. You’ve been making such incredible progress and it really has been inspirational following your journey. I hope you’ll be able to continue doing so well 🤞

[Whitechinchilla in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

Thank you I just read your post to canalchris.

Now busy on the BLF Site looking for the dvd you mention.

I did not realise they had a shop. Thanks for that.

[HungryHufflepuff in reply to Whitechinchilla]

Did you find the shop and the DVD? My DVD arrived today along with a book about eating well. I didn’t watch the dvd yet but I read the book. In some ways it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know, I need to eat less and eat better. But a bit of a shock to the system, it says when you’re overweight bending becomes difficult and will make you feel short of breath. Just the other day I realised that bending has become difficult to me and I do things to avoid bending and I thought, when did this start. Anyway hopefully the dvd will give me the motivation to start exercising. I have all the incentives but I just need the motivation.

[Whitechinchilla in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

Thanks for the reply.

As an outsider so to speak, I feel you have already shown that you have the motivation.

You got the dvd. Well done.

That’s a whole lot more than some of us have done.

So thank you for inspiring me. I shall order it this weekemd

As for eating well. My budget is incredibly tight and I can’t always afford the best food, more what suits my pocket.

Still if we stay away from the junk stuff I guess we are trying? Eh?

Well that’s what I am telling myself.

Friday night is the one night on the week that I allow myself to eat and drink whatever I like. After all life is too short not to have some fun!

Best wishes

[HungryHufflepuff in reply to Whitechinchilla]

You’re too kind but thank you. I totally agree life is too short to not have some fun 🍰 🍩 I am trying to not eat cakes and chocolate and crisps etc in the week and only snack on fruit. But at the weekend I allow myself all those yummy things. It’s not much of a diet but better than I was doing before.

The DVD is free as was the eating well book (thanks BLF!) I bought the exercise book previously though. There are other free booklets too which have some really useful information in. Enjoy your Friday night 👍🍦🍫🍩🍰🍨

[Whitechinchilla in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

Thankyou kindred spirit!!

Years ago I read about the 80/20 principle.

So that’s what I apply.

80 per cent of the time I keep to the good stuff and

20 per cent of the time I have fun.

Thanks again for the inspiration

Have fun

[flicky1 in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

I am not overweight but I suffer with all the bending exercises in yoga. 1😔

[sassy59]

Keep going Chris, you’re doing really well. Xxx

[canalchris in reply to sassy59]

Thanks for the encouragement.x

[Roysieboy]

Hello Chris. Good to hear that u r getting on so well at rehab. Where I go they have a follow up maintenance class once a week which we have to pay for if we want to go. I go because like u it really does me good as I have emphysema and copd. Do they not do a maintenance class where u r. I don’t know how much longer the maintenance class will last where I go what with the cut backs etc. Anyway u enjoy it while u can. U meet some good people as well. Good luck to u and best wishes. 👍🤓

[Corin1950]

Good to hear how well you're doing and that's it's motivating you to exercise in between the sessions. That seems to be the key that Pulmonary Rehab gets you going so you can continue to exercise and get fitter and shorten your recovery time.

My husband's been to 3 sessions so far. Yesterday we went to the dentist's and I noticed he coped a bit better with the short walk from the car than he did last time. I'll know he's really improved when he wants to call at the pub on our way back. When I suggested it yesterday he said didn't feel up to it.

Take care and enjoy the rest of your sessions.

Corin

[Whitechinchilla]

I really enjoy your updates on your progress. I am booked to start a course but hoping to get a holiday in to see my grandchildren in Cape Town in January (if I can get health insurance that I can afford)

so will have to wait until next year to start.

I think your comments about what does one do when the course is finished are very valid.

If you have a gym close by I think your gp can refer you so that you can get a discounted price, so that might be an option.

Keep up the exercising. I find it really encouraging that you can feel the benefit.

[canalchris in reply to Whitechinchilla]

Thanks for your comments. The staff on our course have already said that in North Wales where I live, there are gym places available for us when we finish.

[anng18]

Thank you Chris, as you have given me the evidence I needed to push myself to go on the pulmonary rehabilitation course. I saw the respiratory nurse today and as I expected my FEV1 had gone down to 30% - not a surprise! He suggested the pulmonary rehabilitation as I get a lot of back ache from doing very little lifting etc. and thanks to your positive comments, I've agreed, as I now understand the benefits of going.

Many thanks for your detailed posts.

[canalchris in reply to anng18]

Thank you, it's good to know you are encouraged. Cheers.

[corriena]

Well done your determination is paying off. I do wonder at the cost cutters limiting pr places up and down the country when the benefits are so obvious. Not only for sustaining are health for as long as possible but for the boost in moral. we meet people like us we lern to cope with brethlessness and encorage each other but we also lern about are conditions and how best to treat them and look after are selfs witch means less meds and fewer hospital admitions witch must intern save thousands. You may have noticed im a pr fan and think once you have tried it you will always have the tools to make the best of your health. You could ask your local council if thear are any exercise groups localy aimed at people with health problems. Norwich has broadly active and alot of pr members go on to that program. Keep up the good work

[jackdup]

I am very happy you are seeing the benefits for all your hard work and hope you can continue it after the course is complete. Your walks between episodes sounds like a good practice as well. Did you do a six minute walk test before the course started? If so I assume you will do one at the end as well and am looking forward to the difference in distance you will be able to walk. Thanks for keeping us updated on your progress.

[canalchris in reply to jackdup]

Hi, regarding the six min walk. I had become so de conditioned that I avoided walking if humanly possible. Subsequently my walking test consisted of me shuffling along with two walking sticks , followed by a staff member with my wheelchair, I literally managed approx 8 metres, then another 6/7 metres with a very panicky sit down in between.

My ability to walk has increased , but it is still the one thing that leaves me utterly breathless and a little bit in distress. I am slowly learning to increase my distances and frequency of walks, but doing the length of Llandudno pier is not on the horizon anytime soon.

Cheers

Chris

[jackdup in reply to canalchris]

Sadly it is so easy to avoid walking or other physical activity so it leads to getting more and more out of shape, but am glad to see the progress you are making.