The helpful palliative care consultant at Harefield has prescribed for me Oxycodone tablets and codeine linctus. These are to try and manage the worst of my symptoms, coughing and breathlessness. So far they are helping. Though I'm having to go to bed early I've been very busy. Last week I had yoga, pilates and zumba classes as usual, plus FOUR nights out. The Lion King in London, dinner with my husband, Suzie Ruffle in Chipping Norton and folk music in our local canal dry dock as part of our canal festival which we visited Saturday and sunday!!! I've had such fun and hardly coughed at the theatre. Usually I cough so much and get so distressed and embarrassed. It's a different cough too, very deep and definitely moving stuff down there. She has also prescribed saline to be nebulised but I don't have a nebuliser so am waiting to hear back. I know some people fear the worst when palliative care is discussed, they fear it means end of life care, but in most cases it doesn't mean that at all. They are brilliant with drug combinations and have time to listen and chat.
Little blue pills and linctus - Lung Conditions C...
Little blue pills and linctus
Gees no holding you back now loving and living in the fast lane ..
Sounds like your having a whale of a time
Lovley combined meds and the fact your not coughing as much must feel great..
Dont forget to relax now and again 🥰
There are times when everything happens together and last week was one of those times! This week is not so frantic so hopefully I'll relax a bit.
Pleased to hear things are working out well for you so far. You’ve certainly been keeping very busy and how great not to coughing so much. Xxx🥰
Not to be coughing constantly is bliss. I can even have a proper conversation!
Thank you for this. I think some people are afraid that palliative care means that they will die soon. But we all need it. And palliative care teams are experts at making life easier and better for us all. Nothing to be afraid of.
Xxx
They really are the experts in drug combinations, so far at least.🤞
They are very knowledgeable about drug combinations. When palliative care were involved with my husband's IPF prior to his transplant they managed to organise his medication in such a way that he got optimum benefit. That along with physio to calm his anxiety with breathing tips really helped him. Palliative care is nothing to be afraid of, just the opposite.
Hi Karen, what a hectic life you’re having , not sure I’d have the energy for all that in one week!
You have to be careful with Oxycodone…it’s highly addictive. I guess if it’s working for you it’s worth taking the risk.
Glad to hear your cough has improved. I used to cough practically non-stop when I smoked and the cough completely stopped two/three months after I gave up smoking. It was bliss!
It was a most unusual week! This week is a little quieter. The trouble is I just want to do everything whilst I can.
Great to hear you are being so Positive and enjoying life. All those lovely trips out are definitely making you feel better.
Long may it continue. Lots of love xx Sheila 👍⚘💕😘
Thankyou
What a great post about how much palliative care has given you back a life 
Thankyou
Important post Karenanne61, thank you!
Famine or feast as my Mum used to say. Enjoy every minute. So glad these meds are working for you x
way to go 🐞🇬🇧
So glad this med is working so well for you and that you are having some great days out. Keep it up. xxx
The palliative care team certainly are helping you with their drug knowledge. How lovely to go to all those places and within one week! You sound so positive. Thank you for posting xx
It was a lot in one week but apart from tiredness I had no ill effects. Sometimes everything happens at once!
Can I ask how you registered for palliative care in the first place?
I was referred by my consultant for consideration for a lung transplant at Harefield hospital. I had a barrage of tests and conversations with nurses, a consultant and a transplant coordinator. We decided that the best route for me, as I'm pootling along quite happily, is to hold off on a tx at the moment but get help from the palliative care team to help with the worst symptoms. At the moment the drugs are helping.
OK, thanks for the info. I'm not sure my local hospital (Worcester) offers the same support to lung disorder sufferers as Harefield does. Hope you keep happily pootling along! Chris
I think that I'm lucky with my consultant, not all are so pro active! Then the team at Harefield are proving to be helpful too.
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