Steroids

[valm]

Had a better night so the steroids have helped, didn't wake gasping which is good - frightening I can tell you!

Just want to say thank you to one all for replies and your support, what would we do with out this forum? Val xxx

[Perce]

Nice to hear you had a better night Val, hope you can keep it up!

[valm in reply to Perce]

thank you x

[Hidden]

Glad you had a better night Val. I know what you mean about the waking/gasping as this is what I was recently hospitalised for. Never did get any explanation of why it happened but thankfully it went away as mysteriously as it had arrived. Hope yours disappears too. xx

[valm in reply to Hidden]

I do hope so, thank you sent you a PM x

[pollyjj]

So nice to hear you had a good night, long may it continue.

polly

[valm in reply to pollyjj]

makes a difference thanks x

[pedantic]

Pleased to hear you had a good night Val.I woke once at 3A.M. thought someone had put a plastic bag over my head & tied it Frightening is an understatement ! as I live on my own i had to try & use the phone to get a taxi to hospital,i managed it eventually.Having this disease is truly awful.Trying to cope with it alone is horrendous.best wishes Val plse stay well xx

[valm in reply to pedantic]

Ah sorry what did the hospital say? I am lucky to have Graham and Leanne, you look after yourself xxx

[Hidden in reply to pedantic]

jeez pedantic, forget phoning the taxi, next time that happens just dial 999.

[Hidden]

Hi Val so glad you had a good night. Keep on the mend and keep taking extra care.

[valm in reply to Hidden]

Thanks zoe xxx

[libbygood]

So pleased for you hope things are going to improve, bet you're pleased you're still at home this morning and not back in hospital.

[valm in reply to libbygood]

Yes libby I am xxx

[Hidden]

Pleased to hear the improvement what do your medics plan next, that will save you having this again or them taking you back to hospital.

[valm in reply to Hidden]

Got to go for a trial of inhaled antibiotic's x

[nellie15]

hi valm, glad to hear you are having some respite. its a scary disease especially when you are on your own....take care, plenty of rest. sending a hug x

[valm in reply to nellie15]

Thank you x

[perusal]

Glad you had a sleep hope you keep having restfull nights. Take care

[valm in reply to perusal]

Thank you x

[valm]

I have just re-started them have some in usually 5 days will see how I feel, I take lansoprazole to help with stomach acid x

[valm]

No got the full 14days x

[robevanz]

I have followed your story, glad you are home now and slept better.

[valm in reply to robevanz]

Thank you just hope the breathing improves over time keep your fingers crossed x

[dinnyrayner]

Hi Val ,

Glad you had a better night , it is scarey when you wake up sob . Reading some of the other comments i was just wondering how many other members have an emergency responce , or panic button ?? , I have had one for 2 years now and the call centre have all your medical info and people to contact in emergency ( neighbour , family or friends who keep a key ) so that if anything happens they call the relevant responce , if you fall , there is a fire or flood , or if you wake in the night and need help , i have even said that i can't speak when this happens to me and they know to get help straight away , brilliant . I don't live alone but my husband sleeps upstairs and i sleep downstairs so i wouldn't be able to wake him if i needed to ( even if he was any use when awake ha ha ). TUNSTALL is the company over here (british company ) in Ireland but not sure if it is in uk too or if another company cares for uk . I have also just acquired a box for the fridge to put all medical details in for ambulance , so they know what meds you are on if you can't tell them . I might be taking coals to newcastle but thought i would mention it as it gave me peace of mind . sleep well Val xx. xxxx Dinny xxxx

[valm in reply to dinnyrayner]

I know a good bit about what is available, worked in community care for the last 16 years! Trouble is I don't want to go down that route urgh thats me being me and stubborn! Agreed to have a bath board and wheeled commode so that Graham and Leanne can get me through to the bathroom, the consultant is getting in touch with the Mcmillan team to see what they can offer now or in the future.

I am a stubborn bugger in my mind I look after others they don't look after me, yes I know things are changing it's getting my head around it thats the problem! xxx

[dinnyrayner]

Bless you , yes i know how you feel , it is so hard to accept that we need all these extra things , i myself am fiercely independant . I have had a few very scarey episodes and have come to feel that some non intrusive back up gives me enough peace of mind to remain independant , i would hate to rely on anyone else . I hope some may find comfort in having a back up plan as i do and that the info will help . hope you feeling better . xxxx Dinny xxxx

[valm in reply to dinnyrayner]

Thank you x

[maureenv]

I'm the same as you Val and always have been fiercely independant and hate having to ask anyone to do anything for me. But as the illness progresses in my case I need someone more and more but I'll only accept help when i desperately need it. I cant do my own cleaning anymore but pay someone to do that and my hubby does all the meals. My daughter does the washing. the day I have to depend on someone to wash me and attend my toilet needs might well be my last. I dont think I could manage to cope with that. I can hear a lot of people being outraged by that comment but after being someone who has looked after others for years i really couldn't and wouldn't want anyone to be looking after me in that way ( my personal choice).

I'm pleased you're feeling better Val, long may it continue XX

[valm in reply to maureenv]

Thanks you won't believe this but back in hospital sick as a chip!

[maureenv]

Oh dear why did you have to go back?

[valm in reply to maureenv]

Got the GP out difficulty breathing during the night shesent me back via A&E x

[janie62]

I had an episode a couple of months back where for 3 months i couldnt get a breath properly to walk from my bedroom to bathroom i gasped i was sob and was on hands and kness, nurse comes out to see me, tells me blood tests ok, bp and all other tests fine, so carry on with pursed lip breathing. Then i wore a heart monitor 24 hours, my GP phoned me to say it was fine, he was so alarmared at me gasping for breath, while sitting in bed with oxygen on, that he immediately sent me into hospital. I spent all day waiting to see someone, my consultant was away - he is top respitory one here where i live, so saw a cardiac one, who said all tests were fine nothing wrong with me, my condition had worsened and i just had to accept it!!! so i queried, if there is nothing wrong with me, why am i like this, gasping even now as i talk to yo, also last week, i could hoover my house without 02, go to town for 3 hours using portable 02 but feeling great, still said my condition had got worse and i was in denial. Nice man - not, so i got home and have a real good friend in usa who is a trained respitory therapist, now they are trained almost 7 years as long as most doctors and are not nurses, altho lots of resp. nurses are great, she told me to open my letter from consultant to gp, i did, it said, all was fine, but hyperinflation of lungs, mean my lungs were blown up like balloons and i couldnt get air in or out, its called wind trapping, very common with lung conditions, i have bronchieactasis, but its very common with copd, well my friend advised me of what to do, half hour later i was breathing again normally, so if ever you have all the tests and they come up clear,ask if you may have wind trapping, as there are things that can be done to help to get rid of it, and if it returns, you will know what to do, but insist on asking as this condition is just taken by some consultants as part of condition worsening, when in fact it is a usual sympton for a lot of people with copd and other lung conditions. best wishes to all an hope you get better soon valm xx Janie xxxx

[D0n49 in reply to janie62]

Hi Janie,

Just reading through old posts and I was hoping you could kindly detail what your friend told you to do that brought you relief please? I have looked online but cannot find this term.

Thank you xx

[janie62]

whoops i meant condition for 3 weeks not 3 months, sorry about that :-)) janie xxx

[valm]

What did your friend advise you to do ? You went through a tough time as well Val x