Counting down the days

[tigershay1]

Im on count down for hospital appointment on Tuesday ....ive not managed to leave house due to being so breathless and my chest hurts so much. My beloved horse Miss Ellie is being cared for along with her pal hubbys horse Jack by hubby (who is looking after me too bless him) and my 83 yr old father in law !!! I will sit and make my list of questions to ask tomorrow ....i know you people have been in to see consultants so apart from my obvious im hurting breathless and on my 7th lot antib steroids etc What else should i be asking please??? Judith

[butter-fly]

Hi Judith. The thing I've started to do is make a list of all the things that pertain to my health that may effect or aggravate my chest and breathing. I'm just jotting down anything and everything about them that's happened over the last few weeks and will condense this and just hand it to my consultant when I see him again. That way nothing will get missed and I won't go home feeling that I forgot or didn't have the nerve to say something, or worst of all feel silly, or intimidated by the consultant. The record is there and it is clear. (Keep a copy) Hope this helps somewhat. Sara xx

[tigershay1]

Thank you Sara i will do that xxx judith

[longlungs]

Hi there Judith firstly I love Miss Ellie what a beautiful horse Blimey 7 lots my goodness you poor thing you must be going round the bend,Ido hope your consultant gets to grip with that quickly and clears the darn infection up eh! What Butter-fly says is so helpful to do i do it cos we do forget or feel awkward and silly even,daft arnt we.Remember this is your body and your off to the body shop to get it fixed and a good service to see why your internals (lungs etc) are not working properly ? If it was our pet or car even we would be on their case.Hark at me im in a right old rootin tootin mood it would seem.Hopefully you will be blessed with a great consultant feel at ease and get to grips with the issues you may or may not have,Keeping it all crossed for a positive appt. Janexx

[tigershay1 in reply to longlungs]

Thank you Jane for your reply . You are so right in the way you have put things makes such sense. Miss Ellie is a dream i love her to bits and she looks after me so well strange how animals just know . Kindest regards Judith xxxx

[bonzothehoss]

hi judith

as you'll see from my pic i'm a horsey person too (its my partner who has copd). things that might be worth looking into on the horse front would be dust (hay, shavings etc) - i used to use wood pellets for bedding which are much less dusty as you damp them down, haylage instead of hay and all that sort of thing. my partner got breathless when he tried grooming my boy, partly from the exercise but also the dust, so the consultant may be able to suggest ways round all this (face mask like surgeons wear perhaps?) i know they are likely to say that the whole hoss thing is a problem because of the dusts but your wellbeing probably depends on it and they won't get that unless they are horsey!

also, when i wasn't able to walk because of a snapped achilles tendon, i worked out a whole load of new ways of doing stuff so i could still function. i tmigt be that you have to do the same so you can still do horse things - lots of stools around the yard so you can sit and rest on the way to and fro and so on, (i adapted an office chair so i could roll around and do my garden - you might be able to do the same round a yard once the hosses got used to the noise!)

hope some of these ramblings help...

[tigershay1 in reply to bonzothehoss]

Oh for the love of our horses ....thankyou for some good tips and advice. Both ours on haylage but have straw beds but to be honest it doesnt make me cough and ive been tested and not allergic to dust or horses etc so one good thing . No dr alive would make me give up my horses!!!! Im sure your the same? My girl is my therapy bless her shes such an angel. Thank you fingers crossed i get some answers as only times im ill is over winter im fit as fiddle in summer xxx judith love to youf horse xxx