Trying to stay out of hospital until after Christmas,

[Loraine121]

Hi , all I have been really quite as my breathing is playing up again between that and the fybromyalgia i am hardly sleeping,

When i was at the doctors on Wednesday she wanted me to go to hospital but I said that i would try prednisone and antibiotics first which i had started on my rescue pack on the Monday, I promise of that I would go back if the antibiotics weren't helpimg but she is actually the asthma nurse and I dont normally see her so what she thought was bad probably was that bad for me, since I have oxygen, nebulizer and half the chemist at home the only reason that I would have to go to hospital would be for I V antibiotics and there is another antibiotic that my gp can give me whichis normally only given under hospital supervision but my consultant has authorised that my gp can give me it as he knows that I am good at looking after myself and I know when to give in and go to hospital.

I dont know how i get infections when I never go out at this time of year as I know my immune system is low anyway with all the corticosteroids that I am on anyway

Thats my moan for the day

I hope everyone is ready for Christmas and wishing you a as pain free day as possible,

Take care x

[Hidden]

Hi Lorraine- I have an upstairs neighbour in exactly the same boat as you with COPD, she is on O2 most of the day but she has a portable cylinder to carry around in a rucksack if she needs to go appointments.. I suggested to her last week about housework! I said her home cannot possibly be so dirty that the hoover is on every day, she has her windows cleaned inside and out every week, she changes her bed twice a week...... DUST DUST DUST,, getting on her chest, I have given her some paper face masks to wear and suggested wet dusting, leave indoor windows for her daughter to do when she goes to supermarket so it settles when she gets back, get her to change the bed at this time too, sprinkle the floors with water before hoovering and try using my push around dry mop instead of so much hoovering-get the 2 peas that flew off her plate with the long nozzle attachement! NOt to stop and chat to anyone who has cough a cold or just clearing their throats without covering their mouths and the grandchildren need to learn about covering moths when sneezing!!! Does any of this sound familiar?? Too house proud I say!

[Loraine121 in reply to Hidden]

Hi caz 54,

I have a portable cylinder for going out ,

Im not obsessive with cleaning i have wooden floors so no carpets to hoard dust , i keep my room dust free as much as possible and my partner dose the rest of the house.

I am always on at my little boy to wash his hand as they carry in a lot from school there is akways some bug or something going around the school. Not that he listens lol

Im certainly not house proud like that I clean the inside of my windows once a year if you're lucky but I have a window cleaner who cleans the outside.

Take care hope you have a pain free day

Loraine x

[BlueMermaid3]

Hi there

Are you asthmatic? Do you have regular inhalers?

See how you go, but I really would advise you to go back and see your GP for an emergency appointment on Monday if you are no better.

Is your chest crackling badly when you breathe in and out?

If so try to keep yourself propped up with pillows when sleeping or resting.

Look after yourself and I hope you are feeling much better soon.

Lu xx

[Loraine121 in reply to BlueMermaid3]

Thank you, blue mermaid

I have had asthma since i was 4years old but it is difficult to control, i have inhalers and tablets for my asthma i think my consultant is running out of things to give me over the years he has increased the dose of tablets

, I have a pillow wedges and pillows on top of thats so I am sitting up when in bed as if i attempt to lye diwn I cant breath but that's normal

I'm considering going back to the doctor, i will see how I get on over the weekend.

Im sure that I will be fine

Thank you take care hope you have a pain free day

Loraine x

[bluebell99]

Hi Loraine

I see that you are doing what you can to make yourself better but sometimes we have to have to accept the inevitable. If after the weekend you are still poorly then I would go to the hospital and bypass the GP. They will be keen to get you in and sorted and out again as quickly as possible before Christmas.

About three or four years ago I was admitted with chest infection/asthma and it is miserable not sleeping in your own bed and how they can tell you to rest in hospital I will never know!

I think we know when we have reached our limits and need help.

Hoping the extra meds will sort you out.

Kay

[Loraine121 in reply to bluebell99]

Thank you, I do know normally when I need help by with this new things on my lungs as we i was caught out twice this year I had type 2 respiratory failure i left it a wee bit too long before getting help,

It's not to bad in the hospital that I go as i have been in and out of it since it opened 6 years ago and I now all the staff they are really nice and have saved my life a few times over the years.

I'm sure that I will be okay i always am , i have more lifes than a cat lol

Take care hope you have a pain free day

Loraine x

[BlueMermaid3 in reply to Loraine121]

I thought my right lung collapsing one Christmas Eve was bad enough!

I've had pneumonia 4 times in the last 6 years and am fighting off yet another chest infection at the moment.

The steriods and antibiotics make me feel worse than the chest infection does!

I have every sympathy for you. I feel a bit daft now telling you to sleep propped up. You obviously know all the right things to do.

I hope you are feeling better in yourself before Christmas my friend.

Lu xx

[Trikki]

I do feel for you as I would hate to have breathing problems as it must be so distressing. The only time I have a problem is when I get chest pains and it is difficult to take a breath for a while, but it doesn't last longer than a few hours..I do hope you get relief very soon...x

[Loraine121]

Hi trikki,

I am doing okay you get used to it, it like being in pain we learn to cope some how our bodies find ways of keeping us going we just have to get on with things, but I am not stupid when I have exhausted all my usual tricks to try and avoid hospital then I know it is time for help and unfortunately that means hospital but I really thought that with having the home oxygen that I would be able to avoid as many admissions,

I have a laugh with the nurses and I always normally manage to keep it to about 2 visits a year but this year it was starting to be one a month ive been home since the 7th October and hopefully this extra boasts of steroids and antibiotics will see me through.

Hope you are well

Loraine x

[slomotion]

Hi Loraine - hope you manage ok and stay out until after Xmas and if pos. stay out altogether. You seem to have a good GP, they are worth their weight in gold. Have a lovely festive time, especially pain free. Helen X

[rosewine]

Do hope over the weekend that you improve. As a child I was a severe asthmatic having 6 weeks in hospital and the 6 weeks in w convalescent home and know what it is like to not be able to breathe easily. I used to catch every bug going. I then had a period of it receeding and then back it came, strangely since I started on Pregablin I have been able to drop one of my inhalers.

My friend has severe COPD and has the same problem catching every respiratory bug that is going. I have narrowed it down that she seems to succumb after prolonged visit other two younger grandchildren as most if the time they have developed a cold after their visit but what is just a simple childhood cold to them causes her to be on her emergency pack.

Every one I know who has severe asthma or COPD have really suffered this year. The antibiotics that always worked for my friend other years haven't seemed to have worked this year. She has had to resort to an antibiotic which is very strong this time in the hope of hitting it on the head before Christmas. Do let us know how you get on and please get better soon.x

[Loraine121 in reply to rosewine]

Thank you for your kind words im sitting on my nebulizers just now, I wonder if its something to do with the weather this year hasbeen a nightmare and you are right about the antibiotics that's why my hospital consultant wrote to my GP to give me antibiotics that is normally only given in hospital as we become immune to normal antibiotics you can understand why the doctor are trying to get people out of the habit of thinking that they always need antibiotics its re education i supose until you get to the stage when normal antibiotics dont work you really understand

Wishing you a pain free sleep if thats possible good luck thanks again.

I will keep in touch , when I cant talk i write sometimes a bit long winded but thats when you know im bad as there is not much that stops me talking lol

Take care

Loraine x

[rosewine in reply to Loraine121]

Oh knows Imreally I'll when I go quiet, lol. Take care.x