The meter reader man wanted to know about COPD today...so I told him. Bet he wished he'd never asked.
He said that he thought it wouldn't be the illness itself, but the coming to terms with it which was the biggest problem and I did agree...
And you know, I swear I've gone a bit peculiar since being diagnosed ...more peculiar than usual that is. Gone slightly obsessive for one thing...a grubby mark on something has to be removed...now. There was a time when I'd have waited for a while and then just painted over all the grubby bits...now I find myself with a damp cloth in my hand scrubbing away with enthusiasm...can't be doing with empty loo rolls loitering about in the bathroom...found myself armed with an old toothbrush cleaning between the dials on the gas cooker...
Books are another increasing obsession...I'll read one, from a hitherto undiscovered to me author and gobble it up in order to read another and another...whizzing through them in a couple of days rather than savouring them and making them last...my latest is an authoress called Alexandra Sokol...weird thrillers with a vague hint of other worldness...
I'm increasingly irritated by stupidity and poor spelling and bad grammar...find myself shouting at the screen when I read that people actually knit clothes for the new Royal baby and send stupid Teddy Bears, what about all those children in Nepal they've lost everything...want to bang my head against the wall on seeing a post somewhere or other which says 'God loves all His children'
I'd like to knock those people into next week...the ones who use uppercase to make a point when there's no feckin' need if they wrote properly in the first place...
Then I went quite funny over the pursed lip breathing...decided this was the way forward to counteract the dreaded CO2 retaining thing...blow the bloody stuff out and then it won't get me again...so I practised it over and over and now I can do it without my shoulders moving and almost without thinking about it...
The meter man was on the nail when he said it was the mental attitude which was all important...but my mental attitude is slightly skewed.
"Vashti.....Nothing wrong with having a slightly skewed attitude...loved your post a nice positive attitude is what this dreadful disease needs.... plus a good sense of humor.. Have a lovely evening...Megan."
Hopefully some of the Royal babies knitted clothes and teddies will be sent to other children in need, Vashti. I have been practising pursed lip breathing too, and a also belly breathing....trying to breathe with a relaxed diaphragm and from the belly rather than my upper chest. I've got a book on the Alexander technique, so trying not to slouch now.....always been told off for doing that.
I have been downloading Phil Rickmans books....they are a bit other worldly.....but as my memory is getting worse I find I can read and reread books now.
Love Phil Rickman's work. I believe his plots are supernatural/detective based in Wakes featuring Vicar Merrilee Watkins? Think I have read all his work. Will have to re-read them all.
Nothing too skewed about you vashti - you always write such wonderful stuff, and keep us all on our toes waiting for the next tale. I love the fact that it is all written about your life, past and present, the people you meet, and know plus all the animals and sheer wonderment about very simple things.
I too get obsessive over some things and have to do things immediately. All my hangers hang in the wardrobe one way round and one way only. Woe betide Pete if he puts a hanger round the wrong way - maybe it is my way of coping with caring for someone with COPD (sorry for the capitals there) amongst other things. Given me something to think about now.
Wishing you well and can't wait for tomorrow. What will you make about the votes being counted and the new Prime Minister? or maybe the same old one - who knows?
I think you will find all the gifts sent to the Cambridges by strangers are passed on to charity.
Vashti - I do not have copd but do seem to have many of your little "quirks" - I wonder if it has to do with the dreaded age!!! Your skewed attitude is a gift to us - you produce such wonderful posts full of humour which I for one am grateful for. Long may you continue, lots of love TAD xx
I do not think it is going mad, but having more time to think things though? I hate not seeing a smile at receptions and such! I Have a bee in my bonnet about blue bay parking in supermarkets to such an extent I have printed my own tickets! Most of the people I know do now go at my speed instead of dispersing over the horizon never to be seen again! If we go anywhere I rate them on the amount of place's to park my A&$$. I am one of the Dyslexia brigade (Why is it such a hard word to spell) and rely on spell checkers to show me what is wrong with the little red squibble. As for Grammar I thought that was the person my parents took me to at the weekend
Overall I think we do not want whatever ails us to beat us so we fight it in any strange way we can?
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Getting up at night to go to the toilet
exacerbation here we go again 
Blood mixed sputum not going away, have bronchiectasis 
Does a cold always go to chest infection with COPD? 
Going back to work/recovery time with pluresy 
