There is loads I want to blog about and on a number of different subjects hamsters, my wrist, studying, church among several but I am so tired right now I think I will leave it till tomorrow.
I have been having lots of problems with blogger I don't know whether it is my server or blogger itself, I keep getting an error message stating that "service not available" very frustrating. I don't know what to make of it really.
Anyway there will be more soon, once I have slept and rejuvenated myself.
Showing posts with label tiredness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tiredness. Show all posts
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Its a pain in more ways than one
I went to visit my doctor yesterday and explained the problems that I was facing in terms of pain management and asked if could I please try a modified release version of my current painkiller, tramadol. My G.P to be fair was good and listened to what I had to say, it has often been my experience that doctors do not take chronic pain and the impact that it has on a persons quality of life seriously despite calls for it to be recognised an illness in its own right. For some time arthritis care has been calling for people to recognise the fact that though arthritis does not kill it can take your life, when my arthritis flairs up my quality of life is significantly diminished and I feel I age 30 years overnight and my mental health suffers also in response both to the pain and the lack of sleep resulting from the pain.
My G.P agreed to the change very reluctantly due to the fact that I am a known severe asthmatic and tramadol can cause respiratory suppression and one of my other medications for another of my health issues can increase this risk, particularly if an overdose is taken. Something I am not planning to do. If respiratory suppression occurs in me it is more hazardous and whereas "standard tramadol" takes 4-6 hours to clear my system, the modified release version will take up to 12 hours.
He offered to prescribe me another pain killer which carries a much lower potential risk of respiratory suppression. The problem with this solution was three fold, one it is not as strong as tramadol, two it only offers effective pain relief for a 4-6 hours thus defeating the whole object of me trotting along to see my GP in the first place and thirdly I would loose the flexibility my current regime offers me as the pain killer offered was a combination of both paracetamol and dihydrocodiene meaning that it would be all or nothing. My current regime consists of both paracetamol and tramadol which I can take either together or separately thus offering three different options in terms of pain management to be reduced to one did not appeal to me. Also if my pain is only mild I do not want to be "forced" to take a painkiller stronger than my pain warrants.
After some discussion it was decided that I would give tramadol modified release a go for a week and I am to see my G.P again next week to discuss the outcome before making a final long term decision. Its frustrating the way one illness impacts another. I have take two so far one yesterday morning and one last night and so far it has proved effective and there has been no significant impact on my asthma so fingers crossed all will go well.
My G.P agreed to the change very reluctantly due to the fact that I am a known severe asthmatic and tramadol can cause respiratory suppression and one of my other medications for another of my health issues can increase this risk, particularly if an overdose is taken. Something I am not planning to do. If respiratory suppression occurs in me it is more hazardous and whereas "standard tramadol" takes 4-6 hours to clear my system, the modified release version will take up to 12 hours.
He offered to prescribe me another pain killer which carries a much lower potential risk of respiratory suppression. The problem with this solution was three fold, one it is not as strong as tramadol, two it only offers effective pain relief for a 4-6 hours thus defeating the whole object of me trotting along to see my GP in the first place and thirdly I would loose the flexibility my current regime offers me as the pain killer offered was a combination of both paracetamol and dihydrocodiene meaning that it would be all or nothing. My current regime consists of both paracetamol and tramadol which I can take either together or separately thus offering three different options in terms of pain management to be reduced to one did not appeal to me. Also if my pain is only mild I do not want to be "forced" to take a painkiller stronger than my pain warrants.
After some discussion it was decided that I would give tramadol modified release a go for a week and I am to see my G.P again next week to discuss the outcome before making a final long term decision. Its frustrating the way one illness impacts another. I have take two so far one yesterday morning and one last night and so far it has proved effective and there has been no significant impact on my asthma so fingers crossed all will go well.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Recovery
I am on the slow but difficult road to recovery. I am realising that the road is long, has many twists and turns, is uphill and has a few boulders along its path.
First things first. I am I still off work? Yes I am and very reluctantly but on seeing my GP on Monday he said that my left lung still sounded inflamed so issued me with another sick note for another week. I get the general impression that some people really do not understand what asthma can be like, my friend K asked me last week if I would mind doing a 140 mile trip for her (something which I referred to in my last post) and my sister has suggested that I use the time wisely and spring clean my flat. It seems to of escaped her notice that the reason why I am on the sick is because breathing is presenting something of a challenge. She has also formed the idea that the reason why my asthma is as bad as it is, is because I am unfit. her opinion is that if started jogging and swimming then my asthma would pretty much go away. I wish and I am sure that there are many other asthmatics who wish that fact to be true.
I am doing more than I was last week but by the tea time I am pretty exhausted and need an hours nap. I have decided to take three weeks off my studies and have told my tutor of my intentions he was very understanding and questioned "had I being overdoing it?" well actually that might possibly of contributed in someway to everything going belly up.
Yesterday I had to attend an appointment at the rheumotology department of the local hospital and was given a steroid injection guided by ultra sound in my hip, very uncomfortable and that uncomfortableness has continued into today. I can only hope it works.
On Friday I am back to the chest clinic to see my consultant Dr A he's a great doctor and I have a few questions to ask him and we need to form a plan of action of the way forward.
Recovery is not just physical though, it's also mental. A fact often either forgotten or ignored by those who care for me. I am not just an illness I am a person with feelings, a life and friends. I hurt, I get scared, I feel frustration, get angry and a whole host of emotions that I have experienced over the previous few days. I was warned to expect it but even so when it hit I didn't expect me to completely overwhelm me the way it has. It is this part of my recovery that I am really struggling to cope with.
On a brighter note as a result of my recent experiences I have finally decide to commit to doing something I have wanted to do for years and that is raise funds for Asthma UK to that end I plan to do a parachute jump in tandem from 10,000 feet very scary. Watch this space for further details.
First things first. I am I still off work? Yes I am and very reluctantly but on seeing my GP on Monday he said that my left lung still sounded inflamed so issued me with another sick note for another week. I get the general impression that some people really do not understand what asthma can be like, my friend K asked me last week if I would mind doing a 140 mile trip for her (something which I referred to in my last post) and my sister has suggested that I use the time wisely and spring clean my flat. It seems to of escaped her notice that the reason why I am on the sick is because breathing is presenting something of a challenge. She has also formed the idea that the reason why my asthma is as bad as it is, is because I am unfit. her opinion is that if started jogging and swimming then my asthma would pretty much go away. I wish and I am sure that there are many other asthmatics who wish that fact to be true.
I am doing more than I was last week but by the tea time I am pretty exhausted and need an hours nap. I have decided to take three weeks off my studies and have told my tutor of my intentions he was very understanding and questioned "had I being overdoing it?" well actually that might possibly of contributed in someway to everything going belly up.
Yesterday I had to attend an appointment at the rheumotology department of the local hospital and was given a steroid injection guided by ultra sound in my hip, very uncomfortable and that uncomfortableness has continued into today. I can only hope it works.
On Friday I am back to the chest clinic to see my consultant Dr A he's a great doctor and I have a few questions to ask him and we need to form a plan of action of the way forward.
Recovery is not just physical though, it's also mental. A fact often either forgotten or ignored by those who care for me. I am not just an illness I am a person with feelings, a life and friends. I hurt, I get scared, I feel frustration, get angry and a whole host of emotions that I have experienced over the previous few days. I was warned to expect it but even so when it hit I didn't expect me to completely overwhelm me the way it has. It is this part of my recovery that I am really struggling to cope with.
On a brighter note as a result of my recent experiences I have finally decide to commit to doing something I have wanted to do for years and that is raise funds for Asthma UK to that end I plan to do a parachute jump in tandem from 10,000 feet very scary. Watch this space for further details.
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Breathing my way through 24 hours
Many peoples perception is asthma is that of a relatively minor illness that needs a couple of puffs of an inhaler and everything will be fine. I wish it was really like that, my asthma is pretty severe and my situation will not apply to everyone but here's a brief summary of the past 24 hours in my life.
2am Monday morning I awake coughing get up, check my peakflow and nebulise, ventolin and atrovent. I alert my tutor to my predicament, she tells me not to worry. In case you are wondering she wasn't up at 2am as well she lives in Canada so it was probably a perfectly social hour there.
5.30am Unable to settle because of the cough and breathlessness and getting concerned as neb isn't really lasting. Decide to have a ventolin neb and if that doesn't work I am dialing 999.
6am Neb has worked and I feeling better. Still can't sleep feeling exhausted and lonely.
8.30am Neb atrovent and ventolin again as starting to feel uncomfy again.
9.00am Finally feel more comfy and stable and at last around 9.30am I settle off to sleep.
1.15pm I awake, ring sick and then get up. Feeling very breathless and wheezy, back on the neb again atrovent and ventolin. Take my oral steroids, regular inhaler and tablet.
1.45pm Start getting dressed and ready for the day as rough as I feel making an appearance at the chemist in my PJs is not going to go down well. I have enough to deal with right now without adding getting arrested to my tally of lives little challenges.
2pm As my head is banging and my side is hurting were I have the infection I take some codeine and some paracetamol. Also ring the garage to tell them that I won't be bringing the car in today.
3.30pm Finally feel ready to face the world and walk out to my car (thank goodness I can drive) and head to Sainsburies. Breathless on getting to the car have a couple of puffs of my ventolin inhaler. Hand my script in and take a ssslllllooooowwww walk round the store while clutching on to a trolley. Turns out this episode of poorliness produces some advantages a reduce price ready meal for me and some reduced price veggies for the boys. Curly Kale 50 per cent extra free and 30p off. It take 5 bags and 2 bags of reduced price spinach. I will have happy pigs when I get home. Get my anti biotics, crikes they're like horse pills! Go to the till an elderly gentleman is behind me with two walking sticks in his trolley, he too is using his trolley as a walking aid. His informs me that he has just noticed his mince pies are buy one get one free. I offer to get him another box, there is always someone worse than me and I am willing to help. I totter off to get his mince pies, I hope he enjoys them, he was such a lovely man.
4.30pm Arrive back home, knackered. Take anti biotic.
5pm Mouth feels like something furry has died in it, the anti biotics are repeating and they taste foul and I am so dry.
6pm Time for some more nebs this time as well as using atrovent and ventolin I add a couple of saline to try and loosen the pond life in my lungs. It works but its exhausting to shift even the smallest amount. Then I wash up even that presents a slight challenge but if I washed up more frequently then maybe I wouldn't have as many pots to wash in the first place.
8pm head over to friends to care for her gorgeous nutty cat Z
8.10pm Potter round B's house do a bit of housework, its hard work even though I have done only a small amount but I enjoy it, it makes me feel useful. Make the bed while avoiding Z s paws waving in the air. He wants attention and a cuddle.
8.45pm Sit down and Z sits down on me, ensuring I stay put.
9pm Get told off by B for doing her housework while I am poorly. I don't like people fussing or worrying over me. I rest. My joints hurt a lot as well.
10.15pm Head home
10.30pm Sit, chill watch a DVD Casualty 1909. Put some ice cubes in the fridge to suck on as my mouth feels like the bottom of a budgies cage.
11pm Make some supper, high calorie easy to make, easy to eat. The noise of chopping onions send boys in to a tizwaz, I giggle as I listen to them squeaking and rampaging around their cages demanding more food even though they have only been fed a 3 hours early. I treat them to some spinach.
12pm time for another neb atrovent, ventolin and 2 saline
1am time for bed utterly exhausted, I have a hospital appointment in the morning at 9.30am I need to be up early so that I can take my morning meds and get pulled round in time. Then I have to battle through early morning traffic. Pants
2am Just settling down and I am disturbed by a bad coughing fit, PF isn't to bad so I have a few puffs of my inhaler via a spacer which helps a little.
2.45am Still coughing I concede defeat and take 2.5mg of ventolin. Bring up loads of gunk. Amuse my self by listening to "Bob the Builder" on my phone I no idea how that got on there but I will be singing "Big fish, little fish cardboard box, we are all having fun" for several days now. Except I am not, well not right now anyway.
3.30am I am still up totally wiped out now. Off to try for bed again. Night all
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Tired
I is tired, very tired. Owing to holidays, staff sickness and compassionate leave we are a bit short staffed at the minute resulting in me working a mixture of day shifts (one of which was over 13 hours long) and night shifts.
I worked out from last Saturday to this Saturday I will of worked 66 and half hours, aquiring over 17 hours over overtime. I also will be going 10 days without a day off, though my staffing declares a day off on Saturday it can hardly be classed as such given that I don't finish work that day till 8 in the morning. And then I am back in the next day, all over the bank holiday weekend working day shifts. My next day off isn't till the Thursday, another week to go.
Its going to be a long week.
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