Yes - I AM still alive!!! Thank you to those blog followers (generally those without the added benefit of my facebook information) who have enquired about my well-being!
I know it's been almost 3 months since my last post. Sorry. Life has been...erm....tricky lately!
There's been a lot going on; starting off with a pretty traumatic hospital admission in late February when for the first time, I got intubated and ventilated for my asthma. It was always something I'd fought hard to avoid previously. As it turned out - it sadly was a rather unpleasant experience, which hit me hard physically and needed a bit of 'getting my head round' too.
Since discharge from hospital, the respiratory team have been keeping a very close eye on me - generally being seen by the consultant weekly. He's started me on a treatment which for now, needs weekly blood tests due to the risk of infections and potential impact on bone marrow. No mean feat in someone with veins as lousy as mine are these days...I'm sure the phlebos groan when they see me waiting outside their room! I think I adversely affect their self-confidence and 'hit-rate'...am currently typing with a few impressive bruises after it took 4 goes to get the latest set of blood!
I'm also being seen weekly in the physio department for my hip, and have had a stupidly large amount of appointments elsewhere too - have just totted it up from my diary...in the past 4 weeks, I've had 24 appointments of one sort or another in just 16 working weekdays, everywhere from derby, two Birmingham hospitals, two Nottingham hospitals and closer to home too, sometimes being expected to make it to three appointments in 3 different hospitals, in 3 different cities on the same day! Whoever thinks that being off sick is easy.... think again! ;)
Am hoping that the close monitoring and input will assist in getting some element of control of my lungs back, as although I've not been readmitted since escaping at the end of Feb, it's been a close thing at times. Am waiting for various test results too, but more about that at a later time.
I've been doing well in catching up with friends, and have done an evening class in sign language too .. so I can't exactly say I've been bored, or doing nothing but resting. I'm also starting a course with the OU in digital photography; hopefully my new camera will arrive tomorrow. I'll try and put some more info (and maybe even pictures!) in future posts when I've got a bit more energy and am not falling asleep as I type!
OK- I think that is about all I can (nearly) coherently string together into sentences for now, so I think I'll go back to bed for another nap!! Yaaaaaawwn...said Bagpuss! (my favourite tv cat since childhood, and funnily enough..now Asthma UK's mascot!) Sometime I'll take a picture of my Bagpuss collection! lol..... and try to do some posts to update you on everything else....
Bye for now! x
