Ooops sorry for the delay in updates, just not been in the mood or something, whatever the reason Hello again now!
So I've sort of started cycling again and I am loving it but the last week or so has been uber busy and full on and just haven't had much of a chance. The riding that I am doing is only local and for about 20-30 mins at a time but ya gotta start somewhere.
Yesterday I spent the day at DISC as a Commissaire for the Melbourne Cup On Wheels and Revolution 6 track event! While I was only meant to be shadowing to learn how the big events are run, I still did a few things and learnt a lot but I mean a LOT!! I was sooo exhausted and had the best nights sleep last night.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Good start
Wow, a Monday morning where I feel good! Not sure if it's due to the revelation of the oversleeping thing or the bike ride or other things or maybe just all combined, but it's a good morning!
Even my toaster exploding this morning hasn't dented my mood
Even my toaster exploding this morning hasn't dented my mood
Sunday, February 14, 2010
I worked it out
I think that I have finally worked out why I have felt so crappy the last few weekends, and by crappy I mean lethargic and just generally in a CBF mood - I've been over sleeping! Yesterday I had to get up early for a tradie to fix something and I felt really good and so today I didn't let myself sleep for as long as previous weekends and again I felt heaps better, I even went for a ride today! :D
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Cooking new things
Today I decided to make chicken stock. I've never made chicken stock before and had nothing better to do so figured it was a good time to do so! It's actually pretty easy, get one chicken carcass, an onion, some celery, a carrot and some garlic - bung it all in a good pot and cover with water and cook for 3-4 hours!
For the last hour of cooking I also added in 3 chicken thigh fillets to cook for the soup I planned to use the stock for.
The straining of the stock isn't that difficult either - I got one strainer and put a tea towel in it and placed that in a saucepan, then got another strainer that sat in the tea towel covered one and just poured it all in. The reason for the double strainer and tea towel is to ensure you get all the little gritty bits out of the liquid.
I then used the stock to make something else I've never made before - creamy chicken and corn soup!! I've got about 750mls of stock left over so I think I will use that to make a risotto
Delicious!
For the last hour of cooking I also added in 3 chicken thigh fillets to cook for the soup I planned to use the stock for.
The straining of the stock isn't that difficult either - I got one strainer and put a tea towel in it and placed that in a saucepan, then got another strainer that sat in the tea towel covered one and just poured it all in. The reason for the double strainer and tea towel is to ensure you get all the little gritty bits out of the liquid.
I then used the stock to make something else I've never made before - creamy chicken and corn soup!! I've got about 750mls of stock left over so I think I will use that to make a risotto
Delicious!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Rambling
Today I donated blood! I really like doing it, I've been doing it for years and have well over 20 donations which is a lot considering y ou can only donate a max of 4 times a year. I missed the last two of last year due to a few reasons, but I normally donate at least three times a year when I am able. Even though I currently have a lot of my own health issues, they aren't enough to stop me from donating so donate I will! Someone said on facebook that I should be the one receiving it - new lungs maybe, but I'm ok for blood at the moment hehe
My hemogloben (iron) test came back at the highest it has been for years - 133 (13.3)!! It has not been that high since before I was aneamic about 5 years ago just after my appendectimy. I've had several times where they have had to take the test from both hands as one was too low and other times when they have taken the test in the donating room from my elbow to double or triple check it to make sure it's high enough. The best bit is that my red meat consumption has actually reduced lately - not deliberately or anything, but I just noticed the other day that I haven't been eating as much red meat, which for me is odd, but it shows that other things in my diet are doing goodly.
My health is a weird thing, I'm used to having sickness, seeing a GP several times a year for asthma or colds/flu etc as I know that it can escalate very badly to almost hospitalisation so I am sure to do what I can (most of the time) to keep it in check. Apart from my cough, sinus issues and depression, over the past 12 months I have been the healthiest ever! I'm sure that sounds hard to believe, but it's true! I haven't had a cold or flu that entire time - amazing for me!! I have not been on prednisolone for over 12 months, again amazing! Sure I need drugs every day to breathe and writing all this stuff down it kinda makes me sound like I'm always sick and maybe I am.... but I don't feel like it in a way! This cough thing has been with me for years and I am only now just sorting it out but that is only due to having NOT been sick. I know that sounds weird, but it's true - it's from having not had a cold/flu that I realised that something else was wrong - I'd always blamed the cold/flu.
I also spent 5 years or so getting tonsellitus 4-5 times a year, each and every year. It got to the point that I would go to the dr's the first day of the illness, tell them what I had and then I would get my script and leave - I timed it one day, I was in the doctors office for only 45 seconds!!!!! It then turned out to be my appendix! I'd had abdominal pain for 7 months and they did internal and external ultrasounds and x-rays and couldn't find anything until it really went spack one day and the next day it was removed - I haven't had tonselitus since and that was 5 years ago - co-incidence, I think NOT!
I am actually sick of having things wrong, even though I'm used to it, it still get's frustrating and the coughing is bloody annoying but I spose I am kinda used to it in a way. Compared to the average person I am sick a lot, but for me, if you ignore the cough and breathing issues (hah!) for me, I'm actually quite healthy compared to previous years. I just -really- -really- wish that this issue I'm possibly facing now wasn't incurable
My hemogloben (iron) test came back at the highest it has been for years - 133 (13.3)!! It has not been that high since before I was aneamic about 5 years ago just after my appendectimy. I've had several times where they have had to take the test from both hands as one was too low and other times when they have taken the test in the donating room from my elbow to double or triple check it to make sure it's high enough. The best bit is that my red meat consumption has actually reduced lately - not deliberately or anything, but I just noticed the other day that I haven't been eating as much red meat, which for me is odd, but it shows that other things in my diet are doing goodly.
My health is a weird thing, I'm used to having sickness, seeing a GP several times a year for asthma or colds/flu etc as I know that it can escalate very badly to almost hospitalisation so I am sure to do what I can (most of the time) to keep it in check. Apart from my cough, sinus issues and depression, over the past 12 months I have been the healthiest ever! I'm sure that sounds hard to believe, but it's true! I haven't had a cold or flu that entire time - amazing for me!! I have not been on prednisolone for over 12 months, again amazing! Sure I need drugs every day to breathe and writing all this stuff down it kinda makes me sound like I'm always sick and maybe I am.... but I don't feel like it in a way! This cough thing has been with me for years and I am only now just sorting it out but that is only due to having NOT been sick. I know that sounds weird, but it's true - it's from having not had a cold/flu that I realised that something else was wrong - I'd always blamed the cold/flu.
I also spent 5 years or so getting tonsellitus 4-5 times a year, each and every year. It got to the point that I would go to the dr's the first day of the illness, tell them what I had and then I would get my script and leave - I timed it one day, I was in the doctors office for only 45 seconds!!!!! It then turned out to be my appendix! I'd had abdominal pain for 7 months and they did internal and external ultrasounds and x-rays and couldn't find anything until it really went spack one day and the next day it was removed - I haven't had tonselitus since and that was 5 years ago - co-incidence, I think NOT!
I am actually sick of having things wrong, even though I'm used to it, it still get's frustrating and the coughing is bloody annoying but I spose I am kinda used to it in a way. Compared to the average person I am sick a lot, but for me, if you ignore the cough and breathing issues (hah!) for me, I'm actually quite healthy compared to previous years. I just -really- -really- wish that this issue I'm possibly facing now wasn't incurable
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Damn
After a week of really improved breathing and not being aware of my breathing or needing ventolin during the day/night yesterday and today I have been noticing it again. Tonight it's gotten to the point where I got my peak flow meter out and measured my breathing. I then took som symbicort and waiting 20 minutes and re-tested - no change and I didn't feel better either. Took another dose and waited 15 minutes and again no change. I then took two puffs of venolin and felt slightly better but the peakflow hasn't changed or improved.
I just put bronchiectasis + humid into google and it has come up with quite a number of sites that tell me that cold and humid weather can make it worse - tick
It also probably doesn't help that I due to the heat I haven't been getting any fresh air and staying in air con a lot of the time
-sigh- I don't like the thought of having something wrong with me that's incurrable
I just put bronchiectasis + humid into google and it has come up with quite a number of sites that tell me that cold and humid weather can make it worse - tick
It also probably doesn't help that I due to the heat I haven't been getting any fresh air and staying in air con a lot of the time
-sigh- I don't like the thought of having something wrong with me that's incurrable
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Asthma or not?
On Friday I had a Spirometry test done - it measures the outflow of my breathing and is a good tool in diagnosing Asthma and it's severity. I should probably also mention that I have been diagnosed as asthmatic since I was a toddler but have never had this test done, however have always been treated as an asthmatic for pretty much my entire life.
What you do is that you breathe normally into a mouth piece and then inhale a reaaaaaaaaaaaaly deep breath and exhale straight away with as much force as possible and you keep going until you have no air left or told to stop and inhale again. You do this three times and then go on the ventolin nebuliser for 5 or so minutes. After a 10 minute break you then repeat the test. Now I don't know much about these things but I feel confident in saying that if you are asthmatic, there would be a VAST imrpovement in the second lot of tests after the ventolin.... however I didn't.
I had a marginal improvement in the first lot of air that comes out but only marginal AND the rest was pretty much the same!
While my specialist still needs to see the results and provide a proper diagnoses based also on my medical history, it really is mind blowing to think that I may not actually be asthmatic! I have been asthmatic my entire life according to dr's and treated for it, so to suddenly think that I might not be makes me confused. Is it instead Bronchiectasis that the specialist mentioned? Gawd, my whole life I thought I had one illness and the possibility that I don't really is confusing. I just want to really know what is wrong!
What you do is that you breathe normally into a mouth piece and then inhale a reaaaaaaaaaaaaly deep breath and exhale straight away with as much force as possible and you keep going until you have no air left or told to stop and inhale again. You do this three times and then go on the ventolin nebuliser for 5 or so minutes. After a 10 minute break you then repeat the test. Now I don't know much about these things but I feel confident in saying that if you are asthmatic, there would be a VAST imrpovement in the second lot of tests after the ventolin.... however I didn't.
I had a marginal improvement in the first lot of air that comes out but only marginal AND the rest was pretty much the same!
While my specialist still needs to see the results and provide a proper diagnoses based also on my medical history, it really is mind blowing to think that I may not actually be asthmatic! I have been asthmatic my entire life according to dr's and treated for it, so to suddenly think that I might not be makes me confused. Is it instead Bronchiectasis that the specialist mentioned? Gawd, my whole life I thought I had one illness and the possibility that I don't really is confusing. I just want to really know what is wrong!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
What a day...
I'm experiencing side effects from my new asthma medication :( Yesterday I felt really anxious and panicky and today I had that again along with a lot of coughing and this afternoon and tonight I have became really emotional. I'm also suffering from some sleeplessness and I'm also probably pms'ing so the new steroids combined with that is certainly not a good situation :( Today I left work early and I watched the double House episode I recorded Sunday night and then the double Grays Anatomy that I taped last night and I cried watching them - what's with that?!?
The good news though is that I can feel that my breathing has improved so hopefully these side effects bugger off soon.
The good news though is that I can feel that my breathing has improved so hopefully these side effects bugger off soon.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
I think it is...
I think the bronchial thing that the specialist mentioned yesterday was Bronchiectasis. From wiki
hrmmmm
Bronchiectasis is defined as localized irreversible dilatation of part of the bronchial tree. Involved bronchi are dilated, inflamed, and easily collapsible, resulting in airflow obstruction and impaired clearance of secretionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchiectasis
hrmmmm
Monday, February 1, 2010
Allergy specialist appointment
Today I -finally- had my appointment with the allergy specialist to figure out what the hell is going on with me to try and stop all this phlegm and coughing! After about 90 minutes I had been poked and proded, had a allergy skin prick test and I was done for today. It turns out that I am allergic to dust mites and cats and a few other things but they were the main ones. The controlled test registered as 8mms and here is the size of the other ones:
D.pternoyssinus - 7 (dust mites)
House Dust - 5
Cat - 7
Dog - 2
7 Grass mix - 3
Rye Grass - 6
Cypress - 4
He doesn't think that it's caused by allergies though, he thinks it is a bronchial thing - I forget the name but he described it like this:
In you lungs there are vein/tubey type things that start in the middle of your chest and go around to the sides and get thinner in diameter the long they get and then stop - he thinks that mine might be more of a sausage shape instead of a thinning cylindrical/cone type shape and due to previous infections and the like it has never cleared up, or something like that!
Anyway the outcomes are that I am now on new Asthma medication - Symbicort 200 and I need to start taking the Rhinocort nose spray again but take it a different way to try to reduce the bleeding from my nose. I also need to go have a lung function test.
He also told me that I need to persist with riding and exercising, even though it causes me to cough a lot, to the point where I need to stop for the coughing fit to pass as he says that I need to cough it up - urgh! He also said that it's not right that I've put up with it for so long and even to the point that I had to stop riding my bike to work on cold mornings and to stop playing tennis at night etc due to the cold air.
I go back in 6 weeks time and if there is no improvement then it will be off to have a CT scan of my lungs.
I actually feel like I might be getting somewhere and if not I feel like I am in the hands of someone that can do something about it!!,
D.pternoyssinus - 7 (dust mites)
House Dust - 5
Cat - 7
Dog - 2
7 Grass mix - 3
Rye Grass - 6
Cypress - 4
He doesn't think that it's caused by allergies though, he thinks it is a bronchial thing - I forget the name but he described it like this:
In you lungs there are vein/tubey type things that start in the middle of your chest and go around to the sides and get thinner in diameter the long they get and then stop - he thinks that mine might be more of a sausage shape instead of a thinning cylindrical/cone type shape and due to previous infections and the like it has never cleared up, or something like that!
Anyway the outcomes are that I am now on new Asthma medication - Symbicort 200 and I need to start taking the Rhinocort nose spray again but take it a different way to try to reduce the bleeding from my nose. I also need to go have a lung function test.
He also told me that I need to persist with riding and exercising, even though it causes me to cough a lot, to the point where I need to stop for the coughing fit to pass as he says that I need to cough it up - urgh! He also said that it's not right that I've put up with it for so long and even to the point that I had to stop riding my bike to work on cold mornings and to stop playing tennis at night etc due to the cold air.
I go back in 6 weeks time and if there is no improvement then it will be off to have a CT scan of my lungs.
I actually feel like I might be getting somewhere and if not I feel like I am in the hands of someone that can do something about it!!,
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