Sore Chest

On Friday I started to develop a really horrible productive cough and just couldn't stop coughing and coughing stuff up, it was never ending! I did an extra hypertonic saline to try shift some mucus but no sooner had I done it there was more to replace it. I was planning to go swimming but unless the gym don't mind bits of green mucus floating all over their pool, it wasn't going to happen! By Friday afternoon I was getting pains in the middle of my chest, especially on the right side. I didn't sleep well as I coughed during the night and the pain didn't help. On Saturday it was still bad but by Saturday afternoon I was coughing less and by Sunday night the pain seemed to have gone. I'm still really productive but the cough seems to have calmed down abit. I was going to call my team on Monday if it still hurt but I have Outpatients next week so since the pain has gone I didn't see the point.
I don't know if it's infection, or the cold and weather. It seems I was on my IVs at this time last year which makes me think it could be because its turning cold. I always have a more difficult time during winter, it's cold, your don't get as much exercise and there are loads of colds going around. I still haven't had my flu jab because my GP's are a pain in the arse and basically try to make it as difficult as possible!

Pete and I went to see the film 'Let Me In' on Saturday, its about a young girl that is a vampire and makes friends with this young boy. We both thought it was really good, it's not glamorous or sexy like your typical vampire film these days, it's more of what I think it would be like to be a vampire!

On Sunday we went to see Pete's family and went to this buffet lunch, there were starters and a carvery and desserts. You also could get pasta cooked infront of you and pick what went in it, it was really good for a buffet! Pete's got an Iphone now and has this app where you speak to this cartoon and then it repeats what you have said but in a squeaky voice, Pete's nephew who is about 2 and a half found it so funny and was laughing loads, it was really cute!

The other night Pete was making tea and found a caterpillar in the lettuce! We didn't want to put it outside as thought it would die so have put it in a jug and are giving it bit's of lettuce each day. After surviving on a lettuce in the fridge for 6 days, I felt it our duty to try give it a chance! I have tried to find out what type of caterpillar it is but I can't find out, so not sure what to do with it! Most stuff on the Internet is how to kill them! I can't see it this morning amongst the leaves so hope it hasn't crawled away!

Today is remembrance day and it's about to be 11am so I shall finish my entry for today and take a few minutes to be silent xx

Swine Flu Jab

Yesterday I had my swine flu jab. The cf nurse advised I shouldn't get it whilst I wasn't feeling well, so now I am feeling better I booked myself in (I received a letter from the GP about 6 weeks ago telling me it was available and I was in the group that needed it).
There were two things worried me slightly, first they get you to fill in this form asking you if you are allergic to eggs (no I'm not) and if you have any other allergies to which I ticked yes. The nurse didn't even look at the form when I gave it to her or question my allergies! Maybe she is just super fast at looking at them and psychic?
The second thing was that she was making the jabs up herself. The normal flu jab comes ready and they just take it out of the package and stab you. These GP nurses have asked me some real stupid questions like 'are you on any medication?', so it doesn't fill me with confidence when I see them making the jab up. I wonder why this one doesn't come ready made?
Anyway I had the jab. She told me my arm would get sore and she was right. It was OK for a few hours but today it is really sore, although to be fair the normal flu jab makes your arm sore anyway so it's not any different.
I know lots of people have been worried about the swine flu jab because of gossip and media hype so thought I'd just report I am still here and feel perfectly normal (apart from one sore arm).

On the CF Forum there has been discussion that if you are allergic to the antibiotic gentamicin, you should be having a different type of swine flu jab as the jab contains it. According to the guidelines the nurses should be asking you this. Mine didn't ask me but for all I know she could have looked at my notes (although I highly doubt it since she asked me if I was on any antibiotics). So if you are allergic to gentamicin best to mention this before you get your jab!

It must be nearly winter, colds are here!

I went to Yoga as planned on Friday, I really enjoyed it although I discovered I am not very flexible and also that everyone in my class was at least 10 years older than me or more. Whilst you do the stretches etc you have to take deep breathes and we also did some meditation where you concentrate on your breathing so I hope it really helps. I have tried yoga once before, many years ago, I think I was about 16. I absolutely hated it, all I remember is there was alot of standing straight like a tree, there was none of that in this class, it was alot more productive. I told the lady about my CF at the start, basically I told her I had a port in my arm that might mean I couldn't do some of the stretches with my left arm if it involved bending it around my back etc and also if I started coughing just to ignore me (which I didn't do anyway).
I did in the changing room though and some woman started going on about my cough and that make sure I didn't give swine flu to anyone, she was really loud and everyone could hear so I put her straight. So then she was all apologetic (making me feel guilty) saying I looked at fit as a fiddle and she told me I took loads of tablets (yes I do know that) then her mate was commenting on me coming to the gym. I was like 'hello I just want to get changed and go'...! Everyone was gawping at me in the room, I was mortified!

At the weekend Pete and I went out into town for his mates birthday. It wasn't the best night for various reasons I can't go into. Then on Sunday we went to see the inlaws for a nice Sunday roast, even Alfie came with us and I was trying to use the clicker training (which he did take to) to get him to behave near our nephew. Alfie still barks at him and has to stay on his lead and now the baby is running around and loves Alfie, its difficult to keep them apart. So basically everytime Alfie didn't bark at the baby and was well behaved I clicked the clicker to tell him this was a good behaviour and gave him a treat. Eventually the clicker will become the reward itself as he will associate it with getting treats i.e. been happy and pressing a clicker is alot easier than rooting through the treats box each time he is good. Obviously you still have to give him treats sometimes, he's not stupid! If you ever did psychology at A-level/degree you will probably remember Pavlovs dogs, it's the same concept with the classical conditioning.

On Monday Pete had the day off work, he has had a cold since we came back from Thailand and he was quite bad on Monday. I tried to be as sympathetic as possible, I even slept on the sofa on Sunday night, he was snoring and breathing all funny and I couldn't exactly kick him out of bed could I? I ran him a bath, went to the chemist for him but by the afternoon my nice streak had worn off before guess who else started to feel rubbish? Yes that would be moi..! So my gym routine was already ruined although I did take Alfie for a walk so still got some exercise. I am gargling TCP twice a day and using vicks first defense but I have developed a productive cough and my throat is starting to hurt. I have my flu jab today, I'm not telling the nurse else she probably won't let me have it.

I have started on the thank you cards this week to send out to all the wedding guests, that's a job and a half! I have to cut 100 pieces of A4 in half with the smallest scissors ever as Pete broke the big ones when we were opening all the wedding presents. Then I have to write in them all and stick them into some other card, see what I mean?! I can't let Pete help me, I can't trust him to do it properly...!

Naughty Lungs for Sale, Free to a Good Home!

Well I decided on Tuesday I had had enough of feeling rubbish, my chest pains are getting worse, I'm tired all the time like I'm in a daze and I'm getting breathless extremely easily, just walking to the toilet or cooking tea etc and I am having to catch my breath. Its not good!

On Monday I went shopping for my hen night outfit and some wedding stuff, my chest was hurting so much I was walking around in a weird position with hand pressing on my chest to try ease the pain. Monday night I went to see my friend and she doesn't feel very well either as she is working long hours and we both just sat watching the TV with not much to say because we both felt so tired!

I rang the hospital on Tuesday morning and made the mistake of mentioning I had developed a sore throat Monday evening. Next minute she is asking me if I have a temperature or have I been sweating alot. No I haven't but she still said I had to give it 24 hours before I came to the hospital to make sure it didn't develop into anything flu like. This bloody swine flu is annoying me, I need IVs not tamiflu!

Also on Tuesday my mummy and I went to this place called Country Baskets, they are a wholesalers for florists etc and sell loads and loads of vases. Its like vase heaven. They still didn't have what I wanted for the table centre pieces at the wedding but I chose some roman gold type vases and took one to the florists so she can practice how she is going to do the flowers and have an example ready for me on Saturday. I had a proper sleep in my bed when I got home then had to rush around to cook some tea as Pete and I were going to the cinema with his friend to see Bruno. It was really funny but I was trying not to laugh as I didn't want to cough as it's embarrassing and makes my chest hurt at the moment. Don't go see this film if you are easily offended hahaha!
When I got back I had a cry cos I'm annoyed I don't feel well and I don't want to go on IV's so close to my hen night as I will more than likely have a sore arm from the stupid port dressing. I think I am entitled to cry once in awhile and it's my thing when I'm tired, I become an emotional wreck!

So today I went to the hospital (since surprisingly I don't have swine flu) and can you believe my lung function is 47%!!! So it's actually 1% higher than when I had my last outpatients appointment. My sats were 95%, my blood pressure was quite high apparently. The doctor listened to my chest and says there is more crackling where I am complaining of the pain, so at least something is backing up my feeling rubbishness! So anyway I am starting IVs on Friday, this means I will finish them the day before my hen night. I am soooo not impressed! But I want to feel better, I really do feel rubbish, so I have no choice really. However... how am I going to look good in my nurses outfit with a big red sore square on my arm? They are trying these new dressings on my port, I hope they work! They BETTER have ordered them in for me or else all hell will break loose on Friday! If you hear of some girl going crazy as St James Hospital on Friday you will know it is me because the staff have shrugged their shoulders at me and said 'opps we forgot to order them in'. I am a desperate bride and I'm not afraid to use violence!

Alfie and I went for a walk this afternoon, thought I should try make myself do something. I had to sit down quite alot to get my breathe back but that isn't going to stop me walking my pooch. Alfie was very good off his lead and when we came across some dogs (that I didn't see coming) he didn't run into the trees away from them which is what I always dread (I am in no fit state to run uphill through trees to find a chihuahua), he ran to me and let me pick him up, bless him! So I am very proud!