Whilst we are all in the same boat in most respects I do appreciate we have different things going on. Some of us have children living with us, maybe parents etc. I know some live on their own and many have wives, husbands or partners with them. I know some work either from home or out in the real world which also makes a difference to how our days pan out. This of course means lockdown does differ for us in many respects despite all being tied to restrictions. I decided to write what happens here in lockdown on a typical day. Yes pretty boring but how does it compare to yours,
Wake up time 4.45 panicking as my breath had left my body never to return I feared. I tried to draw more air in but my throat was closed. In time, actually only seconds though it felt longer I snatched my glass of water from the bedside table and drank, My throat opened to receive it so I think the issue was more to do with dehydration rather than my lungs, totally dry throat, I often wake in the night parched despite drinking a glass of water before bed, sometimes two. I had read somewhere that those with heart issues should always drink a glass of water before bed so i have since complied with this. (maybe I get up in my sleep and do mad exercises as when I check out my resting heart rate I am surprised to see that when I am sleeping it is generally in the fat burn zone so I get dehydrated ! ) So there it is, I can’t possibly put weight on while burning up the calories) No point in attempting to go back to sleep so I turned on the tv and watched a programme about how our body works. What a fascinating programme it was and so interesting to see how our white cells were gobbling up the baddies that had invaded our system . Just wish they could gobble up all the stuff making our lungs getting narrower and narrower! Roll on stem cell in a few years time which could cure pah.
6.00 and time for my meds. Whilst it seems a crazy time it works for me as I take water tablets along with the numerous others to keep me alive. I want my water meds to work before school time and our taxi service for Izzy. It was then time for the news which is not pleasing right now as the EU want our supply of vaccines despite them saying they were only 8 percent effective and also despite them waiting three months after us to order them ( waiting to see if we grew horns or died of the vaccine). I am not getting into politics here but I was sickened to see the whole sorry mess. I stayed in bed a while and took the readings from my machines for the studies I am currently on. The Denervation study will be ending for me in February which I am gutted about though I have been told I can then download an app and read my own pressures. Then there was nothing for it but to get up, washed and dressed ready to begin another day. Oh whoopee do! Oh and nothing yet about my vaccine but not getting down about it. It will happen when it happens.
Izzy came round to the car at 8.30 put some hand sanitizer on and wearing her mask got into her seat ready for off. We were waiting with our masks on too and the windows wound down as advised by the government. A breezy ride to her school to drop her off and we then went to the canal to begin our exercise for the day. Fortunately the canal was quiet and we managed a nice walk of around 3.5 miles - included in that was a six minutes walk test as part of the study. Some of this walk took in the river and we were pleased to see that it was not too high after all the rain we had. Lots of horses had clearly been walking down by the river as far as the levy where they would have gone over the cricket pitch. Their hoof prints were deep in the mud, a nice clean up job needed on these when they arrived back at the stables. After our walk it was home for breakfast.
The day before Izzy had told us that her school pudding was supposed to be a blueberry muffin but there were no blueberries in at all and these were her favourite ones. I promised her I would make her some so after breakfast I did just that. Muffins in the oven loaded with fruit but little sugar ( I do my own version of a muffin more healthy using oil, milk and little sugar and fooling the brain to think they have loads of the latter I sprinkle sugar on top of the uncooked muffin ergo every bite has the sugary topping). I then decided to make a broccoli and Stilton soup as our Sainsbury order was being delivered that evening so I used up the veg I had in the drawer of the fridge. Colin tells me has put put two bunches of my favourite flowers on the list, tulips, I can’t wait to see them. Deciding to rest awhile I turned towards the door and felt the familiar pop of my nose deciding to bleed. Fortunately this was not a bad bleed and was quickly stopped. I get a lot so have learnt to just accept these bleeds as part of my condition and the meds I take.
Resting in bed I caught up with some admin of the pah group I am part of and also read Facebook messages etc, After a short rest I returned to the kitchen and enjoyed the soup and a gorgeous muffin. Colin was talking on the phone to my son about various things so I headed into the lounge to do exercises for my bad back. They are good but I do struggle to get off the floor afterwards. I then caught up with the journal I write for Izzy as it was long overdue and made pizza dough for dinner, We had decided we wanted something simple and tasty and as this is so easy and my son loves them we agreed that Colin would put the toppings on when the time was right and make a salad. Though my son does not live with us he does live next door with my daughter and her family whilst COVID is going on. I always include him in our evening meal. He comes to the utility room door and takes his tray of food back to his room and eats. We can’t have him eat with us due to COVID and as my daughter and son in law are first line and so at any time could have COVID he does not mix with them either. It works for us all.
A couple of jobs needed doing so I pulled out all the things under the sink cupboard. I took up the old lining paper and made it all fresh with new. I say it needed doing but it didn’t really I just needed to find something to do. Colin and I sorted out the cupboard that houses all our Klik containers and disposable ones too making a good job and more room to see what we have.
Time to collect Izzy from school so suitably masked off we went. We were a few minutes early so just sat and caught up with the news on our phones. Then came the kicks in my lung. I hate these. They began around a year ago when walking in Coniston. As we were walking along a path back to our motor home I felt a huge pain in my right lung like I had been kicked. I turned around to see who had kicked me and of course nobody was there. A few seconds later the kick like pain came again and a few seconds later a third time, the pain was so hard and unexpected I shouted out with the shock of it. Ever since maybe once every three weeks I suffer these. Never found out why or what they mean but believe me they HURT. Does anyone else with ipah suffer these, would be interested to see.
Izzy delivered safely home and with a box of muffins so a happy girl I finished her journal and went for another lie down. Yes I have quite a few of these. Not sure what is happening with me at the moment but my chest has been feeling very constricted, like a very tight band has been placed around my upper chest ( I suppose something like in the old days when they strapped up those who had broken ribs) and this makes my breathing more difficult. My heart feels heavy too, it’s difficult to describe exactly but feel sure lots of you will know. Because of this I do rest rather a lot.
So it was that I was resting while Colin was putting delicious toppings on the pizzas. Passata sauce with herbs, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, jalapeños, black olives and pepperoni, fabulous combination it was too. Just as he shouted they were two minutes of coming out of the oven I asked him if he would squeeze half a lemon over my salad, shock horror he had forgotten the salad so this had to quickly be rectified, can’t have pizza without salad in our house. There it was, easy dinner sorted. Not our usual kind of dinner but it was enjoyed by us all anyway.
I was exhausted and stayed in bed after dinner and Colin came to sit with me whilst we caught up with an episode of Escape to the chateau ( the work all these owners do to their derelict run down chateaus is remarkable and they are turned into magnificent homes that generate money by holding functions etc.). It is tiring to watch them. Then an episode of Ben Fogle and his real life journeys to see how some people opt out of traditional life and how they live, Quite mind boggling some of them.
and so to bed ............
Settled for the night with my drinks of water I wait to take my evening meds. I always hope for a good night but these rarely happen as pain keeps me awake or wakes me up way too early but waking up is a bonus, the opposite would be to NOT waking up and I am not ready for that yet.
So right now life is pretty much the same as for all in the UK and indeed worldwide as life is not as it should be, We should be out enjoying seeing friends and family, having pleasant meals out in nice restaurants or holidaying in lovely places. Alas not to be but we hope if we stick to the rules, obey restrictions and try to keep ourselves as safe as we can there will come and end to all off this,
In the meantime our hearts go out to those who have not made it through due to COVID or other illnesses, Many families are devastated right now and I am just so thankful that despite difficulties, illnesses etc we are still here to tell the tale, still here to bake the muffins and clean out the cupboards.
Colin has just begun the process so he can bake sourdough for tomorrows lunch and this is always a treat and so delicious, So I will leave you now and hope your day is a happy one.
Tons of love to you all.
Carole xx
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