About Me

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I'll be 55 this August... I've had bronchiectasis for ten years plus this year... End stage lung disease for the past year...been on oxygen for three years... and have I got used to it yet?... nah! I am now waiting for the biggie; a double lung and maybe a heart transplant. I love my life weirdly enough, because I have some wonderful family and friends who are with me every step of the way on my adventures, even though I embarrass them on a daily basis with my unorthodox way of looking at life. Not for the faint hearted!

Sunday 31 January 2010

some hae meat but canna eat...

Went to our local Burn's night supper last night and it was fab. I thought I would be sad not being able to dance, but I don't think I stopped laughing at my friends Ann and Derek as he slung her around the dance floor and most of the other ladies too!
There is something quite unnerving about grown-ups that can skip especially men, I think it takes me back to my schooldays and always being overlooked in country dancing for being clumsy. But there was no sign of Derek skipping... more of a full on gallop!
I love people watching and this was the best. You have the ones that practise Scottish dancing regularly, but are happy to help newcomers. Then there are the practised ones that smile through gritted teeth as you mess up yet again and wish you were somewhere else on the dance floor. You have the shy ones that look like 'please don't make me stand in the middle' and are only there because their partners have dragged them up and then you have Derek who couldn't give a damn and is so enthusiatic he must have been William Wallace's love child!

I noticed my throat was getting sore as the night went on, but watching the men swishing in their kilts took my mind off of it. And a few large brandys helped too. I even had my photo taken in my nose specs, although I haven't got the hang of downloading photos yet, but a photo, that is a huge step for Debbiekind!
But as soon as I got home and into bed I was convinced someone had put razor blades in my haggis... My throat really hurt! By morning my head was throbbing too. I had joked that I was going to pretend to faint on the dance floor so I could look up the kilts, but I think they must have marched over my head while I was down there. Now I keep falling asleep bolt upright at the drop of a hat, on the sofa, in the bath you name it. Luckily Oliver cooked the Sunday lunch for mother, Reni and myself. He does the best roasties ever!

It's going go to my bed early tonight, as I hurt all over now and I think I'm going to fall asleep again now. Sooooooo...

lots of love Debbie x

Friday 29 January 2010

sorry..

First let me apologise for being a cry baby yesterday, today has been a lot better.

I didn't sleep wonderfully well last night I must admit, but I wasn't expecting to either. I kept nearly dropping off to sleep and I'd turn my mobile phone on so I could shine my mobile at the monitor on my wrist to try and catch what my sats were... I don't have a torch as you might have guessed!
I think 85% was the lowest my stats got to, but what happened when I was asleep is anyone's guess as it's all recorded inside the little monitor and only time will tell.
At one point I had to sleep with my hand under the pillow, as the attachment taped to my finger glowed such a bright red and I was doing a very good impression of ET. Mind you my hand then went numb under the pillow where I was lying on it and the tape around my finger was a tad too tight, so I'm sure I've probably registered dead now!
With all that and then I kept hitting my face with the little box attached to my wrist, catching the lead between the two, plus my nightie is all scratched from the velco band where it stuck to it, all in all it was quite a lively night!

Still 'what will be will be' and bless my mother she is still looking for her 'thing', so life goes on whatever. The girls will be round tonight for a curry and a couple of bevvies, so it ain't all bad.

Lots of love Debbie x

Thursday 28 January 2010

I AM a goddess

Ahh today is Sam's birthday and I think she had a brill day. She had lots of lovely presents and cards which she deserved as she is a real sweetie and a damn good mate. Happy birthday my lovely. My little Peter Pan of Student Services.

Went a bit downhill after she left though... Actually you are of a weak stomach, you best skip this bit and go straight to 'lots of love Debbie', but for those of you reading this with Bronchiectasis, a COPD or one of the other many lung diseases, you will know where I'm coming from.
Part of my disease is my lungs fill up with liquid or sputum. I have the dubious title at the rehab of producing the most which is why I've been told the students like beating me up!
Typical of me, always in the wrong place at the wrong time and this time when they were handing out big bellys, large teeth and over productive lung thingies I was at the front of the queue!

Anyway about 2.30 to 3pm each day is when I start getting uncomfortable and my lungs start filling up big time, this is why I have physio twice a week in the afternoons. Today before going to rehab I nipped into the loo and unfortunately coughed while having a wee and ended up with sputum all over my knickers and the top of my trousers... Eeeew yuk... I looked down at my feet and was wearing my socks that proudly had the word Goddess boldly written in silver on each one... At that moment I had never felt less like a goddess in my life.

Worse was to come, as Hannah gave me the oxygen monitor for me to attach to myself tonight while sleeping to see if my morning headaches were caused by my levels dropping. I really didn't think they would be testing me so quickly when I agreed to it or how serious the outcome would be if they are very low... the answer; oxygen through the night. I really hadn't thought this through when I agreed to it. Hell what about my holidays? This really can't happen, not yet.
If ever I wanted to break down and cry, it was that moment. The fear of full term oxygen is the one thing that reduces me to tears each time it's mentioned... bastard thing excuse my French... I just hope that it is my blocked nose that gives me the headaches and not my levels.

I then went round to my 92 year old mother's as usual and found her frantically searching for something. I say something, because she couldn't remember what she was looking for, but she was getting so distressed because she can't find it or the word she was looking for either. An hour we searched, including through the rubbish bags, where I sat with tears rolling down my face as I sifted through old teabags and soggy cereal. Luckily Oliver came round and cheered her up enough for her to forget what she had forgotten. Today didn't end up the best day for me or for my beautiful, but trying mother, but tomorrow things will be better. But today we still are lucky enough to still have each other... Sorry everyone for being grumpy today.

Lots of love Debbie x

Wednesday 27 January 2010

Day after the letter

Still a bit of fallout today from the VC's letter and not just from our department, but as I said before 'what happens, happens' and I'm more worried that I couldn't move my legs when I got up for a pee in the early hours of the morning!
Not that I had been struck down with something fatal, just a case of my legs stiffening up from rehab on Monday and my bum cheeks aching from the belly dancing last night. I looked like Aunt Sally from Worzel Gummidge walking to the loo going f*, f*, f* with every step I took.... my New Year's resolution is well and truly blown thanks to one of my other resolutions of trying to get fit... so once again another morning I didn't want to get up.

Got my confirmation letter from the magazine company today saying that my holiday is all booked and we are going to Cyprus in June... Hoorah! Fab fab fab (please take note a different f word this time) I can't believe that it is really going to happen. I have a cruise in April too which I'm paying for myself on Valentines Day, so I can actually start eating real food very soon and stop hanging around the bargain section in Tescos to get a bit of variety rather than just beans on toast all the time... But it proves I can save, most people thought that was a myth... Yes I am fab!

See one black cloud looming though. I had a text to say they are going to monitor my oxygen levels through the night soon as I wake up with headaches... I wonder if I splash some brandy over me and go into the hospital smelling of booze they will think it's a hangover that I have each morning and won't do the tests... Oh bugger I'm sure something will go wrong for these holidays, I try not to be negative, but.... 'What happens happens.' Oh Gawd... Please don't prove me right!

lots of love Debbie x

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Belly dancing... lesson 1

So much for not swearing yesterday... after a grotty letter from our VC, I sounded very much like Frank in Shameless with my colourful language. I was only in the building five minutes when the first of my workmates told me we were doomed.

Still I don't care as I had my first belly dancing class tonight and I have other things to worry about now... my poor body can't flick and dip... well not when they are suppose to anyway.
My god I thought as long as you had a tummy, you'd be fine, how wrong can a girl get?! There is so much to think about and all at the same time and ontop of all that, I'm such a clutz.

Of course the main draw back my oxygen back pack. Although I balanced it on a chair my oxygen tube wasn't long enough for a lot of the moves i.e the 'Camel walk.' Being yanked back by the nose from misjudging the distance was a bit ouch for my nose and my ego, but then I near on strangled myself on most of other moves, so that was something else to worry about. So many twists and turns, how am I going to wave my scarf sensually while trying to hold my tube in the air so I can nip underneath it????
And what is this with the 'Camel walk,' the nearest I've come to a 'Camel Walk' is when I've had too tight trousers on and got a 'Camel's Toe!'

I can't dance on my tippy toes and my mother hips are more agile when it comes to dipping and flicking and she's 92 for goodness sake! But I LOVED IT! Noha, that's our tutor said I had good hand movements and I must agree they were fab, so that's a start. If I wear a less firmer bra next time, my boobs will get a shimmey on when working my upper body and hopefuly draw the eye away from my confused hips!

So until next time, I'm sticking a few more heat pads on my bum and I'm sure the pain will disappear very soon, but tonight I shall dream of me being whisked away by a handsome, attentive and of course a filthy rich shiekh!

Lots of love Debbie x

Monday 25 January 2010

I must stop swearing... well cut down at least!

My new years resolution of not swearing so much is now getting seriously pushed to the limit.

Firstly it's Monday, but instead of swearing I actually wanted to cry. I suppose falling asleep in the armchair after dinner yesterday didn't exactly help with my sleep pattern last night. I had trouble keeping asleep when I did go off and then when it is time to get up, I could have slept blissfully for hours more.

Drive in was fine, no trafic jams etc and so was work, quite good in fact, but then the fire alarm went off less than half an hour before I was about to leave. We froze outside while the rogue panini maker was sent to coventry... Bless Sue for lending me her scarf... A finish of what I was doing pre-alarm, bid goodbye and I was off, only to get stuck behind a learner driver who kept stalling at both sets of traffic lights on our way out of town. I then stuck behind a Sunday driver who drove so slow that he must have still been trying to get home from where he started from yesterday!
Of course I was late for physio, but I didn't utter hardly any foul language on route. I was most impressed with me.

Even when I was doing the 'arm side raises with rubber band' torture in my rehab class and my arms were rapidly turning to jelly where they wouldn't stop shaking from the strain, I didn't swear. Mainly because I didn't want my fellow in-mates thinking I was a fisherwife. Do fisherwives swear like troopers or is that a myth??

Anyway even when I had my second lot of physio for the day, this time on my leg and Ann was trying to release the trapped nerve by kneading it with what felt like two sledge hammers, but she assures me they were her thumbs... I only whimpered and bit the treatment bed yet again. Gosh I'm impressed.

Now can I remember not to go into work tomorrow and say f*** me I hardly swore at all yesterday!? Probably not... after all miracles do take a little longer.

lots of love Debbie x

Sunday 24 January 2010

The curse of baked beans

Only six more days and it's pay day... Hoorah!

I, like most people that I know are hanging on in there by the skin of my teeth. I have been so good this year, not buying anything that I don't need, such as little treats like food!
I've lived on baked beans on toast now for so long, that I actually suspect that this is the cause of my swollen stomach!
After all, I've said that I have a jaw line again and I've noticed that I've lost weight in other places, but my stomach seems to be expanding even more! It's got to be the baked beans surely?????

Still I am going to join Steve's new belly dancing classes at work this week... hell I've got the belly that's for sure.. They say it unleashes your inner goddess, I just hope the world is ready for mine!? I have my letter from my specialist, although it does say that I'm safe to do ballet dancing not belly dancing as I asked, guess his secretary hasn't seen how clumsy I am.
I have everything ready, my long oxygen tubes that drive me crazy as I catch them on everything from door knobs to garden gates and I can wear a yashmak to cover the nose specs... bonus!

Just one question... how do I stop my belly wobbling once it's started??????????????

lots of love Debbie x

Saturday 23 January 2010

Holidays

Been checking my emails for confirmation that Ann and myself are booked on a flight to Cyprus.
Nothing yet.

Long story as is everything in my life... My name is Debbie and I am a comper... You may know what that is or you may be thinking I've been mixing my drugs again, but a comper is some one who enters competitions and a lot of them!

So far my best wins have been a holiday to Florida, a holiday to Cyprus, plus 500 Euros spending money and £200 worth of tongue and groove panelling. Holiday to Florida alas I not able to fly for that long, but my youngest son and his financee were able to go and had a fab time. The tongue and groove, I'll still working out what to do with that, I'm still waiting to win a DIY book. The holiday to Cyprus, well I'm going on that whatever happens or so I said, but reality is panning out a little bit more awkward. I think the young lady from the media company who sorts out the holiday wasn't expecting a liability to win and although she is trying to keep her cool, I rather guess that the logistics of getting me on a plane is a bit of a challenge!

Still watch this space and if anyone reading this knows any helpful hints of travelling abroad easily with oxygen, a wheelchair and neubiliser, please drop me a line.

lots of love Debbie x

Friday 22 January 2010

The weekend cometh!

Oh blimey how I wished today was Saturday when I woke up this morning! Didn't sleep very at all last night... Met the new big boss and even though she seems lovely, I was panicky about what happens if she didn't like me...
I know it sounds daft as I have been doing my job for ten years now, but I do have such bad senior moments, that I need to wear my staff card in case I get lost and they can return me!

Consequently the morning saw me sitting in bed with syringes and phials of all sorts all around me and sitting dressed in my Anglia Ruskin sweatshirt with the hoodie pulled tight around my head sucking on my vent stream! Anyone looking in my bedroom window would have thought I had just been on a world tour with some bad arse rock band... all I needed was an empty bottle of JD besides me to complete the image!

A bit of lippy, a quick rumage in my wardrobe later, I'm back to normal which is fairly smart and it is now 3.45pm. Bonus... it looks like I have nearly survived the day.

lots of love Debbie x

Thursday 21 January 2010

Porkie pies

Off to the pub in a little while as my friend is playing darts, so I'll go and Ra Ra her on.. mind you she's very good and doesn't need me to cheer her on really.

Going to be weird though if some of my old friends are in there. As New Year's Eve when I was last in the public bar and for the first time in absolute months, I saw some of them and they were so pleased that I was doing so well... Mainly because I told some porkies.
I had my oxygen in the saloon bar where I would sit for a while with it on while chatting to other friends who see my all the time with it on. And then I would whip it off, go back in the public bar for a drink and a chat with the others, then excuse myself and go back for a refill of oxygen. Vain or what!

Trouble was one of them was so pleased that I had 'won' as he put it, that I didn't have the heart to burst his bubble. How do you tell someone over a loud disco that the reason that I was looking so well, was that I had been beaten to an inch of my life in physio that afternoon to drain my lungs and was topping up whenever I got puffed in the saloon! And all because it was New Year's Eve and I was trying to pretend, because I'm a vain git!

Best go and slink in now!

lots of love Debbie x

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Take a different turn

How exciting... well exciting for a journey into work anyway.
As normal had to face the traffic jams from hell where they are building the new bus lane off of Essex Regiment Way and it was freezing this morning... very hard leaving my bed to go to work.
While sitting in the traffic I noticed again that some cars were going down a side road... and I wondered where it actually led out on?
I thought bugger it and followed a few vehicles down some twisty country lanes and I had no idea were I was going. A couple of my scouts turned off at various junctions in different directions which panicked me a bit, but I followed a white van like a woman on a mission. By this point I was seriously hoping that he wasn't going to pull on his mum's drive to deliver her shopping or something, as I hadn't seen anywhere that I recognised as yet. I did wonder what they would say if I banged on their door and asked if he could carry on driving to my workplace pleeeease.
It actually turned out to be quite a mini adventure, nice houses... like really nice houses in fact, a pretty church and a lovely village green... do you know I giggled like a silly girl the whole way and I wasn't lost as I came out onto a road that I recognised in the end. Best of all, I was in such a good mood by the time I got to work, that I highly recommend it!
So the moral of this tale is do something something different tomorrow and make yourself smile, as the warm feeling lasted nearly all day. When you let yourself feel grumpy then you hunch up and feel pants.
In fact I may even take the opposite turning tomorrow... but I will warn Sam to watch out for the flare in case I really get lost!

lots of love Debbie x

Monday 18 January 2010

I have a jaw line!

Yes... feeling more like me again today, still a bitch, but certainly more clear-headed and Hoorah I have a jaw line again!
For those of you who are new to steroids, they do have a few side effects. Don't get me wrong, they do make you feel a lot better faster and they most certainly do their job well. You start feeling well quickly, they kind of gives you more energy and that gets you out of the sick mode that you can so easily fall into.

One downside you may have heard of and that is a moon face. Now I've been off of them for about a month now, my temporary bloated look has started deflating as quickly as it came and it's so good to see a jaw line again rather than just a face (and a very round one at that) stuck on top of a neck!
Other downside I've found is mood swings, ask Sam at work.. One minute lovely, next tearful and then there is the head spinning around and breathing fire mood! All adds up for a lively day at work! Still they do the job to get you back to work most grateful for that.

Strange how different drugs do effect you though, so always check the small print and if you don't feel right when taking something new... do tell someone, don't suffer in silence... everyone's body and make up is different.
I've found the Co-codamol is not too good for me either as well as Gentamicin. It's the first time I've taken Co-codamol. Helped me to sleep when suffering with sciatica, but also made me feel washed out and lifeless for the last four days, as you would have read in the last couple of posts.
So if in doubt ask... no one will think worse of you.

lots of love Debbie x

Sunday 17 January 2010

Normality please... Make mind a large one!

Still feeling knackered, but I am a bit more chirpy today... pulled out some plants ready to be carted off in the green bin. I sounded a bit like Darth Vadar walking slowly around the garden, but I'm getting there. And I actually got rid of the rogue firework that landed on my back garden on New Years Eve. The snow had hidden it from view, but as the snow has all gone it can't lie there any longer and I just want everything to be back to normal. Like me some of the things in my garden have taken a knock thanks to the extreme cold weather, a few plant pots are showing cracks too.

Best thing was Reni cut my hair today while Oliver cooked a roast for us.. I had it cut while she was away on holiday and it was so short it looked liked a family of rats had been nibbling on it! Apart from one spot which is still very short, she has got it back to how I like it... back to normal.
Mother will say 'I wish you would grow your hair Deborah, as it looks very masculine,' but her tutting, well that will also be back to normal!

lots of love Debbie x

Saturday 16 January 2010

Only one careful lady owner!

I am so tired that it is unbelievable.

Today I know I have bronchiectasis as all I did was have lunch with a friend and do some essential food shopping and I am wiped out.
Lunch was lovely. A light lunch, smoked haddock with cheesy mash and mange tout and within half an hour of eating it my lungs were filling up with sputum and I felt like I had run a marathon. Ok I had been talking a lot, but I guess I was tired before I even went out. In fact I was still really tired when I woke up!

I had to do the food shopping, but trying to carry the bags, my oxygen unit and handbag whilst bundled up in my winter coat, I looked an old donkey walking from my car to my way bungalow.
I have often said that being fit and healthy is like being a six cyclinder car, but having bronchiectasis is like that car running on two cyclinders... struggling to perform, but doing one's best. Today I am unmistakabley that clapped out motor.

Not all bad. When I opened my bedroom curtains today, I was met with green grass instead of snow. Weird though as I'll miss the snow as it does look so pretty. And it was fab seeing my friend again, haven't see her since September, but tonight I'm going to snuggle on the sofa and watch Celeb Big Brother with a cup of green tea and a chocolate biscuit.

Lots of love Debbie x

Friday 15 January 2010

He's behind you!

Hard to believe a year has passed since the last panto at my village hall in Silver End. I can remember being so scared of walking into that hall wearing my oxygen and facing people I hadn't seen in years. This year I am a lot stronger and not so freaked out by people seeing me. Mind you I have been living back here in the village since July '09 so most people have got used to me with it on now and most don't even give me a second glance. Plus my mate who was one of the lead characters has started colouring his hair for a part in another play, so why am I worried that people are looking at me!

Good fun though, I think I giggled the whole way through it, watching and heckling my mates up on stage in their production of Aladdin. The only down side was when the space ship landed in Eygpt... yes I know I said it was Aladdin!... but as I was saying, when the space ship landed accompanied with billowing smoke from the on stage smoke machine... all my lovely friends went into overdrive fanning around me with their programmes trying to disperse the bloody smoke! Good thing my physio was there tonight if things got nasty, as her husband is the director... small world huh! Though I do believe the worst thing that would have happened was we would have wet ourselves through laughing so much and I don't think Ruth would have had four pairs of assorted sized knickers in her first aid box!

A lovely long lie in tomorrow folks... Oooo bliss
lots of love Debbie x

Thursday 14 January 2010

freezing!

Blimey o'reilly... freezing fog now, any other variations of cold can we have thrown at us??
Really wanted to stay in bed this morning and sleep for another couple of hours , but he ho off to work we must go.

Sometimes I wonder why I fought so hard to continue working full time as I'm stuck in yet another traffic jam and yawning my head off and then I'm at work for ten minutes with Sam, my friend and workmate of ten years and I know... we are a bloody good team! Good at what we do and keep each other laughing most the day... How many people get to say that?

Plus where else other than on my journey to work, do I get to hurl abuse at so many people... Do they not know what an indicator is and what it's for? Duh morons... I just love sitting waiting at a busy roundabout for some nobhead to turn off without indicating, robbing me of my way to escape!

Whoa... roadrage I hear you cry, but believe me, I am a pussy cat now... just ask Sam. Before Christmas when I had a new infection, (this one even had a computer virus and a X-man character named after it... Proteous I think it was spelt) I was hateful!
I was put on Gentamicin to blast this little beastie and boy did the Gent make me feel ill. Dizzy and pukey the whole time and topped with steroids, I was charming to know. Still got rid of a lot of rude people at work as I would glare at them over my glasses, with an 'Excuse me!' in a very school marmish voice. I'm quite nice normally.. honestly!

I was taken off the Gent after nine very long days and many bruises later from banging into things. Lucky for me the beastie went and I was back on my colomycin and left with my normal pondweed growing in my lungs.. my physio said she'd never known anyone so pleased to hear that the pseudomonas was back... hey better the devil you know I say!

So back to work again tomorrow, swearing at the drivers on my way (mostly male because for once they know where they are going and don't want to let others know) and smiling at the students... and giggling with my girlie Sam!

lots of love Debbie x

Wednesday 13 January 2010

New Physio Students did well!

Today was my day at Essex University to meet the new intake of student physios... The fact that I would have to sit in my bra while they examined me held no qualms for me, but I had to go through all my trousers to find a pair where my muffin top didn't hang over the top, as sitting there flashing off my stomach brought me out in a cold sweat!
But didn't they do well! Thirtyone new students and I didn't see anyone pass out when Ruth gave me a pummelling today with the usual results... Quite a few tissues full of the old sticky stuff!
Hopefully they will all go on to do well and keep the likes of me fit and healthy.. A heart felt thank you ladies and gents for choosing to become a physio.

Tuesday 12 January 2010

A new day and the snow is melting!

Hoorah the snow is actually melting and my oxygen deliverly came today. Was getting to be a close call as was down to one bar on my liquid oxygen unit and probably one more day and I would have to been on the old back up cyclinder which I have at the back of my wardrobe. If it had snowed another week I would have had to stay indoors and no work... shame!!

Plus I was beginning to get fed up of finding different ways to get the liquid oxygen container (or the mothership as I call it) to release the back pack oxygen unit (which you carry) which was now frozen on solid after being filled up... I had tried huffing on it with hot breath after drinking a cup of tea... threading a sock around the joined parts and jiggling the sock backwards and forwards hoping that the friction would melt it... to pouring on hot water, which is probably why it froze on in the first place! I do have an instruction book for my Helios machine, but it's all in Swedish I think.. didn't know that until this week.
Of course this always happens when you are trying to get out to work. Your next trick in the snow is scraping off the ice from your car. Something that would never had worried me years ago, mainly because I admit my ex husband would do it for me, but now ha it's a comic routine! I tell a healthly person to imagine being a car running on six cyclinders and then imagine the car trying to run on two or three cyclinders only... not going to get the best performance are you?Well that us with our knackered lungs.. By the time I've got the ice off, I just what to lay across the bonnet of my car gasping in between swearing like a trooper to get my breath back!
Can't quite see me getting a job as a glamour girl at the Motor Show somehow...

Went for a sports massage again last night as I've had Sciatica in my right leg since Christmas Eve. At least I wasn't biting into the treatment bed this time or whimpering like a baby, so it must be getting better... hope so as I'm scared to drink while on these pain killers! But I woke up this morning and it looks like I have eczema starting in the fold of my arm, hell I haven't had that in years... Strewth, why not just give me a dose of the clap and be done with it!
Never mind think how yummy I'll look in the spring with no hobble, no rash and no weird bobbleless hat which my mother insists I wear to stop me catching a cold... And my swearing which hasn't been as bad as it could have been, due to the fact I decided not to swear as much for my new years resolution, will be just be down to the odd 'bum' now and again... roll on Spring!

lots of love Debbie x

Monday 11 January 2010

My first posting

hello... my name is Debbie and I've been thinking about doing a blogg about Bronchiectasis for some time now. Perhaps talking about it will help me or other people that have it... I don't know, but let's have a go.

Firstly, I do wish that I had got an illness that I could spell or even pronounce and secondly I wondered if this is my punishment for being so vain. You might notice there isn't a photo yet, but that's one little hurdle I haven't quite overcome... maybe soon.

The first couple of years I just felt unwell and had chest infections a lot, but I still could run around like a woman possessed. I thought nothing of it. BUT going on oxygen for when I'm walking... whoa that hurt.. the illness was nothing to get my head round compared to wearing nose specs... ouch that hurt!

I was born with a fairly good sense of humour thank goodness and there are times when my friends and myself have cried with laughter at some of the things that have happened due to my Bronchiectasis and other times I have just sat and cried.
So count my blessings time... 1. a pelvic floor to die for, had to strenghten it because of the coughing fits... 2. became an authority of tissues, we will cover that at a later date as you maybe eating while reading this... 3.I always get a seat on a tube or a train, or maybe it's not the oxygen, but the glare I give people! 4. Getting a blue badge so I can park everywhere, well not everywhere as I found out.. loading bays for some weird reason are very fussy ad very costly if caught... 5.Cheap admissions in places.. cool I like this one a lot... do you want me to go on? Well I will, but in my next blogg.
This week I'm going to visit a brand new intake of student physios at a near by University with my physio that has helped me through a lot and if they are very lucky I will give them a sample off my chest to take home with them... Tip me over a bit and I can produce enough to gel your hair, stick up a couple rolls of wallpaper and still have more by nightfall!
If any of this rings true with you, then maybe we can laugh or cry together.
Speak to you again.
Love Debbie x