Flapping duvets...

Bit of an unsettled night again last night, as my stomach was not a happy bunny, as the lethergic, bloated feeling that I was experiencing on Saturday, came back with vengance in the middle of the night.
Once my stomach stopped hurting thanks to the slow release of trapped wind...under my duvet was not the best place to be, believe you me!... my legs then took over and decided to twitch the wee hours away. Gawd how I hate restless legs syndrome.
I woke up this morning feeling absolutely drained.

Under my duvet wasn't the only windy place, as outside I think the highly fore casted tail end of Hurricane Irene had arrived, though thankfully not anywhere near as bad, but according to the news on the TV, it was bad enough to blow down brick walls etc.
Driving the car was quite scary at times, especially when you were driving past open fields and there was a lot of debris in the road in places.
I had washed my mother's dressing gown and that had dried within 30mins in my back garden, but it had to be attached to the washing line with an army of pegs to keep it there.
I also had to try and prop her garden fence back up, which had been had a causality of this wind, that is until Derek, my hero, returns from his holiday and can fix something up for her that doesn't include a broom which has been wedged between garden flower beds and fence as support.
I have never professed to be an expert at DIY, but I had to try and do something as the rest of my siblings had seemed to have disappeared!
All this after a heavy session at rehab.

I only have two more sessions at rehab until this course finishes and then I will have to wait and see if they have more spaces available for me to go again.
There were more new faces again this week, but still all men and mostly the normal COPDs suffers. There is only one other lady that comes on a Monday and two more on a Friday. The rest are all men. I am the youngest by about 7 years, as the age ranges with the others from between 62 to 80+
They say women are noisy, but they have clearly never been in our rehab class, as it is the men that giggle the whole way though the class, in between teasing Hannah unmercifully that is!
I still get teased for being the class swot, as I take my exercises really seriously now and like to better my total each time. So I only join in the playful banter in between exercises, as I am counting for the rest of the time, but believe me, I give as good as I get.
This course and the incentive from Papworth, has really helped me this time, as I no longer struggle like I used to and I do believe that I am starting to get a definite firm muscle in my upper arms! Mind you I ache like hell now.
We had an opportunity to have a prescription written out today for an emergency back up kit.
Antibiotics, steroids and for me, extra strong phlegm clearing medication.
This is the first time that I have had a back up supply and it gives you a nice safe feeling. If you are going to e ill, you can guarantee it will be at the weekend or a Bank holiday weekend!
Obviously if I think I have an infection, I'll wait a day and see what happens and send a sample first before taking any more drugs.
Last week we thought that I had one brewing, but it was just over tiredness from all this extra exercise and dieting, which is what I suspected.

Alas, I only lost half a lb today, but I did win a melon in the 'Superfood Bingo' and a punnet of peaches as a raffle prize, so not all was lost, that should cut down my fruit bill.
I also brought their Christmas recipe book, which is a bit scary especially when someone said it was only about 14 weeks to Christmas! You always get some bright spark in every group don't you.
Our consultant advised us to eat more 'Super foods' this week to speed up the weight loss. I already consume so many punnets of fruit a week as it is, which is why I am always going to spend a penny and it also costs me a small fortune. I should really go out and pick the blackberries from the fields and road sides, which would save me a fair bit.
But I have to be honest, I haven't eaten as much fruit and veg as normal this week, as I've done lots of pasta and jacket potatoes instead, so I must remember to always include a salad or I will never get my gold star from Papworth!

Lots of love Debbie x