Flu Jab - Why Should I?

I've completely changed what I was going to write about today because this seems to be a very hot topic - the Influenza/Flu jab! 

Now it's true that just having the flu jab does NOT protect you completely against getting the flu - I should know, because it happened to me this year!! In fact twice in my entire (reasonably long life) I have had THE flu. 

Proper flu........... not a heavy cold or a night on the beer (some of the excuses my staff have used!) but your proper eyeball hurting, muscle aching, shivering body, head pounding flu - that meant if someone had left a thousand pounds at my feet I'd have been unable to get out of bed, bend down and pick it up sort of flu. Add to that the pre-existing Asthma, then you've got a very sick person. 

Now I'm reasonably good about getting the jab every year, and there are a couple of reasons for that;

1 - I have a GP who nags me and has even been known to ask me in the street if I've had it

2 - I have a Husband who virtually makes the appointment for me if I prevaricate! 

Probably, left to me alone and not having a great Doctors practice and a reasonably good Husband (😀 I lie - he's fab!) I'd not bother........ that's the truth of the matter. Just because I sometimes can't be arsed to go to yet another medical appointment. I sometimes think I spend more times in medical centres and hospitals than some nurses! 😱

It has to be said that after this years episode where I ended up in hospital for ten days, 5 days of that in solitary confinement isolation with Influenza B I was totally in the 'Bollocks to it in future' state of mind. To say I was pissed off that I'd caught the flu doesn't come close to how I felt!! 

But in truthfulness I can't really understand why anyone in their right mind could ignore the warnings we're being given such as, the rates of flu are already higher this winter than they were at the same point during last years outbreak which was considered the WORST IN SEVEN YEARS! With experts warning it's only a matter of time before a pandemic of flu hits us. Good reason alone just in that sentence I'd have thought?? 

Most asthmatics know that if they get a cold or any virus it'll upset their Asthma, so it doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell you what getting the flu will do to it! 

Some of the reasons given by people are worry about the side effects and being sceptical about whether it even works. Well, clearly the flu jab can't work against every single strain, but surely it's better to be safe than sorry. As for side effects, apart from a sore arm some years I can't say I've noticed much if any.    

If you're still not sure or need advice have a look at Asthma UK's website or give them a ring, 

https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/other/flu-vaccinations/

So did I have it again this year, despite having been so ill earlier this year or did I stick to the 'bollocks to it' approach?? 

What do you think?????????? 

Anyway, away with you now and get it booked in if you've not already done so. 

#buggeroffasthma

Breathing - as easy as in and out!

Breathing - it's as easy as in and out! Isn't it?? 

Well now then - the answer to that is a resounding NO - it blooming well isn't sometimes.  
Its not even about taking a deep breath, even small breaths can be tricky. 

Just do something for me, right now. Check YOUR breathe........... holding it? Breathing from your nose? Breathing from your belly?? Little shallow breathes?? Or actually are you breathing ok?? 

Tricky isn't it.....! 

I've just started practicing Yoga and I realised pretty quickly into our first lesson that:-

  1) I was unable to breath in much more than to a count of 3  
  2) I actually don't breath very well 
  3) I breath so shallowly it's no wonder I get so many headaches - I'm just not moving the     oxygen round my body. 

Yet in an attack or exacerbation how many asthmatics get told by health officials or worried relatives to 'try to calm down' or 'try to breath properly'. 

A lot less these days I must admit, yet talk to people with Asthma and they will tell you it still gets said.

Well there's a few things about that as well:- 

1) Never in the history of being told to calm down (in ANY situation) have I ever not wanted to hit the person who suggests it (!)

2) When you are unable to get any breath into your lungs and each breath feels like it may be your last I guarantee you'll probably be breathing/gasping faster and harder than many people will (thankfully) ever know. 



However, if you'd like to understand a fraction of what it feels like to be struggling to breath, try this - Get a clothes peg and put it on your nose. Then get a very heavy coat or three and put them on. Try strapping a really heavy weight on to your chest too if you can. Then get a small straw and try to breath through it.............. 
That my friends is a little tiny bit like it feels when you're in the midst of an Asthma attack. 

So what am I doing to try and get my breathing better? Well Yoga firstly. I've found a lovely, intelligent and empathetic teacher - Jules. I'm already almost able to breathe in and out to the count of 4. Secondly, though the power of Twitter I have found an excellent site with some brilliant videos and good, sound advice about Breath Re-Training. Thirdly, I endeavour to walk the mutts at least twice a day if the weather allows it - but hills are still a bit tricky for me.  

Back to this website though  http://www.breathestudy.co.uk  I came across this through Twitter and the people I've started following, and some of them have started to be interested in my ramblings. There appears to have been a lot of work done on Breathing and Re-training of breathe. What I have become interested in is a programme of work undertaken at the University of Southampton, from 2011 to 2016.  

Funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to carry out a programme of work (Breathing REtraining for Asthma Trial of Home Exercises – known as BREATHE) they have developed and tested a new way of delivering breathing retraining for asthma.

Now I am NOT a health professional - just a patient, but what they've written and the videos they've produced are excellent and I think worth a watch! I'd also give this blog post a read as Professor Anne Bruton gives information in black and white. 

https://anniebruton.wordpress.com/2017/12/14/results-of-the-breathe-asthma-trial-the-end-of-a-long-research-journey/

What would YOU like to see me write about??? Do let me know and if you have any comments on this post, please let me know. 

Till the next time - this blog now has it's own 'hashtag' - #buggerofasthma - so if you twitter about this blog, I'd love you to use it. 


(P,S Apologies for different colours in typeface - Blogger decided to do this his/her own way!)