Vulnerable

Anything on your mind that isn't about RLS? It's nice to realize that there is life beyond this disease and have an opportunity to get to know our online family in a different context.
yawny
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by yawny »

Leggo, if you want to try some herbal stuff...a tea made from the herb thyme can dry mucous membranes and relax bronchial spasms. You can put fresh sprigs of thyme in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Add a bag of mint tea to make it taste better. And then eat a chocolate cupcake (cupcakes make everything better). Hope you feel better soon. :)

leggo_my_legs
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by leggo_my_legs »

yawny wrote:Leggo, you're not alone in your misery, anxiety, worry, anger, frustration, and sadness. Forgive me if I attribute an emotion here that doesn't apply but these are the feelings I'd have if going through what you described.


You hit the nail on the head! [Or in the tire, as the case may be] :lol: Yeah, that's exactly how I was feeling. Oh interesting about the thyme! I'll have to try that. One thing I do notice is that chicken soup really helps with the congestion.

Views, yes, it so helped to share it. I limped my way through and here I am, Friday. Thank goodness!!! I'm really not planning much this weekend. Just stay home and read and watch movies and try to cook some good meals for myself. I find out about the contract at work on Monday.

Deb, I had walking pneumonia when I was 18. I remember it well. I'm not wheezing in that way, but who knows. It feels more like the reactive airway thing I've had before but I'm going to go to urgent care this weekend and have them take a listen. It's weird...sometimes it's fine and then I just have coughing fits. It happened at work today. It's embarrassing; I literally have no control over it and I can't talk when it happens. It happens in the middle of a laugh or in the middle of talking, then I have a coughing fit. It makes me so tired.

Polar Bear, I'm 45. Yeah the stressful thing is I have to be observed in the job and then evaluated. :shock:

Legs, has your mother been able to stop giving you advice? Mine doesn't even try. She just says, "Well, I'm a mom ok?! I can't help it." Which goes nowhere, except a free ticket for her to just do what she wants.

I DID take care of the doggone car registration today. So that's out of the way and I managed to do it before getting a ticket for late registration. They waived the late fee for my statement under penalty of perjury. I had to put a stop payment on the original check.

My dog is feeling much better too. He is a very energetic and demanding little guy although he's 8 years old (!). I was so sad he was sick but have to admit I was glad to get a break from having to exercise him so much! :lol: I got a good 3 full days in where I didn't have to walk him and he was just laying around. Thankfully he will resume his 2 days a week schedule at doggie daycare next week. That really helps decrease the caregiving load from me. He needs a village, not just a single mom. And he needs me to get my rear in gear and get in shape! I walk him once or twice a day but he is almost impossible to exhaust. It's amazing to have so much energy in such a small package.

Thank you all for the wonderful support.

Polar Bear
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by Polar Bear »

So good to hear that you are on the up.
Betty
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ViewsAskew
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by ViewsAskew »

YAY! That is so good to hear. To have the doggie better must be such a mood lifter. Cuddles from a dog are pretty darn nice.

My experience...and not asked for, so do ignore if not helpful...I try to remember the feeling of when this happens - of when I turn the corner. If I work hard, I can recall them later when I am at my worst. Doesn't always work...
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

leggo_my_legs
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by leggo_my_legs »

ViewsAskew wrote:I try to remember the feeling of when this happens - of when I turn the corner. If I work hard, I can recall them later when I am at my worst.


This is a good point, thanks. Turning the corner for the best can happen so suddenly it's amazing when it does.

The doctor increased my inhaler dose and added another inhaler. She also gave me a short course of prednisone and said to start it in a few days if the inhaler increases don't help. The chest xray was normal, so I don't have pneumonia which I'm glad to hear. She said my lungs sounded good.

I think it's going to take me a little while to climb out of this physically and emotionally. I am still easily overwhelmed; last night I started crying when I was having trouble finding the 24 hour pharmacy. I am on a short fuse of overwhelm. It seems that any little thing that happens right now sends me over the edge. I'm just so tired.

I hope we get good news about my company's contract tomorrow because I don't know how I would face losing my job right now. Truthfully my inner reserves have been running low for about 10 months now, so getting sick just kind of finished me off.

Hopefully it gets better soon. Thanks again.

badnights
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by badnights »

I missed this whole thread because I've been getting sick myself this week, so I've been sticking to the "more important" Forums. Well, never again! Lord, the stress you're in. BTW please don't feel you need to reply, I don't want to cause you more stress.

You are trying to do too much, girl! If everything works perfectly, then it's all good, but if a cascade of mishaps occurs, as it just did, then you suffer. And I think, like the others have said, everything is way harder to deal with when you're sick. Either you need to drop something - aim to do less - or you need to drop the quality of what you do, accepting poor performance at one or more tasks until you're healthy again.

But I think you'll figure it out. You're sounding so much better since tuesday. And you've got sucky drugs that should help, and backup prednisone if they don't. You will shortly feel human again.
EDIT: sucky drugs = inhalers. It's what I call them.
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
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leggo_my_legs
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by leggo_my_legs »

badnights,

Thanks for your reply. I gave up and started the prednisone along with the sucky meds. Seems to help a bit already.

We lost our contract...but company may appeal since another one lowballed unrealistically. Maybe another week before we know for sure what will happen.

So glad I have the backup part time job now!!! I can't live off it but it sure helps.

leggo_my_legs
Posts: 349
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by leggo_my_legs »

I am still not doing well. Yawny, I almost got the thyme tea but the herb was expired on the shelf so I didn't want to buy it. I haven't had energy to go look at another store but I will soon.

I had another consult with the teledoc, it was nice I got the same one. She gave me yet another $50 copayment inhaler, so now this month I've spent $150 on inhalers alone. That upsets me because I've also spent for the dr visits and xray so this month it's going to be about $350!!! I have a high deductible plan thru no fault of my own. I've finally met my deductible for calendar year 2017. This crap is criminal.

She gave me a new longer tapering course of prednisone and stronger inhaler. Basically she said my respiratory system is inflamed and it can be hard to recover from because there are always irritants in the air. It makes sense to me. I know it's also probably time for some alternative healthcare. I am too exhausted to go out and find it! Even just a massage would help I'm sure. I will try.

When it gets bad, when I breathe it feels like I'm trying to breathe through big puffy white clouds with specs of dirt in them. I get agitated. I can handle coughing, but this kind is the worst because it's unproductive, inflamed coughing.

I keep trying to slog through it day by day, one foot in front of the other. I didn't work Fri and didn't do much today but still not well.

ViewsAskew
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by ViewsAskew »

Not being able to breathe always makes me panicky - and I have the mildest of asthma. I can imagine how you must feel everyday.

My SIL is suffering tremendously with her asthma right now; she is in Illinois and has not left her house in a couple weeks. He husband opened a bottle of lemon juice and sent her into an attack - it had sulfates. Is there something about this time of year? Just as likely it is random.

My hubby has lung disease - they think from pesticides used in a very crappy apartment they lived in when he and siblings were little. When he gets some new inhaler and it costs an arm and leg (we feel your insurance cost pain), I am always angered. This is breathing, for heaven's sake.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

legsbestill
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by legsbestill »

Hopefully the prednisone will make you feel more cheerful, leggo. Though it's unlikely to help with sleep ... In addition to the thyme tea you could look at tulsi tea which is widely used in India to relieve bronchial constriction and I think has some actual positive research behind it.

Be kind to yourself. You are achieving amazing things given the circumstances you are in right now. We are all rooting for you.

badnights
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by badnights »

I love tulsi tea! Holy basil.
You really need some rest. Are you judging well how much sick time you can take from this new job, or are you erring on the side of self-destruction?
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
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I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

leggo_my_legs
Posts: 349
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by leggo_my_legs »

Views, it's awful. Sorry your family has it too. Mine is post-viral asthma/inflammation. I've had it before but never this bad. Never been on combivent respimat inhaler, benzonatate, asmanex, and prednisone for it before. Always in the past it was just asmanex and albuterol if needed. For me it's not so much panicky (which is good) but marked agitation and irritability. And certainly depression right now. Thankfully I have no baseline asthma, only except after viral infections.

Badnights, I do need rest. The extra job is a new job, I just started in July. I have no sick time available. I've already taken 2 days of unpaid sick time in August. I only work at the job a few days a week, about 10-12 hours, so calling out sick is an issue. There are a lot of us that started at the same time and we compete for hours there. I am not trying to self-destruct, I'm actually trying to help myself in that I need this extra job when mine ends. I rest all weekend and at night, and take a 3 or 4 day weekend because my other job is time-flexible.

I will look into the tulsi tea, it sounds interesting. Legs, I couldn't believe it...I was up until 5 am with the prednisone last night! And I took it in the MORNING, as prescribed. I am looking forward to my next dose stepdown, in 2 days. I'm on 60 mg for 3 days, the x for x days, etc.

I think with the lung inflammation, I just have to try not to indulge the desire to cough, because coughing isn't helping to clear it, only after I take the inhaler. I think the coughing is actually contributing to the irritation and inflammation.

Tonight I'm just going to drug the heck out of myself and go to bed early. Thank you all so much for the support.

leggo_my_legs
Posts: 349
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by leggo_my_legs »

I am still doing poorly with the breathing issue. I did manage to pick up the Tulsi tea. I add a little honey to it and am really liking it. I got the thyme too but haven't tried it yet.

Breathing discomfort is causing agitation, then on top of that the prednisone I'm taking FOR the lung inflammation is causing agitation. It sucks. I'm so thankful it's the weekend. I'm going to get some soft masks to wear to filter the air when I'm out and about, and also get a portable air filter device for the house to further improve the air in here. I've been changing my furnace filter regularly and I have a good quality one.

Also seriously considering scheduling with Dr. B or quality care center, don't feel my sleep doc is meeting my needs ie 5 mg norco not cutting it.

ViewsAskew
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Re: Vulnerable

Post by ViewsAskew »

He might be the best to see since he is a pulmonologist.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

leggo_my_legs
Posts: 349
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2016 12:29 am

Re: Vulnerable

Post by leggo_my_legs »

I didn't know that. A pulmonologist who treats rls? Interesting!

I am feeling some hope today. Tulsi tea seems to help a bit. I also bought 2 hepa filter machines for my house and began a deep cleaning dust bunny purge today, mainly of my bedroom first. Didn't realize how incredibly dusty my house was.

Tomorrow I will try to change the cabin filter in my car too. Being generous with the benzos temporarily to help me not be so agitated and rest better.

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