Outpatients and the Camels

CF Clinic the other day. The outpatients is being moved temporarily while the new CF ward is being built. As planned I read the instructions as to where the new outpatients was and then completely failed to realise the location of the new outpatient building. After walking in the main entrance and wandering around aimlessly for 15 minutes, I finally admitted defeat and asked reception where to go. The outpatients is now in a separate green building. The new outpatients is shared with the heart outpatients in a big room, which is actually better from a cross infection point of view than the little old one, which had about 8 chairs in a pokey room.

Had a look around the CF Quarter of the room for tell tale signs of CFers: breathless guy to my right, check. Guy with sinus problems to my left, check. Girl with skinny legs in front of me, check -must be in CF outpatients! I must say that since I joined the CF Forum, I've been a lot more paranoid about cross infection, so I didn't bother reading any magazines, and I just listened to my mp3 player with half an ear out for Pauline. And made a point of washing my hands as I left. Then got paranoid about touching the door handle of the toilet after I'd washed my hands; Arrrghhh! this way madness lies...The FEV spirometry machines were being wheeled from room to room by bemused looking doctors, I don't think Pauline, Roly, Andrew, Jenny and the rest looked particularly pleased with the new location; they looked as confused as the patients at times. Blows were OK-ish 3.1/4.1 (don't know what that is in percent, probably 80%-ish) although I had been feeling slightly wheezy all week, probably down to the cold/damp Manchester air. As a result of my recent interest in CF ;-) I did ask Dr. Helm whether I had recently grown staphloccocus (no) and pseudomonas (yes). She told me it is usual for PWCF to be colonised by pseudomonas, because even though it is sensitive to antibiotics, it creates a tenacious biofilm, some of which remains after the intensive IV antibiotic treatment. Staphloccocus is more transient, so is in theory easier to get rid of. The strange thing for me was that I knew this already and was 99% sure I had grown "pseudo" since about 12 but it was still a bit unsettling to hear it said to me aloud.

Anyway, I have decided to wage war on the biofilm with garlic and apples. And to enter the Great Manchester run (with R) next year, which is for CF, and hopefully the training should improve my chest. I'm not looking forward to the cold night runs though, and I don't think I will get a good time. Got my holiday pack for our long awaited holiday to Egypt next week, although for some reason the antibiotics are Rifamplicin and double-dose Azithromycin, which are about as much use as a chocolate teapot when it comes to clearing chest infections, so fingers crossed I don't catch anything on the flight to Sharm-El-Sheik. Will have to make a travel med-list and order presciptions before I go (groans...) To say I'm looking forward to going away in the sun for a week is an understatement but Oscar has really been playing up this week (waking up every two hours at night) and Abby has been wandering into our bed at all hours in the night so I am a bit concerned about what will happen when we are all in one room. Abby is very excited about the Camels though ;-)