End of the Ivs shower

Well, I can't wait for this set of IVs to end and to have that lovely first proper shower without worrying about getting my cannula wet - I also haven't had the sense of smell for the last ten days possibly thanks to the Meropenem. And the runs. it's all good fun ;-) ...also; I've been thinking about this a while but I don't think the IVs are having as big a clearing effect on me as they used to, it's taken till the end of the 2 week course for the IVs to start to kick in on clearing my lungs...I swear it used to take 3 days before my lungs would go clear...why this is now I don't really know - I suspect it may be because my small airways are getting more knackered (losing their elasticity, otherwise known as COPD) so it is getting harder and harder for me to bring up the mucus from the small airways. I was also wondering whether it was down to the IV Tobramycin causing a problem in a similar way to the nebbed Tobi which caused my lungs to produce more sputum. Don't know. Maybe I need to chat to the doctors about trying something else...maybe a three week course instead of just two (shudder, hurl), or maybe with prednisolone?? anyway here's hoping the holiday air will clear my rubbish lungs just as much as the IVs...

Off to France tomorrow (Vendee) with the kids, via a car, ferry, and getting lost in France...hope the sense of smell returns in time to smell the sea, the sun and the French food ;-)

New Doctor + Missed Vein = Pain

Well, I'm back on IVs after the oral antibiotics failed to do the trick. Got into the outpatients at 3 and it was mega busy, I couldn't even find a place to park. Unfortunately there was a new doctor (and trainee) that I saw for my appointment. I hate new doctors, it always takes me a while to get a rapport going with doctors (unless they're Connie Beecham, which has not happened yet, unfortunately ;-). Anyway, I / we decided it was time for IVs. The cannula itself is usually put in by the nurses, unfortunately this time it was put in by the trainee doctor, Nooooo! I could tell he was nervous when trying to find a vein to put the pink cannula in, true enough he missed first time and seemed to spend an interminable time poking around trying to find a vein, despite the fact that I told him exactly where my good vein was. And the area he tried was miles away. Grrr...anyway, second time lucky so not atrocious. If he'd failed a second time I would have asked for a nurse to do it instead.

Blows were down at FEV1 2.5/3.6 although I went for a half hour bike ride on Tuesday and didn't feel too bad, so a bit weird really. At my last clinic they said that the resistance vector of my pseudomonas to Ceftazadine had increased, so I decided its time to try one of the other IVs, this time Meropenum and Tobi. I have done it before (last time back in 2005) so hopefully it will be OK this time as well....I've also done my back in carrying Oscar. And I have another cold on the way. And society is collapsing. Good luck everyone ;-).

Manchester Riots

"A mob's always made up of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man. Every mob in every little Southern town is always made up of people you know--doesn't say much for them, does it?"

— Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird)

I'm just so gutted about this really. I don't go into Manchester on nights out very much these days, (now I've got young kids to look after) but whenever I do I have always felt safe, and now that seems to have been taken away. I see some of these robbing clowns are even looting charity shops which help raise money for underprivileged kids. I consider myself a liberal socialist; I've worked in Salford and seen how depressing / deprived it is, I want to see these kids break the cycle of benefits + dropping out and make something of their lives. But this isn't political protest, they're not protesting against racism or for democracy. It's not even nihilism because to be a nihilist you have to reject the idea of "cool" logos on sportswear as well as society's rules. This is pathetic opportunist robbery and vandalism. I want these thugs to be tasered / immobolised before they damage any more of the city I love.

Amy Winehouse

Whatever else you can say about Amy Winehouse; there is no doubting her talent. An incredible voice and a fantastic songwriter. I think we've lost the Billie Holiday of our generation.

Not really going to try to discuss her addictions/probable bulimia, but like Kurt Cobain before she was obviously a gifted but ultimately flawed and vulnerable person with a lot of demons to overcome. I think a lot of her fans (myself included) were mystified as to why Amy could not gain strength from this soaring talent (apparently she wrote Rehab within half an hour; she recorded Valerie in one take) and ditch the drug taking losers and sort herself out.

Russell Brand wrote a lovely tribute to her and addiction in general and I pretty much agree with every word. We also need to get away from this music industry idea that drugs are cool. The Beatles may have dabbled in drugs back in the sixties but it shouldn't be exaggerated; they were never high when they were in the studio. Amy Winehouse wrote and recorded Back to Black with Mark Ronson within a week when she was stone cold sober. Anyway. Back to the voice...