It’s been a little while, but I’m back!
Honestly, these last few weeks have been crazy! From a weekend in Birmingham, shopping at the World’s Biggest Primark with my sister, to a weekend away in the North York Moors in Casper. Then last weekend we were at the Ballet, watching The Nutcracker, and visiting some local Christmas Markets. Last night I was at a lovely Christmas Party. All I can say is, we’re certainly making up for the last two Christmases when we did very little due to the pandemic!
Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks:
My Chest
The last time I wrote my blog, I was suffering a lot from a bad chest. If I remember right, I had just been on a course of antibiotics for a chest infection and an increased dose of steroids. Since that blog, I did start to feel a bit better. I finished my course of antibiotics and got my steroids back down to the maintenance dose of 7mg.
However, shortly after being back on 7mg of Prednisolone, my chest got worse very quickly again! I ended up back on another course of antibiotics. It was so frustrating! I know this time of year I do struggle more with my sinuses and chest, due to allergies to mould spores, but not as bad as I have been this year! I was breathless, and I could constantly feel my sinuses dripping down the back of my throat, which was then going onto my chest.
My House Was Making Me Poorly!
I went away with my sister to Birmingham for the weekend. I noticed while I was there, my chest really started to really improve. I wasn’t feeling as breathless anymore. I thought brilliant, finally the end to my poorly chest this year! Didn’t think too much about it, I just thought it was my chest healing.
However, when I returned home, my chest began to get worse again! By the second day of being back home, I was getting so breathless again when walking. That was the moment I knew something in my own home was making me ill!
That night after work, I went around my house checking all my indoor houseplants of mould spores. Sometimes, this time of year mould spores can grow on top of damp soil in the pots. I do try and let the soil dry out to prevent this. But I thought maybe there’s one I’ve missed! But, no they were all fine!
The following morning, I was sat watching the Breakfast Show on the BBC. A guy came on the show talking about mould spores in people’s homes, and how the UK is really bad for it due to the damp, cold weather we get. He talked about how we all need to be checking our windows regularly for spores, opening them for ventilation, etc. As he talked about it, I thought I’ll just take a look at mine. To my shock, every window in my house was covered in mould spores! I couldn’t believe it!
After detoxing my house from the spores, my chest remarkably recovered! After a few days, I could breathe like normal again! My sinuses still play up, but I’m not constantly feeling that drip at the back of my throat anymore. Instead, they are just painful like a normal level of discomfort this time of year!
Got Myself A Dehumidifier
Since that day, I purchased a dehumidifier. I’ve stopped drying washing on the radiators, and instead, use my dehumidifier on the drying setting to dry my clothes. It’s scary the amount of water it draws! I can’t help but think, all the moisture was just floating around my home! No wonder my windows were covered in mould spores! My windows used to condense up so much every time I was drying the washing! Now they only have a tiny amount of condensation on them. If blast the dehumidifier on for a couple of hours each morning, it’s soon gone!
Honestly, if any of you are suffering from a lot of condensation in your house, or are sensitive to mould spores, get yourself a dehumidifier! They are not cheap for a decent size one, but worth every penny! Especially, when it comes to health!
Low Iron
While I’ve spent weeks battling with a poorly chest, I’ve also been suffering from low iron again. I’ve suffered from low iron for many years. My body just doesn’t absorb iron very well! I get put on iron tablets to get my levels up, my stomach becomes too sore, so the doctor tells me to stop them for a while, then my levels get too low again.
I always know when my iron levels have gone too low! I get in a state with myself of low mood, struggling to get out of bed in the morning, wanting to sleep all day, and having no motivation to do anything I love doing. I become a stranger to myself! At first, I didn’t really notice it as I was recovering from infections. So I just put my extreme tiredness down to that. But then as time went on, I was like something isn’t right! My tiredness was getting worse, and not improving!
The following week, I was at doctor’s getting my monthly routine bloods done. They checked all my iron levels. This was when I noticed my body was back in an iron deficiency again.
After just under 2 weeks of taking iron tablets, I have so much more energy again! I feel like me again! Wanting to get out of bed in the morning, going out for sunrise walks again, feeling happy again!
That’s it from me this week!
Until next time,
Goodbye for now
Emma
xox
P.S. Incase you are wondering, the steroid reduction of my maintenance dose never went ahead in the end! After being ill with two chest infections, I was done being ill for this year and just wanted to get myself well for Christmas. I guess it’s something to focus on in the new year!
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Want to catch up on my previous blogs, head to: My Weekly Lupus Diary
