I haven't been too great recently, been feeling breathless. I was breathless walking from room to room in my small flat, even breathless putting my shows on the other day. It was getting rather worrying. I had tried a couple of different oral antibiotics, but they weren't really helping and so Intravenous antibiotics (IV's) and steroids seemed the best step to take. I've also been coughing up a bit of blood lately, this isn't unusual for me, but it makes fighting infection harder.
Although my lung function isn't great I have adapted my life to cope with it, I don't do long walking and generally I can cope with the things I do, basic tasks are generally doable, even if extra time is needed and I need to stop for breath. However, recently I was finding the basic tasks a little difficult and it was a real insight into what its going to be like once I get worse. To be honest, I'm still worried that after the steroids and IV's I'll drop back to where I was, if that happens, then transplant maybe a little closer.
In fact, on the matter of transplant, when I was at hospital recently I was reminded by my very good and very dedicated physio that I need to do an exercise test soon. The exercise tests they conduct at my hospital involves walking for 6mins, they measure your oxygen levels, your heart rate, the distance you can walk and the difficulty to which you find the task. So basically, if I feel like I did prior to IV's when I do this test I can't see anything but a poorer result. Since I'm already flagged as one of those individuals they need to 'keep an eye on' for transplant, I can't help feel that the latest breathing difficulties could be the straw that break the camels back and result in a transplant referral. My physio said whilst talking to me 'you already have reasons to be referred for transplant, so its important we assess you and don't miss the window to refer you'. It was a fair but worrying reminder that although I've battled hard to keep static and maintain my lungs, this battle can not be won forever, sooner or later I'll need that transplant.
I have hopes that maybe I could keep this lung function for 10 years or so, by which point transplant techniques and post transplant care was better, therefore extending my life considerably more than if I were to be transplanted now. I've done well to hold onto my lungs for 6/7 years, I've maintained my fev1 (how efficient my lungs are), but I have lost a little capacity in that time. The docs always stress that the fev1 is the important figure, so the fact that hasn't dropped is pretty good. Anyway, that's enough about health, perhaps too much about health.
Anyway, the gigs I went to. Ben Folds was really good, as was Admiral Fallow. The Ben Folds gig was boiling, I was dripping away on my seat. To be honest the heat had a negative affect on the enjoyment of the gig. Admiral Fallow were also very good, but perhaps a little less experienced in working the crowd and showmanship. I've got a couple of gigs lined up now, Russell Kane Friday and Tim Minchin in a couple of weeks. Also off to a charity comedy gig on Wednesday, so hopefully that should be fun too.
Here is some Ben Folds. Enjoy!
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