blamebrampton: 15th century woodcut of a hound (Default)
blamebrampton ([personal profile] blamebrampton) wrote2012-09-27 12:59 am

I had plans for today!

They included updating LJ, and going to spin. Alas, I had blood tests to find out what I am allergic to (doctor is threatening cats, I am hoping for dust, since I will continue to live with both but at least I can make a cursory effort to clean more, whereas shaving the cats is right out), after which I decided it was apparently nap time. For five hours. They didn't take that much blood!

The post points that were going to be covered include:
* The two black swans we saw moving into the Sydney Park Wetlands last year now have three cygnets. Well done swans!

* Read Sarah Rees Brennan's new book Unspoken on Kindle, due to the fact Australian bookshops seem to have declared a fatwa on it and finding an actual paper copy was impossible. My 'I wish to read no spoilers!' policy led me to overlook the fact that this was Book One of the Lynburn Legacy ('Legacy' being what the cool kids are calling a trilogy these days if my guess is any guide), and due to the fact that Kindles start reading at story page 1 rather than the fiddly info pages that come before them, I was most of the way through the book before I went 'Hang on, I don't think this is going to wrap up before this book ends.' I enjoyed it very much, especially the fact the heroine has two active and loving parents. I really hope they both survive the series so I can add to my list of Awesome YA Books with Awesome Parents, which currently stands at My Friend Flicka and Verdigris Deep (by Frances Hardinge – AMAZING book). At some point I will update my book list, which has been languishing since March and review it properly there.

* Also read Terry Pratchett's new book, Dodger, in actual book. It was a love letter to Dickens and Mayhew and the best of Victorian London and I adored it, especially the running Dickens scribbling gags. He really is the most humanist author of our times, and I am so thrilled that reviews of his novels these days ignore the genre origins of most of his work. Again, longer review will come with updates.

* The allergy thing? Mild asthma and hayfever out of nowhere. The asthma is probably post-viral from my cold, 'but you definitely have reactive airways', said the doctor. 'I'm not for them! I want them back to being lovely trustworthy airways!' I replied. 'Do you have cats?' 'Yes. Why?' 'You're probably allergic to them.' 'It's not much of a wheeze, I'll be fine …'

Blood tests today to rule in or out the most common things. I say wheeze, but I still hit 490 on the peak flow monitor, which is apparently in the top 5% of lung function for people my age or height (not sure which, doc asked for both before reading the table), to which I replied, 'I used to get well over 600! Give it to me again! I can do better!' She suggested I may be a little bit overly competitive, which is clearly ridiculous. AND she refused to arm-wrestle me.

* And finally, there were birthday wishes. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to [livejournal.com profile] tsosh! May you be surrounded by Colin Morgan and Bradley James look alikes who feel the sudden and inexplicable need to take their shirts off! I miss seeing you around the traps more often, but that's more my fault! Looking forward to next season Merlin as I know you will be lured back to LJ. I hope your freedom is being filled with loads of fun days, and that presents have been appearing all day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALSO to [livejournal.com profile] knic26! I meant to comment on your photos recently, but failed due to falling asleepness and general ineptitude. Not enough heavy books on that young man's head, that's what lets them grow so tall so quickly! Still, he can get everything down from the top shelves :-) I hope that he spends today being but one of the people who appear in front of you laden with loving wishes, fab gifts and cake!

And because it's a fab day for being born, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to [livejournal.com profile] gossymer! YAY for your news! I hope it is followed by even more fab presents in the form of other things you really wanted this year! May the whole year be filled with equally good news!

I am sure I have forgotten several important things, not least of which are the late birthday notes (Sassy! I'm sorry!), but I want to do a bit more work on my hols fic before going back to sleep. I have a dream of submitting one at a point close to the actual fest deadline.

Yeah, I deserve the laughter …
ext_92849: woman standing in water with arms crossed over her chest (Default)

[identity profile] kath-ballantyne.livejournal.com 2012-09-27 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
I've always had asthma and allergies though the only other person in my science class who had a better lung capacity than me was the chick who did triathlons. I think it was the not smoking thing. And the swimming. I used to be able to swim almost all of the 50m pool without coming up for air.

I was told I was allergic to furry pets, dust and pollen and there was no escaping any of them. There was about 4 months after our last pet died and mum getting a new dog where I was a bit better but I figured that if dust and pollen were things I couldn't escape I was going to have pets anyway.

Spent many, many years being so sick with the allergies that I'd lay awake at night unable to move because if I did I'd start sneezing again. I spent most of my childhood and teenage years on polaramine though it never worked very well. Once I was 17 I started taking Rhinocourt nose spray and Seritide puffer and things were much better. A few years ago they stopped working though and I changed to Phenergan 25 each night. My god the dry mouth was awful.
I'd tried the new non-drowsy allergy meds though and they didn't work and cost a fortune.

January this year the doc suggested I get a sinus rinse bottle and try that. I was skeptical but now for the first time in my life I'm not on any allergy med. I don't even remember to do it every day but the trees are in blossom and my eyes aren't itchy and I'm not sneezing all the time. I'm still taking the seritide and my lungs aren't perfect but I can walk to the post office without needing a puffer.

I'm kind of pissed that I wasn't told about the sinus rinse when I was a kid. Squirting water up my nose is not pleasant but compared to the shit I was getting from allergies it's a walk in the park. A walk in the park without sneezing. *g*

Hope you sort out the breathing thing.