Friday, September 16, 2011

So what's it really like?

Beware - Whiney Post Ahead!

I get bizarre comments from people all the time (this week it was at the Supermarket and at Captain Snooze).

Most of them are along the lines of "Gee that must be a real pain to drag that trolley around everywhere you go?". Ummmm well of course it is! I don't do it for fun and hi-jinks.

But I think the thing that I find even more frustrating is that unless you have a lung disease, and you can't breathe, then there's no way that you can appreciate just how hard it is to do anything and everything. I get short of breath just from talking!

You can sort of think of it like this - imagine that your mouth is firmly taped shut and you have to sprint for a kilometre only breathing through your nose.

You can't get enough air in and out of your lungs to provide enough oxygen for your body.
The lack of oxygen is making your heart race at over 140 beats per minute as it speeds up trying to distribute the small amount of oxygen left in your bloodstream.
You start to feel dizzy and nauseous, and you can't see properly.
Everything is just black.
You can't think.
You can't talk.
Then you feel like your head is in a vice and your brain is about to explode.



It's absolutely exhausting.

10 comments:

Car said...

Cam :( gentle hugs for you xxx

Fiona said...

Asthma is bad enough .. but that sounds truly abysmal. Sending lots of hugs your way.

bec said...

Cam, thank you for reminding me of theses things, I think we all need it sometimes so we can sympathise more accurately! And I ring you with my stupid problems....

trudi@maudeandme said...

Simple things are taken for granted by a lot of us folks. I remember just talking was a huge effort for my dad - always left him breathless.

Selina said...

Ignorance really is bliss isn't it?! I know some of the stupid comments, and reactions to my coughing (argh, don't get me started on that one!!) that I get frustrate the hell out of me, can't really begin to imagine some of the things that would get said to you!

I have to say also that I got all geared up for a "whiney post ahead" and you kind of let me down! Whine away woman, that's what this blog is for!!

teddybearswednesday said...

SOme people just have no idea or antenna. ANd thank you for explaining how it us. It must be utterly exhausting and then you get stupid people like that.
big hugs xoxo

Stomper Girl said...

I bet it is. When my partner had pulmonary embolisms over 75% of his lungs, he was exhausted and couldn't do anything sustained. I think you manage to achieve an amazing amount actually. You will feel like a whole new person when you get your new lungs!

Jennie said...

I'm sorry you get harrassed by random people when you're just trying to get through the day.

I'll always remember the first time I saw you with your oxygen cylinder, and I thought you'd brought along a tank of helium for blowing up balloons. Now I'm giggling, imagining what would happen if you tied some helium balloons to your cart and tried to get through a shopping centre on a Saturday morning, being mobbed by children wanting balloon animals...

Jennifer Rose said...

:( people really should learn to keep their comments to themselves :(
but you are right, unless a person has to deal with the type of problem themselves, they have no idea :/

Leonie said...

Not whiney, just real. The closest we get to that sort of difficulty breathing is having a head cold and trying to do swimming laps. But there's no way that's even close to what you experience on a daily basis. I'm sorry you have to deal with stupid comments from people all the time.