Deirdre Geraghty

Don’t really know what l am doing

Just bought a Tesco hudl and trying to use it with a lot of help from my son. Trouble is he has to go home. I wonder who can help me then.

So it looks like Winter is just around the corner. It is still very mild but it is getting dark earlier in the evening and the mornings are much later too. Perhaps that is something to do with my late mornings but it didn’t affect me last year, I don’t think.

For quite a long time now I have been getting up early and doing my exercise before the day starts but for the last month or two I am having difficulty getting up before 8.00 and starting the day without moving a muscle. I don’t know if that is because of my low iron levels.

My dear neighbours next door had a strange request for me. They have difficulty buying soya beans and edamame beans (which I have never even heard of). So rather than them going to a large supermarket for two items they asked if I can add them to my order when I order my groceries online. It isn’t a problem for me and I am happy to do it. Although I have mentioned edamame beans to my friends (some of whom are vegetarian) and nobody has heard of them. You live and learn (hopefully).

I had a doctor’s appointment to get the results of my blood test. Apparently my calcium was too high and my iron was too low. So she adjusted my medication to preclude calcium plus daily iron tablets. So now my calcium levels are normal but my iron is still only borderline. So another 3 months on iron tablets plus lots of iron rich foods. Oh well!

I have taken in another two parcels for a neighbour that I don’t know. The postman often leaves packages with me if the person isn’t home. I stayed up much later than usual last night in case they came home but I have heard they work till late at night. Hopefully I will get them today.

On Saturday I went for my flu jab. By Saturday evening I was aching all over and when I woke up Sunday morning I felt really terrible. Usually I feel okay after a flu jab but this time I was feeling really bad. I don’t know if it’s anything to do with the overdose the other day. So this week I haven’t been up to much and hoping I am through the worst of it.

It was the end of the day yesterday when I went to use my seretide inhaler for the second time. I must admit I was miles away. The next thing I knew I had used my spiriva handihaler for the second time. At first I shrugged it off but a few seconds later I took out the leaflet. It said I should speak to a doctor immediately. The doctor phoned me back and said it will probably make me a bit faint – by this time I was feeling giddy and disorientated. He said I should be okay but it can affect the kidneys. He said I should still use my seretide and to use spiriva again in the morning. I changed into my pjs and sat upstairs feeling a bit sick and giddy. It took a few hours before I started to feel okay and settled down for the rest of the night.

I have now received my invitation to go for my flu vaccination so I know it is now the time of year when I should prepare myself for the winter. I don’t go very far from the house at any time of year but the cold winter days I don’t really go out at all apart from in a car or by cab. I am so relieved to be safe at home having been trapped outside unable to breathe and unable to get back so at least I am safe here.