The practicalities surrounding living with CF is something
that comes naturally as you get older and used to your routine. When I was
discharged from hospital I had a few new drugs to get used to. First of all was
my new dinner mate, my insulin pen (and the needles with which to administer
it!). Secondly, my anti-anxiety medication to stave off panic attacks. The
final new addition is pain relief, only bog-standard paracetamol and codeine,
but imperative to take regularly to tackle chest pain. This is on top the
digestive enzymes I take to enable me to fully digest my food and an inhaler
should I become tight chested when out and about.
 |
| My Little Stash! |
Before I got particularly ill with CF, leaving the house was
easy, simply grab a pot of Creon and an inhaler, chuck it into my handbag and I
was good to go! Being diagnosed with CF related diabetes (CFRD) added another
sheet of tablets to the mix, but it was still manageable, notwithstanding the
various pots of Creon and sheets of Repaglinide (the drug I used to take to
control my diabetes) that were littered across the houses of my family and
friends! The addition of the extra drugs made me reconsider how I managed
leaving the house. I didn’t want to be running around searching for various
pots of medication – I don’t have the breath to do that these days anyway! So I
decided that I needed to become organised! You may think that being a teacher I
would have a fairly organised nature – unfortunately for me, my professional
organisational skills don’t translate that effectively into my everyday life! The
palliative care nurse I met in hospital pointed out that it’s all very well
having my anti-anxiety medication, but totally useless if I’m out shopping and
feel I’m about to have a panic attack and the tablets are sitting at home!
Luke had the brilliant idea of getting a little bag which
could be for the sole purpose of my drugs. After much searching, I found the
perfect little bag in TK Maxx. All my drugs fit inside and it fits perfectly
into my three main handbags... It is, after all, a woman’s prerogative to have
many bags! It also has a nifty little
strap so that I can simply take it out on its own if I’m only going to either
mine or Luke’s parents for tea. Although a little orange bag may not sound like
a great medical revolution, finding and using this little bag has really helped
me get out and about more easily and without potentially putting my health in
any sort of jeopardy. Whilst I have to live with my ‘end-stage’ CF, I am
determined not to let it rule me. Therefore anything I can implement to limit its
impact on my life – even if it’s just the use of a little orange bag, is a
small victory in retaining my independence!
 | ||
| Convenient sections... |
 | |
| Look how pretty it is... |
No comments:
Post a Comment