Whooping Cough!

Well after 6 weeks of back and forth to the doctors surgery WEEKLY, today I was finally told we have Whooping Cough. Kelly and I have taken it worst and Marcus has it milder. The main annoying thing is that we could of been treated WAY back when we 1st started going. Now however we are past the stage of the medicines being any help. What is more worrying is that I work in a primary school, Kelly goes to the Academy and Marcus to East end Primary! so that's THREE schools where the kids have now been exposed to it. I feel bad about that but its not like I did not seek advice early on. I also feel angry that we had, between us, 5 courses of Anti-Biotics and 2 inhalers for NO REASON! Anyways, hope now that in a few weeks it should be over but I thought this deserved a blog!

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough is an infection caused by a bacterium (germ) called Bordetella pertussis. This bacterium is spread to others through contaminated droplets in the air, produced during coughing and by close contact with an affected person. The bacterium attaches to cells which line the airways. It then multiplies and causes the symptoms.

Bordetella pertussis bacteria affect the lining of the airways in some way to cause symptoms (mainly a cough) to continue for a long time after the bacteria have gone.

What are the symptoms of whooping cough?

The illness typically follows a pattern.

Early stage (catarrhal phase)

At first there is often a sore throat. Within a day or so a mild, dry ordinary cough develops. At this stage you may feel mildly unwell and have a mild fever (high temperature). You may also have a runny nose. Over a few days the cough may become more productive with some sputum (phlegm) - but at first it still seems to be an ordinary cough.

Main coughing stage (paroxysmal phase)

After several days, often as many as 10-14 days from the start of the illness, the cough gets worse and becomes paroxysmal. This means there are bouts (paroxysms) of intense coughing. They are sometimes called choking coughs.

• During a bout of coughing, you repeatedly cough over and over again. The face often goes red and the body becomes tense. Eventually, there is a desperate attempt to breathe in, which may cause a whooping sound. Note: the whooping sound at the end of a bout of coughing only happens in about half of cases.
• Some children may stop breathing at the end of a bout of coughing and go blue for a short time. This looks worse than it actually is, as breathing usually quickly resumes.
• Each bout of coughing typically lasts 1-2 minutes.
• Several bouts of coughing may occur together and last several minutes in total.
• It is common to vomit at the end of a bout of coughing.
• The number of coughing bouts per day varies from case to case. You may only have a few bouts each day but some people have up to 100 bouts per day. The average is about 12-15 bouts per day.

Between the bouts of coughing you are likely to be well (unless you develop a complication, which is not common). The symptoms of fever, runny nose and other symptoms of illness have usually gone by this main coughing stage. But, each bout of coughing can be distressing.

This main coughing stage of the illness usually lasts at least two weeks, and often longer.

Easing stage (convalescent phase)

The bouts of coughing then ease gradually over a period which can last up to three months or more. (In some countries whooping cough is known as the cough of a 100 days.) As things seem to be easing, you may still get the odd bout of severe coughing.

Whooping cough can be very miserable as the bouts of coughing can be distressing. However, in some cases the symptoms are milder than described above. There may be just intermittent bouts of coughing which are not too bad without any whooping or vomiting.

My little Girl

 This is my baby girl! well when she was 3. Kelly has done us SO proud this week. She has always LOVED to learn things. From a young age she was always extremely curious about everything. Best day ever was the day she learned to read, then she stopped asking Why? What for? When? and started to read the answers.Since that day she has got more and more into learning and now being at the Academy she is no different. She is a joy to have around and a dream daughter to have.I hope she stays on track, keeps doing what she is doing and does not go off the rails like I did haha.

This week we were invited to attend our 1st ever prize giving at Elgin Academy. Above was the Schedule we were handed as we entered. Showed us inside her name and what she was getting. We had no idea at this point what her Attainment for for. An Attainment is when a teacher puts a pupil forward for a subject as they have exceeded in it and impressed the teacher enough.

Here she is!!! I put the pen in as the camera would not focus!!

Her is her merit certificate! Work ethic!!! She is a star!

Well not to say we were chuffed! Delighted! Over the moon! We had expected one subject...NOT SEVEN! 

Geography, Mathematics, Technical Education, History, Modern Studies, English and Physics! 

KELLY YOU ROCK!!

Weeks 19 and 20

I have been trying to hard but see what my lovely Daughter made today.... Chocolate Brownie Cake, Victoria Sponge with chocolate butter icing and Shortbread!

 Finally treated myself to a much needed recipe book stand. I never ever thought I would be the kinda person that needed one of these. Since starting the diet I have found I have to keep looking and laying books down all over so they are getting wet, splattered and ruined. £3.99 out of TK Max!

I am back to trying to lose weight again. I have spent about a month and a bit now around the same so I am now back to writing it down on a  weekly basis.

Going to have one hanging basket all red and black this year, the other is red and yellow! Will post more pics once they are in full show.

Tatties are coming on, they are in need of more compost now to fill to the top! Job for Mike this week.

Week 18

Diet

Well what can I say....I have not been on any type of diet/ eating plan this week apart from the shove anything in my mouth that's close by. This included chocolate, biscuits, crisps etc and lots of it! Also was a night out with a meal and LOADS of alcohol. Went to Slimming last night and I LOST 1.5 pounds and got Slimmer of the week! I have no idea how that worked lol.But I have to get my self back on track this week. I like the little mini goals and my next one now is 6.5 pounds. Once I lose this I will have reached my 2 stone award!

Exercise

I have done nothing much at all. Having had this chest infection since I recovered from my nose op I have not had much chance to do much. Walked this school run this morning so its a start lol. I do intend to keep at it now though, back to the grind!


Other

Have been leading a quiet life of late due to mainly being under the weather. Have Marcus's school Fete at the weekend I am on the bottle stall. Might try to get out for a nice walk somewhere over the weekend. 

Week 17

Diet


Diet has been just OK this last week. Decided to get back into it by writing it all down. It was an eye opener cause though I was thinking I was doing good I was still way over with syns. I am meant to have 10 a day so 70 a week at my disposal, last week I used 89. Need to get back on track with the eating starting tomorrow. I say tomorrow as I have my School Reunion tonight as we all turn 40 this year and we are starting it off with a meal then loads of alcohol. So tomorrow it begins. I have lost almost 1 and a half stone so far! Half way point now so need to get my finger out again.

Exercise


I have done NONE. I have done NOTHING. I am LAZY. Its been been 3 weeks since my operation so I should be getting back into it now but I haven't. BUT as a good reason I have a terrible cough and sinusitis which just after my op is not good. I have a prescription for anti biotics from the Dr but going to see how I get on over the weekend as generally Anti biotics do little for Sinusitis. I have a terrible dry cough which makes my sinus above my eyes pound when I cough. Cause of this I missed Zumba but I so need to get back into it. I think on Monday all being well the walking will start again. 

Other


Kelly has been away from us for the 1st time! She has always been a home bird and the odd night with her grandparents and I can remember 2 occasions when it was 2 nights! This is 5!!!!! She is off with her school to Holland. She is due home tomorrow at supper time. 

Week 16

Well what can I say, another gain this week but it was small and I am not shocked.1/2 pound this week and 1/2 last week so that's 1lb in the 2 weeks I have been off. I have not been active at all and been a couch potato too. Been lying on the sofa watching the discovery channel while eating chocolate and crisps. Have also been out twice to cafes and had a huge scone both times. My meal times always seem to be good though which means I should slip back on plan with ease ( I hope). I also think once I get back to work it will be easier too.


This weeks plan.


I intend to get back on track with the eating and start to get exercising again. Don't know about Zumba tomorrow night as its high impact and my nose is still a bit tender. Definatly going to get out walking starting tomorrow. Here is hoping my post next week will have pictures and a nice weight loss

Week 14 and 15!

Well weeks 14 and 15 have blended together yet again. Week 14 seems to have left no lasting memory apart from losing 1.5 lbs. Week 15 which is this week past I can remember so will blog that one.


Week 15 saw finally my nose operation getting done! 2 years of waiting, cancelled dates and getting sent home! So Monday the 9th of May was it.

 My Septoplasty.


Septoplasty is a corrective surgical procedure done to straighten the nasal septum, the partition between the two nasal cavities. I have always struggled for as long as I can remember to breath out my nose. The slightest touch of a cold would leave me completely bunged up. On a good day I would get breathless climbing the steps and always feel like I had sinusitis.


I went in at 7.45am and was told I was 2nd last on the afternoon list! As it was I got taken at 1.30pm to the theatre and was out at 2.30pm and back on the ward at 2.45pm. I was on a drip when I woke as I had been so long without fluids and it was a warm day. In the Anesthetic room they had major issues getting a vein so I have a few extra bruises! 4 in total lol.

 I was shocked when I got it done as when I came round in recovery I could kinda breath out my nose ( right side only) but this did help with swallowing the coffee and toast which was lovely. Because of the type of surgery, which meant my nose was 

dripping blood allot, I was last to leave the day care ward at 6.15pm!

It seems that when I was younger the cartilage on the left side on my nose did not stop growing and ended up buckling and blocking the left side and pushing the right. This was how it was blocked.

Recovery so far has been fine. I have not had to take painkillers at all. However a few days later I was in some discomfort with an extremely dry and crusty feeling up my nose.I searched on the web and then went a got a basic Saline nasal spray. That and shoving Vaseline up my nose is easing the discomfort though not removed it. I want to snort it all out but its too sore and too early to do that yet so I will just keep the inside of my nose moist till then.

Got myself a new pair of walking boots yesterday as my others were too tight to allow me to wear proper walking socks in them. Wanted to try them on so went for my 1st little walk last night. A slow 2 mile wander round the woods but it was ace to get some fresh air again. My aim with these boots is to bag a few Munro's ( mountains over 3000 feet) this summer. Plan to do a few in the Cairngorms as its pretty close to here. Might even thinks about Ben Nevis! as its not too far away. Can't wait to get more active again. ( Never thought I would see the day I would say that LOL)

Dieting......Has been hard, gained half a pound last week which I reckon is all the toast, and junk I have been eating while lying on the sofa watching Discovery channel all day. Though I did have the company of my cat Barney who seemed to love my being still and on the sofa for a change.


I don't expect to lose this week either as until I can get out and walk more ( which should start on Monday). I aint bothered its a 2 week recovery from this surgery and I intend to relax and enjoy it. I can make up for the 2 weeks later on :)