Visitors since 20 January 2010

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Sucking on a Fisherman’s Friend

The coughing is really annoying – it started in a small way about 7 months ago and I didn’t really think anything much about it. But slowly, as time progresses, it got worse until sometimes I am now left doubled over and almost unable to breath – When I first saw my GP he didn’t want to give me anything to help with the coughing but relented and gave me a codeine based linctus – this worked after a fashion but as it made me constipated and I had to balance poohing against coughing!

Then I saw my GP in the first week of January and I have moved onto a morphine based medicine – I believe it to be actually a painkiller rather than a cough mixture and the idea is to make me less susceptible to the cough reflex and – HURRAH! – it does seem to be working. The downside is that it makes me feel fuzzy round the edges and so I do try to limit the number of doses I take.

Although the coughing is very annoying for me - and I suspect even more so for my partner Gavin - in one way I am lucky with the coughing – it only happens when I am upright, lying down it doesn’t seem to happen. That means that I can sleep.

I am also getting through a lot of Fisherman’s Friends - I have boxes of “Original”, “Cherry”, “Mint” and “Blackcurrant” and I’m awaiting delivery of a box of Lemon flavoured ones! So I spend my days sucking on Fisherman’s Friends and swigging morphine based medicine.

7 comments:

Chairman Bill said...

And how does Gavin take to you smelling of fishermen?

Chairman Bill said...

...or their friends...

Carolina said...

Hi, Chairman Bill asked us to visit you to cheer you up and who can refuse him, so... here I am ;-) Unfortunately I haven't a clue how to cheer you up. I'm so sorry you are suffering from that horrible disease. The cough doesn't sound good too (not that I can hear it all the way over here, but you know what I mean). I can imagine it wears you out.
Wish you the very, very best. And your partner too.

Louise | Italy said...

Hi, I'm another of CB's sendees...I echo everything Carolina has just written (I'm not as articulate about these things, but I'm sincere). My five-year-old son often has terrifying bouts of coughing, although not for the same reasons, and I turn inside out watching him going through it. My thoughts are with you and with your partner.

The Girl With The Mousy Hair said...

Hi just popped over from Bill's to let you know there are many people out here in the Blogosphere who wish you well. Sorry to hear that on top of everything that has happened you have now developed a Fisherman's friend habit. Anyone who is brave enough to suck one of those things can tackle anything.
I wish you all best, I really do.

The Spiv said...

Hi Richard.

As many others, I have been re-directed here courtesy of "Chairman Bill" and, like many others, am really sorry to hear that things are not going too well at the moment. I have enjoyed reading many of your comments to his blog, but just can't quite see why you're called irrascible!

I can't begin to comprehend what must be going through your mind at this time, but keep putting your thoughts to your blog - it may help others in a similar situation that don't have the support of a partner and/or family to help.

My wife has progressive ms and often has problems with breathing and quite severe coughing bouts. She has found some relief by sucking Jakemans Throat and Chest sweets. These are similar to Fisherman's but are a different flavour, a combo of aniseed, eucalyptus and menthol. They could be worth a try if you would like something different.

On a different note - have you contacted the main office of the Macmillan organisation to see if there is someone else that could visit you? At times like this, and given their chosen profession, they should be beyond permitting personal differences to affect their work.

Keep true to yourself and take heart in the knowledge that we can hear you, and we know that you are there.

Best wishes to you and Gavin

Lovely's Blot said...

Also directed by Chairman Bill. I must be behind the times as I didn't think that fishermans friends came in anything other than original! (And God they are awful!) Keep writing Irascible. We are listening.

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