Dan, Dogs and Dyspnea

I've spent the past hour writing about my son in my private journal. I won't go into it here, but it's exasperating. Here's the piece I will share, the final paragraph:

And while I’m feeling my feelings, I might as well mention this. I wish Colleen were home to help with the dogs. She’s having dinner with a friend tonight, so that means I’ll have to do every walk with the dogs today. If you have healthy lungs, you don’t give a thought to a stroll round the block. But I am telling you, Ms Journal, it’s really not pleasant for me. It’s work. Oxygen helps, yes. But it’s still a chore to get my coat and boots on, and get the dogs harnessed up. Donning my over-the-shoulder oxygen pack, and routing the plastic tube to my nose is exhausting before I even begin my walk. Fucking dogs. Life would be easier without them in so many ways. 

Yes. I'm in a mood.

***

   

A Brief Struggle

I’ve been getting up a bit earlier lately. I take my pill at 8:00 and, working backward from there, I walk the dogs at 7:30 and get out of bed at 7:15. It seems to be working out just fine. Or nearly.

This morning, as I walked the dogs around the block, a delivery truck pulled up and two men got out. The delivery was not for me; it was not even on our street. But the dogs went mental. They began pulling on their leashes and lunging at the men and barking. It took all my strength to hold them back and to drag the two frantic dogs away. When they calmed down, I resumed my journey. I hadn’t taken three steps then, when my legs stopped. They just stopped. I was utterly and absolutely exhausted. I was unable to take even one more step. As I stood there motionless with my chin on my chest, a neighbour approached with her dog.

“Hi Dale. It’s Mel. I’m coming up behind you. Are you alright?”

Mel and Lyle waited a moment while I recovered and then Mel took Maisy’s leash and walked home with Percy and me. It was kind of her, and I thanked her for her concern. I was using my oxygen and the dial was set to number 6, the penultimate setting. But even that wasn’t enough. I was totally knackered by my brief struggle with the dogs. It doesn’t seem to take much exertion these days to deplete my store of oxygen. Thank goodness I had my portable supply. I shudder to think what it might have been like without it.

***   

OFEV: Day One

OFEV Day. I took my very first pill at 8:00 am. Colleen made oatmeal for breakfast. I ate ½ of my porridge, then took the pill, then finished my breakfast along with a piece of toast. I was at the church an hour later when I began to feel slightly nauseous. But only slightly. The feeling lasted an hour or so and then I felt better. If this is as bad as it gets, I was clearly worrying for nothing. Again.

OFEV Information

I’ll see what the rest of the day is like. The pills are to be taken twelve hours apart. My next one will be at 8:00 pm. I'll try it with a bagel and a banana. I hope the side effects are as mild as they were this morning. 

First month's supply, paid for entirely by the Headstart programme. 

Colleen studies the instructions. $3800 per month. Or about $60 per pill.