Irony

[liralen]

Okay...

The drugs didn't gain me any significant lung function. Just 3-4%. But... the pollen count is higher now than when I tested a month ago, too. But that's kind of a false hope. The doctor says I've pretty much probably lost function, but there's a chance that if I stay on the meds, now that I can actually breathe and do exercise things, that if I take advantage of that and do a lot more exercise that I might regain at least some function.

Which is what I have been longing to do. So I gardened tonight, and planted zucchini after working in compost, and I wasn't too breathless even after all the digging, which was good. Saturday is going to be a big planting day at the OUR center, so it should be fun.

The ironic thing is that I now, basically, have been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Which is exactly what I gave Ukitake Jyuushiro after the active TB infection was burnt out of him. His has pockets of disease damaged lung tissue, still, which is why he coughs blood. I only have nonfunctional, perhaps compacted tissue. And I had a friend who died, last year, of just pulmonary fibrosis... he gradually just kept losing lung function as more and more of his lungs solidified after a very long fight. He got a lung transplant, and that helped for a couple of years, but eventually went the same way.

So it's a rather a lot more than just my allergy asthma, and there's a reason why my lungs still feel tight even when I'm on all the meds and the allergy shots. The cool thing was realizing that all my allergic reactions have actually gotten much better, probably because of the shots. I'm not sneezing or tearing up nearly the way my boys are. So... there's one good thing about the shots.

But on the amusing side of irony... something I wrote in Twin Souls seems to have actually become canon in the backstory arc. XDD r0ck3tsci3ntist and incandescens both pointed it out to me. That amuses me greatly.

Comments

[incandescens]

There's very little I can think of to say, but . . . (hugs)

[liralen.livejournal.com]

(hugs) That's good enough. *grin*

And thanks for the reference! Hee.

[ginnyvos.livejournal.com]

*huggles* That... Sucks. I'm asmathic and it's no fun, but the illness you describe sounds like a lot worse that just asthma. Your doctor was right about the excersizing thing though. My mom has asthma as well, and apparently a LOT of longtissue scars, but she gets by without meds or anything because she has an amazing condition and is constantly moving around and such (wish I could say the same, but meh...)

It is rather ironic that you'd have the same disease as the one you gave the character you write, ne?

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Cool. I was getting by with lots of exercise a while back, but then stopped when work got really intense.

And since February I've been doing even less exercise than usual, even. So your mom gives me hope. The scar tissue is the basic problem... so if I can regain function now and really get going on it, it'll help.

Thank you!

And, yeah, it's pretty ironic. Hee. Life...

[2metaldog.livejournal.com]

Well that just sucks and blows at the same time. Is there anything they can do for you to further slow the disease?

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Not really stuff they can do.

I think the biggest thing now is to just get active again. Which I can. I have had the habit, and it kept me from having any medications for years other than my allergy shots. I fenced for 6 years and played two or three 90 minute games of soccer a week for 8 years in a row. So I'm better, now, I think, because of that, than I would have been if I'd been passive those years, too.

But I snapped my ACL and stopped doing so much of that... and I think I resigned myself to being less active and just got into the writing kick and went back to work habits that aren't so good for me.

Between exercise and sleeping more so tissues have a chance for healing... maybe I can keep delaying it.

It's funny, though, as a kid I *knew* I'd die of not being able to breath, because my asthma back then was so bad. It's hasn't really changed, I just get to really see the face of it now. Which is funny because whenever I read people writing Ukitake angsting or lying about his breathing problems killing him some day I just can't read any more because that's so stupid. He's lived with it for two thousand years... and been an active, decisive captain, how the hell could he do that and still *worry* about it?

It'd be more debilitating than the disease itself.

And it's not like Ukitake's afraid of *dying*, even Kenpachi knows that.

So maybe it's just exercise and attitude and a laughing hope that I'll get 2000 years of fighting the damned thing.

[2metaldog.livejournal.com]

It sounds funny to say but I'm fortunate my asthma is simply uncontrolled not what you've been slammed with. I do hope that some exercise helps out, not with just extending your life span but also with easing some of the breathing issues.

As for Ukitake... he would be very aware of his breathing issues and likely ignore them for the most part until he reached the point when he goes beyond his endurance. That's what I do. I can't spend my life worrying about how well I'm breathing or what'll set off the next attack. Take every day as it comes and when you hit a breathing snag, you deal then and there with whatever medications are appropriate (assuming you use common sense to avoid known triggers).

*taps lips thoughtfully* You know, we may both write a decent Ukitake because we deal with breathing problems on a regular basis. Just a thought.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

It's the perfect thing to say. *grin* Heck, I am really glad you don't have to deal with this. Wouldn't wish this part of it on anyone. Yeah... I mostly just want to do the things I want to do, which the exercise should really help in the now, anyway.

Yeah... I mostly do like you do with the breathing things. Just like you, I can't spend my life worrying about all that, I just deal with it when I have to.

I totally agree with you about why we write decent Ukitakes *laughter* It's a good thought.

[2metaldog.livejournal.com]

You know, it always kinda bugs me when I read Ukitake being this weak, ineffective Captain. He isn't. Yeah, he's got some issues but if he couldn't do the job, I'm sure he wouldn't have it.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

*laughter* I have to *totally* agree.

And I can't imagine someone weak and ineffective going up against Yamamoto-sama, intending to do what he could...

[archangelbeth]

Yay for canon... BOO for pulmonary fibrosis! O:(
***hugs lots***

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Yay! Canon!! *giggles*

*hugs happily*

It'll be okay, either way anyway...

[rasetsunyo.livejournal.com]

:/ *hugs*

Well you do have a great feel for the characters, so I'm not surprised it turned out canon.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

*hugs back* Thank you.

*beams* at the canon stuff. Should be interesting to see if other things play out, too.

[r0ck3tsci3ntist.livejournal.com]

Oh dear! :/

*worries*

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Well... it does mean getting your boy to allergy shots might be a really good thing...

Part of my scarring/freezing of capacity has to do with the fact that I probably ignored my allergies for the last year and haven't been that active for a while. So having your boy be able to stay active and keep his lungs moving and working is important.

And, no, I won't regret what I didn't do. *laughter* The past is going to stay the past.

[r0ck3tsci3ntist.livejournal.com]

Well, mostly I'm worried for you! Although you're right, it is a bit of a cautionary tale.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

*hugs you* Thank you, so much for that!!

[rephetibel.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, kiddo. What a thing to deal with! The possibility of regaining some function is a very good thing. Have fun on Saturday.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

It is a very good thing! Yeah... anything I can get back now will only help.

I will! It should be a blast as a bunch of ladies are going out to do that.

[ai-ici-lover.livejournal.com]

What part of your story has actually became canon? o_0

[liralen.livejournal.com]

SPOILER WARNING FOR EVERYONE ELSE!!!!

Kisuke and Yoruichi being together during childhood... I think that's what the other two pointed out. Though now I get to work Tessai in and show Kisuke's "dad" as part of the Shihouin clan, which is part of why Kisuke is Yoruichi's playmate. I can't quite believe that the Clan didn't have some idea of the excursions... but.. that was behind the scenes anyway.

[beckyb.livejournal.com]

Ugh. It does sound like more physical activity will be a help. Good thing it's time for gardening and outdoors since that will probably be easier for you to get engrossed in.

Healing to you.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Mmmm... thank you. That's a marvelous blessing.

Yeah, it's good it's time where it'll be easier to get active. Yay!! The neighborhood swimming pool opens today, too, and my neighbor is an Iron Man athlete and he goes every third or fourth morning, so I'd have company. It's cool because even though he's in like phenomenal shape he never laughs at me. I just do what I can in the same time he's there doing his 100 laps or whatever, and it works out pretty well.

[beckyb.livejournal.com]

Oh, neat! to have company like that. I'm always impressed by people who are really good at what they do who are also really good at not judging others in that realm.

I always forget how much I like being in water. I think because I mostly remember stuff like how annoying wet swimsuits are to take off.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I just *love* that about him. *grin*

Ew! Taking off wet swimsuits! Or wet wetsuits, too... *laughter*

[space-parasite.livejournal.com]

Meep! :(

*hugs*

Is this what you have?

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Uhm... probably, yes. There's no known cause, though with mine it's likely the same things that are causing the inflammation that happens with asthma. I'm just getting scarring of the lungs.

Wow. Cool. I might bring a copy of this to my doctor next time I go see him.

Thank you!!

*hugs you warmly*

[space-parasite.livejournal.com]

*EXTRA hugs for the Liralen!*

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Thank you! *hug* AND data is very, very cool.

[nikita-cheri111.livejournal.com]

Okay I know you've heard it a bazillion times but...

*hugs* Poor the Lira! But good on you for having a positive outlook and trying to make things better. and Huzzah for things being able to be made better.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

... never hurts to hear again. *smile*

Thank you so much!!

Yeah, I agree, it's good to know that I can do something to make it better. XDD

Thank you! and *warm hugs back*

[silkiemom.livejournal.com]

Meep. *hugs*

[liralen.livejournal.com]

*hugs warmly back*

[tagryn]

*hugs* for recovery! And gardening!

[liralen.livejournal.com]

*hugs* And many thanks for both. *grin*

It'll be fun gardening, definitely.

[ross-teneyck.livejournal.com]

Well, damn. That sucks like a sucky thing.

Hugs.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

(hugs warmly back)

Thanks. And I love your choice of words. *grin*

It does!

Though it was good to get a nice little spike in my flow tests after riding a few miles today. I think the exercise thing is probably going to be key... we'll see.