Hello again!

Hello once more.  Just to let anyone that drops in know that I have not given up yet.

We as a family have had our ups and downs, but I'll only bore you with mine.    I have emphysema (did I spell that right?) which was diagnosed nearly 8 years ago when I was taken to Blanchardstown Hospital in Co Dublin because I was having severe breathing difficulties.

I was an in-patient there for about 10 days or so and I must pay tribute to the staff at that hospital.   They are very good at what they do..  well to me anyway...  and are spotlessly clean.

So eventually I was allowed home on meds, oh yeh and they had discovered that I have heart failure too, and type 2 diabetes.    Well if you're going to stay in hospital for a few days you may as well make it worthwhile, eh?

The time passed and I managed the conditions, until recently when the emphysema got worse.   I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without getting breathless.    So on 27th this month, yesterday, I went to see the local nurse who gave me a breathing test and told me the bad news.  I have been moved to a new stage of emphysema and started today on new meds.   Soo far the new inhaler seems to be working.   I went out for awhile twice today and didn't get out of breath so severely.   Maybe when this new inhaler has been used for a few days there may be an even bigger improvement.   Fingers and everything else crossed.

So that's me more or less up to date.   I have nothing of great note to report as you can see.   I haven't won the lottery or anything.  I'm still poor oul Jim.

If you are reading this or any of my posts and like it, encourage me, drop me a line at jiml5@eircom.net and I'll be sure to get back to you.

Goodnight now.  I'm hoping that I can convince my two brothers and two sisters to get involved in the blog.  It would be nice if it was a family blog I think.  

Here's a photo of the three brothers.  That's me at the end laughing like a hyena, Tony is in the middle and Paul is nearest to the camera.     I'll introduce you to my two sisters and some more of the family as we go along.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.   Please do drop in again.