Miracle Cure

On Monday morning I felt as if I might die from my asthma. Eight puffs of my magic new inhaler later, I feel on top of the world. I can breathe!


India's New Bed

Took Steph to Ikea on Saturday, so she could check out sofas and stuff for her new flat in Stone -- she has finally bought a place of her own (a mere £115,000/$201,000 for 1 bedroom) -- and so the we could purchase India a full-sized "big girls" daybed.

We were a little concerned at how she might react to being in a proper bed. You automatically assume that two-year olds will be falling out of bed in their sleep, or getting out of bed in the middle of the night and refusing to get back in, or jumping out of bed at six in the morning in order to walk downstairs and out of the front door whilst the parents snooze on unawares.

So far, so good.

She was very excited on Saturday when I was building the bed-frame and couldn't wait to get in. No tantrums at seeing her cot removed to the spare room. And over the course of four nights, she hasn't budged once from her bed. She seems very comfortable, and from her behaviour during the day, we think she's getting a better nights rest. Vic and I certainly are too -- we're not having to get up continously to retrieve dummies.

We have also noticed a lack of pee pee in her night nappies the last two mornings. Previously they were completely saturated, but all of a sudden they are almost dry. Theory? She's just sleeping deeply throughout the night and not peeing. This bodes well for the next great hurdle of potty training and no nappies.

Draw a target on my back

I've been poorly with my asthma over the last few weeks. I couldn't even read India a story over the weekend without struggling for breath and coughing.

I picked up a new asthma inhaler at lunchtime. A heavy-duty combo preventer/reliever called Seretide 250. India will love it because it's the colour purple, like Tinkywinky and my new car. It's a serious medicine. the Emperor of Inhalers, and gives you an idea of how bad my asthma has become. Seretide represents the last real chance to combat my asthma through an inhaler.


The lady at the chemists give me my new kit in a bag featuring a one-eyed monster bug-thingy with loads of teeth. I quote from the bag:

"The flu virus is a lot nastier than a cold. It can leave you weak and vulnerable to other more serious illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis.
If you have serious heart, kidney or liver disease, diabetes, respiratory problems like severe asthma, have a lowered immunity or you're 65 or over, you may not be strong enough to fight the effects of flu. Even if you had the jab last year, you'll need a new one this winter.
Contact your GP for your free flu jab now."

I'm having a flu jab a week next Saturday.

If Bird Flu ever transfers to humans in the UK (actually that should read WHEN), I'm a dead man walking.