Welcome back, friends! Thanks for being patient while I got my website switched over and back up. I promised to get the missed posts up and here’s the first. This week’s information comes from Pulmonary Rehab and my own experiences on staying healthy with tips on how to do so. When you read these, you might think “thanks Capitan Obvious”, in all reality they work. I do them to keep my immunocompromised self from getting sick and I haven’t been in a while. Without further ado…tips for staying healthy.
Staying Healthy Tip 1: Wash your hands often
We’ve (hopefully) learned from a young age the importance of washing our hands to keep germs from spreading. This is especially important for those of us who have lung issues as a cold or other respiratory illness can can send us to the hospital. Those places are no fun, so why not do what you can to stay out of them.
When washing, be sure to:
- Use soap and warm water
- Work up a good lather by rubbing your hands together. Make sure to get the backsof your hands, wrists, and under the nails too.
- Do this for 10- 15 seconds. You can sing the Alphabet Songs or songs like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to time yourself.
- Make sure to dry your hands well.
- Use paper towels (if available) to turn off the faucet and open the door.
Hand sanitizer can be used between washings. Just remember that it kills the germs, but doesn’t wash them off your hands. Washing your hands as soon as you can is still important.
Staying Healthy Tip 2: Take care of your teeth and gums
Oral health is super important to overall health. Infections in your mouth can spread to other areas and cause bigger problems. Germs can too, so be sure to:
- Brush your teeth twice per day for at least 2-3 minutes. This is also important for those of us on steroid inhalers. If you don’t rinse or brush after, you can get oral thrush. It’s disgusting and I don’t recommend it. Flossing once per day is important too. I’m not good at doing this consistently, but it’s a good habit to have.
- See the dentist once or twice per year, even if you have dentures. With the insurance I have now, I can go every six months. I don’t love the dentist, but I was happy that I could go more then once per year. It’s important. If you don’t know what your insurance allows, definitely find out. Some even have incentive programs that give gift cards/money for going.
- Change your toothbrush every 2-3 months or after being sick/having an infection. I am also not great at this, but it is the standard.
Staying Healthy Tip 3: Take care of sinus problems
If you’ve ever had an upper respiratory infection, you know that sinus drainage goes through your nasal cavity and into your lungs. It’s gross feeling and no fun. Plus, those germs getting into your throat and lungs can cause bigger problems. If you’re having sinus drainage, you can reduce the risks by:
- Talking to your doctor about using over-the-counter saline spray.
- Your doctor may also talk to you about an antibiotic or decongestant if your symptoms require it.
Staying Healthy Tip 4: Getting vaccinated
This can be kind of a hot topic, but for us sick kids it’s better to reduce our chances of getting sick or lessening the symptoms if we do get sick. Before I got diagnosed, I rarely got flu shots or anything that wasn’t mandatory. Now that I am immunocompromised, I get flu and Covid boosters every year. I am also vaccinated against pneumonia. If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll remember my Covid experience and I don’t want to repeat it. If you choose or choose not to vaccinate is your business, but here’s the suggestions I received:
- Get the flu vaccine every year.
- Ask your doctor about the pneumonia vaccines. If you’ve already had it, ask anyways.
Staying Healthy Tip 5: Stay aware of germs
You can’t avoid all germs, but you can reduce your exposure and risks.
- Stay away from sick people, including crowds when illnesses are high. If I am going to be in a place where germs can be high (like work or the store) I try to wear a mask. It sucks sometimes and I’m not always in good shape to wear them, but I do what I can.
- Keep in mind that kids are little germ-factories (said as someone who worked with children for several years) that bring germs home from school and daycare. I remember several times where kids have sneezed right in my face and sickness went through everyone once it was in.
- Keep your medical equipment, like inhalers, spacers, nebulizers, cannulas, and CPAP devices clean.
What to watch for:
Despite doing your best, you probably will still get sick sometimes. It’s an unfortunate reality in life, so paying attention to health changes is important. If you notice the following, reach out to your doctor for treatment:
- Increased shortness of breath, coughing, and/or wheezing
- Mucus that has increased, changed in color, has blood in it, or has an odor
- Feeling more fatigued than usual
- Tightness in your chest that doesn’t go away with your normal meds
- Fever, chills, and/or night sweats
- Sore throat
- Muscle aches and pains, or headaches
- A change in peak flow numbers, if that’s something you monitor.
If you’re like me, some of these things are a “normal” daily occurrence. You need to pay attention to things that feel off or different than what’s normal for you.
Other thoughts and updates:
I am still going to Pulmonary Rehab twice per week, as well as Physical Therapy. Pulmonary rehab should go until May-ish, so I’m hoping to make more progress than I have. I’m moving consistently and that’s what’s important. I am feeling better PT wise too, we’re hoping for a couple of weeks more and I’ll be good.
If you follow me on Instagram, you saw that I went to a nerd convention. While it was a lot of fun, I did overdo it. I need to recover physically and energy wise, as well as heal my blisters. I should also make better choices, like remembering to stretch and hydrating more. That being said, I did finish my dress (with some help) and have therefore improved by sewing skills. Will it be a new hobby? Not sure. But I did like wearing my dress with bike shorts underneath, so maybe…
I’m planning more adventures for July, August, and September now, so please keep an eye out for them. I did end up renting a cabin in May and a campsite for June. July is likely going to be a day trip, but I have a surprise in mind…
Remember to take care of yourselves and be safe out there! Seeyalaterbye <3
Also, if you feel called to help a sista out with her travels, check this out!
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