Or so it seems.
In the wee hours of yesterday morning, I woke up feeling breathless. I got up and slapped the oximeter onto my finger and got a reading of 85%. Normal is 95 and above. The experts say to call 911 if you are below 90%. Given that I have COPD, a “normal” reading for me is in the 93% range.
I instituted my standard procedures: a couple of squirts from my inhaler and firing up the nebulizer. That only brought me up to 91%, and so I opened the valve on my oxygen tank and sucked in some pure air.
It took a while, but I eventually got my blood oxygen levels back up to an acceptable 95%, so I went back to bed. A couple of hours later, I woke up again, and the oximeter said I had dropped back to an 89 level. So, I repeated the steps as described above, and this time, I slept through the remainder of the night.
I experienced shortness of breath during the dog walk, even though it was mostly flat. The Wednesday Walkers group was planning an excursion to SBMA (the old Navy base) for an 8K hike. I had been looking forward to the trek, but given my breathing issues, prudence dictated that I bail out.
Only two other hikers showed up, and Scott messaged that they would save the SBMA hike for another day. He invited me to join them for a flat walk, and I agreed.
I was glad to have gotten some steps in after all.
I got home and baked two batches of brownies, one for each party I was attending. My first stop was my old darts bar, Alley Cats.
Back in the day, Alley Cats was my regular hangout, and I played darts there four times a week. Yesterday was my first visit in several months. There has been a large turnover in staff, but I still knew most of the other dart regulars. I sat in my old seat at Kevin’s table and felt right at home. Speaking of Kevin, I was surprised to learn he had suffered a heart attack back in April. I am glad he lived to tell me about it!
After a couple of hours at Alley Cats, we grabbed a trike and headed across town to Dave and Jo’s place. In typical Filipina fashion, the girls congregated downstairs, with the menfolk delegated to space on the second-floor patio.
So, basically, Jo’s birthday party was with her girlfriends. The consensus of the fellas seemed to be better up here away from the craziness and off-key videoke singing. Those gals are also notorious for downing shots of the hard stuff and getting sloppy drunk. Around eight o’clock, Swan sent me a message asking to be “rescued.” I told the guys goodnight and headed downstairs. I guess the peer pressure was too much for Swan, and she had over-indulged in the whiskey-drinking festivities. She took a last shot with the birthday girl, and we found a trike to take us home.
I’d never seen poor Swan so drunk before. The room was spinning for her when she lay on the bed, so I had her move to the floor. Regular readers will recall that there have been occasions when my excess drinking led to me being floored. Swan rejoined me back in bed a couple of hours later and doesn’t appear to be suffering any ill effects today.
I had another tough night breathing-wise, but this time, I never got below a 91% oxygen level, so I didn’t have to resort to using my air tank. I wussed out of walking today and have been resting at home. Maybe that’s what I needed; just now, I’m at 95%. I’m going to seek out a good pulmonary specialist for some advice on how to deal with my lung issues.
Facebook memories included this post from three years ago:
A brief YouTube video featuring Baloy Beach for your viewing pleasure today:
I’ll go easy on the humor this time:
Okay, here’s hoping for a better tomorrow. See you then.
Sorry to read about the latest bout with breathing problems. It seems this doesn’t get any easier. On my blog, my buddy Charles had reacted to your comment by asking you to consider trying HIIT (high-intensity interval training) to help with the COPD. It’s a thought.
A river runs through it
Do maps really label that as a river? Not a creek or a stream?
Gimme cookie!
Are the kids generally well behaved, or do they become little cookie monsters?
There is something fishy about this place
I’m not a fan of open-air fish markets in the summertime. Product sits out all day, flies are everywhere…
After hike refreshments at Snackbar
The sign in the photo spells it “Snack Bar” (2 words), but I assume there’s a reason you spell it the way you do.
Speaking of Kevin, I was surprised to learn he had suffered a heart attack back in April. I am glad he lived to tell me about it!
Watch out for those bad-luck Kevins. They’re everywhere.
I’d never seen poor Swan so drunk before.
At least you’re taking care of each other. It’s a two-way street.
I didn’t realize the different styles of huts and shacks had names.
So is “nipa” some sort of generic term? There’s your research project, which will probably involve merely asking Swan for the answer.
Continued good luck with the breathing. Do see a specialist soon.
Wow! Sorry to hear about the breathing issues. Hope they subside to something that has minimal impact on you.
Thanks, Brian. I’ll get through this. Or die trying! 🙂
Thanks, Kev. I just read up a little on HITT, and it’s something to think about. The concept sounds good for someone with a low attention span like me. Short duration workout, every other day is appealing too. The article I read said you should hire a trainer in the beginning. I’ll have to see if any of the local gyms offer HITT workouts.
Yes, that’s the Matain River, the same one that runs behind my house. It flows more like a river after a heavy rain.
That signage is new, but the original sign called it Snackbar. I just checked their Facebook page, and it is indeed still a one-word name. Someone must have screwed up the new sign.
I haven’t asked Swan yet, but a quick search revealed that “nipa” is the Americanization of the Filipino term for this type housing–bahay kubo. I hear the “kubo” word from the locals more than nipa. And now I know.
Made it through the night without having to deal with the lungs, so hopefully, that’s progress.
Just to be clear, it’s HIIT, not HITT: high-intensity interval training. But honestly, I make that typo a lot, too.