The Beginning
I come from a small mining town. As a 7 month old infant I contracted meningitis. Almost didn’t make it, but I was lucky, and here I am. The way my mom tells it, one day my grandmother said there was something wrong with me, and they rushed me to the hospital, to find out after much confusion that I was ill with meningitis and then the struggle began. Now you might say, how did only my grandmother notice? Well I was a very quiet baby, I didn’t cry when I was ill back then. I just lay there quietly. I did cry when they did the lumbar puncture though, apparently I screamed bloody blue murder. Having seen how that is done since, I am not surprised.
I didn’t come out of that unscathed. There was brain damage, but thanks to the dedication of my parents, especially my mother, I recovered and didn’t turn out too bad, at least I don’t think so. I am clumsy and I have always wondered if that is a left over affect but I guess I will never truly know.
As a child I was given a lot of injections, for my immune system and also to prevent brittle bone syndrome which my sister had as a youngster. I was a petri dish of meds back then. My bones have always been quite strong. I have tumbled a lot. Clumsy as I am.
Whilst we still lived in the small town we were living near to mine dumps, which are made up of crushed, sand-like by-product refuse material, known as tailings, produced during the mining process. Mine dumps are made up of a complex mixture of metals and dust particles. This means that dust exposure can be high for communities living nearby, particularly during windy conditions and when it’s dry and vegetation cover is low. One thing I remember from the time I lived there is the dust storms. Fun, and oh so unhealthy for developing lungs. Asthma came up for me in my later teenage years.
My father in fact had an interstitial lung disease from the silica dust he breathed in while working underground in the gold mines. Pancreas cancer is what really got him in the end but that is another story.
Before my teenage years we moved to a big city, I lived in that city for 27 years, a long time. We stayed in a part of the city that also had mine dumps, funny enough. I guess they were following me around…
The Habits We Form
I like sugar, always have. I used a fair amount of it when I was younger. When I was old enough to work, 16 years old, I even bought my own supply each month so that I wasn’t just sponging off my parents.
At the time I went to high school I started to form some very dodgy habits. I didn’t like eating breakfast so I didn’t make it every day before school. I also didn’t really like eating lunch at school so I would give it to others who didn’t have lunch, or, in primary school, the class bunny would steal it out of my bag. That was one cute bunny. I frustrated my parents so much, and for that I am eternally sorry.
I ate supper, the habits were taking shape. None of this was my parents’ fault. They tried with me. I didn’t like eating, I had this rather crooked way of thinking about eating. I felt that time was precious and there were better things I could be doing. I was a silly teenager, what more can I say. I had in fact always been a picky eater. Not a great excuse but it was a fact.
At around 16-ish I was diagnosed with asthma. I was also given the pill due to heavy cycles. Looking back now, I can see where this was going. However, back then everyone was just doing what they thought was best at the time. I won’t write about fault, or blame. It was turning into a perfect storm, and we don’t have the ability to predict the future.
The not eating habit was joined by a smoking habit at 23. Yeah, that was a great idea. One of my more stellar decisions.
Add to that, the fact that I wasn’t sleeping properly, poor sleeping habits are still haunting me.
The Health Road Continues
I did get tonsilitis quite a bit, I remember that. They were not taken out because when I was in hospital my parents found out that I was allergic to anaesthetic. I have never tested that theory so I don’t know for sure. When I was younger I also had chicken pox and measles, the usual childhood illnesses.
At about 9 years old I contracted strep throat. Not something I would give my worst enemy, it is so painful that swallowing is agony.
At 18, around my birthday, I had glandular fever. Again, one of those really painful experiences. My spleen was a very swollen and really painful.
Since then I have had pneumonia, twice, and some bouts of bronchitis. Just as a side note, I don’t get vaccinated. Personal choice and not one I am going to change.
Fast forward to now. I still have asthma but I choose not to use a pump. Yes I still smoke too, but hopefully not for much longer. I have set a date. My poor man, I don’t want him to be the one who suffers when I have bouts of aggression. Using that as an excuse not to quite is, however, no longer an option.
I have now also been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This one has really knocked me, I am tired, I am trying to lose weight, and my concentration is down the toilet. Those are just some of the fun surprises.
The Changes
I was one who had to be coaxed to drink milk as a child, my mom would add a teaspoon of sugar and vanilla essence. As I go olde I really like the taste of milk and would drink it all the time. I started out adding nesquik (more sugar, I know), but later I just drank it plain. I have now eliminated milk from my diet. I still eat cheese, but milk is out. Unless I get it via a baked goodie, I don’t have it at all. I have noticed a huge difference in the inflammation I felt with regards my asthma. Which means other damaging inflammation is also minimised.
I was never a big bread lover. I was a big pasta person though. I have eliminated most of the gluten in my diet, I have pasta every now and then and I am sticking to durum wheat pasta which I have noticed doesn’t inflame me half as much as the cheaper pastas that I ate. I eat bread rarely now.
I cut out sugar too, unless it comes in a baked goodie though, which I also eat sparingly. In my coffee first thing in the morning I may have some honey, or maple syrup, or nothing at all. Black coffee is also a new thing, which I am really enjoying. I was always fine with black tea so no major change there.
I have been drinking oat milk, It is much nicer than I though it would be. I love Okja.
The point is, I am changing the habits. If it wasn’t for my other half, I would not have made the progress I have made so far. He has been my biggest supporter, and also my biggest critic. He pushes me, fights with me to be better, and fights for me. I could not ask for a better partner in my life. So a huge thank you to him!
This blog started as a “organisey” one, but I feel the need to evolve that into a place where I can share my little challenges and hopefully show someone else that you can make a difference in your life, especially by making better choices.
I have a really big motivator, my man and I want to grow old together. I can’t do that if I don’t do better. So I must.
