Finishing off the year from hell

I have been struggling to breathe over the 8 past years, and progressively getting worse. Even just a slight stroll to the shops Damien would notice how breathless I was. I coughed every time my heart rate went up even slightly ie just talking or at the gym, clients noticed and it has been awkward during covid. I got a throat infection for 4 months at the start of 2021 so got a referral to see an ENT. I decided to keep the appointment even though it did eventually clear up just in case he had any ideas about the breathing, it was taking too long to see a respiratory specialist,  asthma puffers we’re doing nothing, and the spirometry came back that I didn’t have asthma!! Only took 8 years for a dr to actually do a test on it! Anyway the ENT diagnosed me as soon as I started speaking with a SUBGLOTIC STENOSIS ie a narrowing of the air pipe. Very rare but almost always seen in women my age, commonly mistaken for asthma and pregnancy makes it worse… Tick tick tick! The receptionist made a mistake emailing me the date of the operation to dilate the air pipe was booked for the 12th however it was actually the 2nd Dec, so I had a days notice to cancel clients, book flights, get a covid test and be in Sydney for this operation. Thankfully I stayed in at Vincent’s overnight so I didn’t need to pay for accommodation nor wonder around Sydney by myself. It was a relatively painless recovery, just a sore throat and some steroids. I will always have a form of cough due to scaring and I’ll have to be monitored for breathing for ever now. Biopsy’s didn’t show that I had any auto immune diseases that can cause this so the cause is unknown.  

The end of this year has been busy which is good to pass the time. Still recovering from the birth, I’ve just been wishing the time away. We attended a comedy festival that came to Griffith, a weird feeling being at an event with no masks! We bought a couch, which we went to Albury to pick up. Can’t believe we didn’t buy a recliner in the first place, best money spent! 

Damien randomly borrowed an excavator, which after all this time we worked out it fits down the side! The back patch of dirt is now flat and starting to be cleared! I’ve got grand plans for the yard, bought an outdoor dining table, we’ve got some quotes for a pool, and I’m reading a landscaping design book! Can’t wait to have a nice yard to entertain in. 

Ruby got her ears pierced after waiting impatiently all year. I made her wait for it to be a graduating yr 6 gift. She is obsessed with them and very diligent about the after care for them etc. Even the elf on the shelf got it's ears pierced! Her graduation was daggy and cute. All the kids seem too young to be going to high school, though they think they’re so grown up already. Damien and I attended, as Ruby's mum didn’t want to go…

 And now we’re gearing up for Christmas and summer! Damien takes his drone everywhere he goes.