h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There is something very wrong about seeing Easter Eggs on the shelves when there is snow on the ground and dead Christmas waiting for collection.

I quite agree. It's very very wrong.

I saw Easter eggs being loaded onto supermarket shelves on 31 December 2005. I'm still bothered by that.

How are you, anyway?

Traveller in Time looking for any signs of Christmas
"Easter is early, however I can not find any signs of Christmas beeing just over. "

in the Netherlands the supermarkts lay their easter eggs last week
...soon we celebrate xmas in the september and easter in december...

We haven't got any snow.

Easter is early this year, so they've only got another six weeks or so to make their money on ridiculous eggs that farmers in other countries are badly exploited to produce.

Yeah, but this is the only time of year I can stock up on Creme Eggs

*Makes note to send everyone Creme eggs for Xmas this summer; that's Xmas sorted then*

How are you Mort?

zdt

The Sainsbury's in Camden has hot cross buns practically blocking the way in.

I knew there must have been some intuitive reason I've stopped going to Camden Sainsbury's and started going up to Holloway Morrison's instead. I though it was a budget thing but it turns out my 'This place will make you rant' sense was switched on!

Do you mean Nag's Head Morrison's? That place also had a way of slowly driving me insane, what with all the 'special deals' blocking the central aisle. Maybe it's just supermarkets in general.

I used to get the most shocking panic attacks in supermarkets - however it is not too bad now unless a woman with a pram, a trolley and an unruly 4 year old with a balloon is near me

Problem solved now though, since I can't carry bags of cat litter home without near collapsing, I get a nice man at Sainsbury to deliver it for me instead
Once a month I order the heavy stuff and only go to the shops to top up with fresh stuff.
Not having a car, then it is worth the fiver to pay for delivery (or £2.50 if i do a massive shop!)

Plus it is cheaper then the local Scotmist (co-op) from hell.

Has the added benefit of meaning I am eating a bit healthier too, not a lot but a bit!

I am ok - still struggling with this asthma but I know that smoking is a big problem, but also I have now become sensitive to everything.

The cats can make me wheeze if they snuggle up, and the other day I went into semi-chem and half choked due to the scented smells.

Apart from the smoking I have had quite a lifestyle change.
No aerosole deoderants, air fresheners, carpet fresheners, incense sticks , detergents etc; even certain toilet paper is too scented - bought Charmin the other day and choked when I opened the packet.

The cats are not allowed to sleep on my bedding (they have to snuggle on to a jumper of mine I put on the bed, which they like so apart from the odd time when they sneak onto a pillow or under the duvet it is not too bad).

I miss snuggling up to Spiggy on the sofa though - used to do it for hours watching TV - can only last 10 minutes now before I get a tight chest

I am sure it will get better once my lungs settle down (and I stop smoking!) but it seems the attack I had was so severe that it will take quite a while for them to recover to a reasonable level.

So other than that I am doing ok

Yes, that sounds very good indeed, apart from the bits that suck. It'll get better, I'm sure.

I hope Spiggy isn't too put out.

They may not have told you (although I may have already done so) not to take anything with aspirin in it anymore, just in case. And think about getting an alert bracelet for it.

Shame about the cats though. That must be very disapointing. Ask for some allergy tests if you haven't already been sent for some. They aren't always very accurate (took nearly 20 years for me to show up as allergic to something) but you may find that you aren't allergic to 'cats' but something specific about a cat, which may help you to find a way to stay close without a reaction.

Have you been given any help for giving up smoking? I've heard people with asthma say it gets worse when they give up, but I'm not convinced that's either a)completely true or if it is, b) permanent.

What medication are you on if you don't mind me asking?

Mort, i got rushed into Intensive care about 3 months back with life threatening asthma attack; if i'd been able to speak, i could have told them what triggered it: stress of le V moving two hours away & insisting i help him move. Three years down the spout packed into a ford transit & 2 hour drive from hell, unloading at other end & my birthday...

Couldn't breathe; managed to get doc, "straight to Emergency or you will be dead in 2 hours" "No can do, have to sort cat arrangements first!"...did that, got taken & monitored, oxygen, respiration;blood gases, tests, the lot. They had to immediately stop Atenolol, which i've been on for 20 years 'cos of "irregular heartbeat". They put some sort of tranquiliser in the drip to ease me off it over two days. On nebuliser & constant nasal oxygen.

I left hospital, having been told "Atenolol beta blocker is making asthma life threatening, more so than smoking"...i've been off heeart drugs now for 3 months & just need puffer in morning (2 puffs at night, 1 on waking); still smoking, but less & have emergency pack of very mild traquiliser i can take a quarter or half of if i am, or know, i will be stressed or cold.

It's worked. No palpitations; usual smokers "nasty half hour in the morning" stuff; but can cope OK with cats & most yuk smelly stuff. Artifical perfumes get me going though, pollen season, we have yet to see. But i'm no longer dependent on heart stuff, my BP is pretty constant at 100/60, pulse is around 100...fast for resting, but normal for me. On the heart drugs it dropped to sometimes 68/45 & i wondered why i felt unable to move???

I need more sleep, but if i accept that & do an hour's nap, i am usully fine.Do ask them to check your meds balance please. i also find eating "little but often" works, can't handle heavy meals...vegetarian syndrome!

I can sleep now with Yoda snuggled up to me, which is important.



zdt