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No O²

Sometime in July 2023

What has been happening?

Hypoxemia. That's a fancy way of saying "Oxygen don't like your body, ma'am.

°°°

What caused it in my case?
1. Not using my CPAP machine every night because Eskom wants to see us dead. This machine helps with sleep apnea - every now and then I stop breathing at night, presumably to admire myself in my sleep. 
2. I have diastolic dysfunction - fancy way of saying a certain part of my heart muscle doesn't ever relax (pretty much like my personality. IYKYK)
3. Anemia (I'm treating this by consuming iron every day. If you stand too close to me, you can smell the iron ore. Don't tell the US government. They will mine me.)
4. Pulmonary hypertension (I'm also taking pills for this. But we found that they have lost strength, so doc increased the dose to Final Boss Level.)

°°°

What has been happening to my body (symptoms)
1. Lower lip has been darker (I just need to put on lip gloss, and it looks like I have a new lipstick.)
2. Slight confusion, e.g. forgetting regular nouns, like tree, dog or electricity. That last one isn't my fault though. I also just want to sleep the whole time. 
3. Failing the 6MWT - I couldn't walk for longer than 6 minutes without gasping for air (and maybe vodka.) Going up and down the stairs at home has been a mission. 
4. Going out of breath from doing nothing. And here I thought I was just so stunning that it took my own breath away. Kanti in dying. Lol.

°°°

How to help me
1. Don't show up without ice cream.
2. Don't scare or startle me.
3. Don't make me laugh too hard. 
4. Hug me on sight.
5. Pray for me (throw in a request for a husband while you're at it.)
6. Feed me iron and potassium-heavy food. (Does tequila have potassium? Asking for a friend)
7. Tell me when my speech is weird or I sound sleepy. It could save my life. 
8. If I send you a message/text/email that makes little to no sense, tell me immediately. This too could save my life. 

°°° 

What am I doing about it? (Treatments)
1. Temporarily stop going to the gym (Oh no! Lol.) My heart rate is raised and needs no further raising (unlike our salaries, bestie.)
2. Extra diuretics - to remove excess water from the lungs and the rest of the body. As a result, if I even look at water I need to go pee immediately. 
3. Electrolytes - to combat the dehydration. I MUST drink liquids - a cruel twist.
4. Supplemental oxygen. Sort of like going to the petrol station, but for my lungs and heart. 
5. A magical extra electricity supply from Eskom means I can use my CPAP machine at night. 
6. I take a steroid-loaded inhaler every morning. I'm gonna start lifting when I go back to the gym, which I sadly have to. I'm gonna look like my childhood hero Schwarzenegger. I will terminate all my problems. 

I'll be back!

An oxygen molecule structure
















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