Tidbits and Tricks - Tried and True

We often hear of unconventional things people do when they are struggling to breathe, to feel better or for any reason. These are things I have done, my husband has done or something that someone has told me they have done.

Are you struggling to breathe?

• Do you feel like you are drowning and it’s too humid? Stick your head in the freezer. Don’t climb in or close the door. Just breathe in that cold dry air for a minute or two. Hopefully that will help you to breathe easier.
• When struggling to breathe you can also feel some relief by turning a fan on and turning towards you. I have a ceiling fan and it’s turned on whenever I’m in my bedroom. We also have ceiling fans in the hallway, kitchen and my computer room. That moving air does make a difference.
• Is the morning most difficult for you and you struggle to breathe?
  Have your nebulizer next to your bed. Do your nebs before talking your other medications. That neb will help to open your lungs up so that the medications will work better for you.
• Are some medications difficult to swallow? Have you been told to crush the medication or told to dissolve the meds in water? That doesn’t work for me and others have said the same. I’m talking about the bigger medications, those we call horse pills. Example: my potassium pill. It’s porous and dissolves fairly well, but I can’t get it down, no matter what I try. One morning, I decided to try coffee with that pill. I put the pill in my mouth and took a drink of coffee. It dissolved nicely as I swallowed with no problem.
• Are muscle cramps bothering you? Drink pickle juice. I didn’t believe it when I heard it either. My husband tried it and it does work for him. Others swear by that too.
• Does your pet come in damp or dirty? Keep a towel by the door and dry him off. Brush the fur-baby right away. That helps a lot. Especially if your pet is a shedder. For long hair breeds, keep the hair clipped short, even for those that are allergy-free. They say there is no such thing as an allergy free dog because they all have dander and saliva. I know that the non-shedding breeds and I get along ok. Shedders are difficult and the musky breeds affect me the most.
• Do you periodically feel stressed and aren’t sure why? What’s on your TV? The news? Politics? How about social media and all of the negativity? So many try to goad others on. Take time to turn off the TV and the internet. This is a good time to practice your pursed lip breathing. Pray or meditate. Clean a drawer. Find something relaxing to do. This can all get overwhelming and has been known to affect breathing and put people on blood pressure meds. Know your stress level and turn it off before it gets too far.
• Does someone ask if they can help? That’s wonderful! Ask if they would mind dusting or vacuuming. Those can be so difficult to do and can easily affect your breathing. Such an amazing friend! Oh yes, please do my ceiling fans too!
• Are you forgetful like I am? How do post it notes and lists work for you? I lose them, forget them and might have trouble reading them! I have “Notes” in my phone. Do you? Do you have something else that you can type in? Put your lists and notes in there. I take my phone everywhere, so I always have my lists.
• Do you have a memory from something in your past? Write it down in a journal. When the grandchildren come, you’ll have something to share with them and discuss. It amazes them when I tell them about my history with the computer, the first one I used, what I could do with that, to what I can do now. This can be a time of sharing with your children too.

This can be a time of peace for the difficult memories and a blessing for the times of joy.

A time of health and also a healing. Possibly a new bond and a support person. You don’t have to share everything in your life, but share part of your journey, that can be handed down through the generations. Recipes are great to share as well.

Do you have something out of the ordinary that works for you? Please share!