MND can get in the sea

My three monthly respiratory appointment at the hospital recently went very well. I wore a saturation probe on my finger the night before and handed it in for analysis when we arrived. The respiratory physio Steph, and student physio Phoebe tested my sniff and cough strength and took a blood gas sample, all of which came back with good results. However, I had to tell the consultant Dr Jackson, that I have been waking in the night, having to catch my breath and that I sometimes wake with a headache. Alice also said that she can hear that I have sleep apnoea during the night. All of these things, and my constant yawning during the day, are typical symptoms of CO2 retention. As my respiratory muscles weaken, I can't fully fill or empty my lungs, which in turn lowers my oxygen saturation, and raises my heart rate. Dr Jackson said the results of the probe backed this up and although my breathing was not concerning at the moment, it might be an idea to have a think about trying non invas...

Does anyone like January? Not many of us I'm guessing. I was certainly happy to see the back of it. I remember last year that my symptoms deteriorated remarkably just after Christmas and I feel as though the same has happened this year. Maybe it's the January blues, or the amount of rain we've had, or maybe it's just a coincidence, but it has hit me pretty hard I'm afraid.  Over the last few weeks I have noticed that my arm and finger strength has reduced and I now struggle to lift the duvet up to my pillow at night, or make a cup of coffee during the day. The things that I used to never think about like brushing my teeth or scratching my head are now monumental or impossible tasks. I have a back scratcher that Teddy and I share. I use it to reach an itch, and because I can't bend down and stroke Teddy any more, he likes a scratch under his chin - who doesn't?  My legs fare no better than my arms, and though I can still stand, I can't then lift my legs ...