If you haven’t read Challenges Of Moving Part 1 you can read it here

Having got the full use of my ankle back by 2023 was the most amazing gift. My tendon, which had been hanging on with strands was fully repaired with a metal plate attached to my bone to stop it from jumping out of position. After 6 month’s rehabilitation I could walk for as long as I liked without pain or swelling. It felt like a miracle. We chose the location of our new home with ‘walking in nature’ in mind as we are inspired by Blue Zone living. We now live in the Tweed Valley where many routed walks abound and people come from all over the world to enjoy walks and cycle here. And so it was our expectation that we would be walking all year round.

Everything seemed perfect until…My lungs!

I’ve always had controlled asthma, triggered by sport; dog dander; upper respiratory infections, the cold and also stress. As we moved to Scotland I thought: we don’t own a dog, I don’t run and I will manage my respiratory infections and my stress. But life’s not that simple – we are all aware that we have complex physiologies.

Two problems arose:

1. The winter of my discontent: The air here can drop 20 degrees lower compared to Cape Town and my body protests against breathing in such cold, damp air and added to that fast walking seemed like running to my lungs. The result was asthma spasms that don’t go away easily without attention. 

By the end of last winter I felt like I had been in solitary confinement. I wrote in my journal: I didn’t ‘do the math’ when it came to living in Scotland, a cold climate. It never dawned on me that it would affect my lungs so much. What was a minor problem in South Africa became a full blown problem here and continues for four months.’ The process of recognizing my disappointment was also the process of observing the changes and journaling them and then respecting my body’s needs and learning how to take care of myself in the best way.

Adjustment with compassion: I had/have some choices:

1. I could relocate for 3 to 4 months each year but that’s not a practical solution for now or long term.
2. I could hibernate, and I am very happy to do that, as winter is a wonderful time to enjoy arts, crafts and writing but I also want to keep my relationships that I value kindled; and doing things with Derek, like walking. They are also important to me.
3. I decided to drive: So it does seem weird but I can drive to the venues I normally walk to. It will only take a few minutes but if that keeps my lungs safe that is a better choice for me.
4. Short holiday break: We will also compromise and go away to a slightly warmer climate, where the days are warm enough for me to walk. We will do it for my birthday in January for a week or two.
5. On a regular basis I can do indoor exercises: I already do HIT training (High intensity training) indoors.

It’s a challenge that we ultimately need to find creative solutions rather than feel defeated and that’s the adventure in living our lives well.

• Problem two:  A temporary health glitch.

As I had changed country I was no longer able to use my usual preventative inhaler for asthma and I was prescribed a different medication. At first I was not fully aware that I had a reaction to the new medication (causing more asthma). I thought I was just fighting a losing battle.  Six months later I landed in hospital weekly for 3 weeks in a row. I was on cortisone so logically the cortisone should have been helping. As I became more observant of the changes in my lung condition I took notes and eventually figured out that I was having the worst coughing bouts straight after taking that specific medicine. I researched the ingredients, carrier and the propellant. Without going into too much detail as this is not a medical paper, I put my observations and conclusion to the doctor and her face lit up. She was delighted that I had figured it out as she felt at her wits end. I would encourage you not to accept a problem situation and rather be proactive as we are ultimately responsible for our own well-being. I learnt that the hard way.

Thankfully once I had changed over to a different medication my lungs improved a lot. The medical team put my name down for attending a pulmonary rehab clinic which comprised of 12 mornings over 6 weeks where a group of us received education on how to look after our lungs and our specific conditions (COPD, emphysema, bronchiectasis or asthma). We also were instructed on diet, exercise, how to know when our condition is life threatening and lastly we also attended an hour of exercise at each session to improve our general fitness.  It was run by a group of physiotherapists who had specialised in lung care. It was helpful and also encouraging as Derek and I had begun to wonder if we had made a mistake in making the move to a colder, wetter climate.

Confirmation

I did receive some confirmation which I really didn’t want to hear, I had been hoping the physiotherapists would have an amazing answer for how I could continue walking in the cold winters. Their answer was simple – ‘if it triggers asthma then stay warm and out of the cold. Find another form of exercise’. Hmmmm, ouch. Not the answer I wanted to hear!

In the end I realized that it’s important to approach problems with a ‘how can I make a plan?’ attitude. It’s easy to think ‘I can’t’ and ‘woe is me’ or ‘it’s my way or the highway’ and many other negative undermining thoughts but it is important to find creative solutions.

Take care,

Morag Noffke.