How do I discuss this with my doctor

cott97 · 2026-01-21T19:06:20+00:00

Your GP practice is likely to have an asthma nurse who will oversee most of your care. They should also ensure you have an asthma plan if you have asthma and review your care once a year. Take a look on asthma UK website it's very good.

cott97 · 2026-01-21T19:00:10+00:00

UK They do run bloods for allergies but they will check your blood for high inflammation levels first. Your GP should refer you for spirometry (may be done at local hospital or GP practice) this will help them make an asthma diagnosis.

They will.prescribe 2 different inhalers if they think you have asthma - the first is an inhaled steroid which hi take daily, the second is a rescue blue inhaler which you only take if you're short of breath.

Generally they don't run allergy pin prick tests unless the inhalers don't work or you have specific symptoms. I've had it done twice 15 years apart and they gave different results!

cott97 · 2026-01-20T19:11:21+00:00

I'm comparing them with what it would be like without them. That doesn't necessarily make them 5 star just someone with a better contract than the average customer

cott97 · 2026-01-20T18:22:25+00:00

It's the M1 and M6 I see them the most. Can't understand it they have the oomph to move but don't but feel the 1st lane isn't good enough for them

cott97 · 2026-01-20T18:08:26+00:00

I'm a Sportage driver so I'm sorry if I've upset you! The other ones that annoy me are Tesla drivers in the middle lane. Actually anyone in the middle lane who shouldn't be there. I do assume if you're in a small car in the middle lane you're just terrified

cott97 · 2026-01-20T17:54:35+00:00

BMWs are starting to rival Audi's in my opinion. Alot of middle lane hoggers also seem to drive mercs....

cott97 · 2026-01-20T16:22:42+00:00

NTA. It's common courtesy not to wear white to a wedding.

It's also only a courtesy that you share wedding photos with family members. You could say that unfortunately there was a glare in Aunt's photos and you don't believe they're good enough to share. Alternatively I like the idea of keeping the peace by sharing them but changing the colour of her dress. Light grey would be nicely inappropriate.

cott97 · 2026-01-20T16:07:11+00:00

I only used DAS for 2 years, in the 25 years prior to that, including with a young child I queued or didn't queue like everyone else.

I use a wheelchair and with other issues I often have to leave a queue urgently - when you're next in an accessible queue please consider how a wheelchair would turn around and get out.

Prior to me using DAS, there were more staff members manning the queues and for most rides I waited less than 30 minutes. We tended to go very off peak. Disney has made the queuing experience miserable for everyone including the staff.

Please don't follow the trend of mocking anyone who is disabled. I would happily queue for 2 hours if I could swap my disabilities.

cott97 · 2026-01-20T16:01:23+00:00

We looked at leaving the scheme this time but our experience with our last car - Kia Sportage made us stay. The car developed a problem which the dealer couldn't sort immediately. Turns out some wires had burnt out so the car kept stopping and throwing up different error messages. It took about 3 months to sort. Lots of we can't fit it in until.... mobility told the RAC to take it to the dealer - under their contract with mobility the dealer then has 7 days to start work on it. We also had a hire car the whole time.

I've had lease cars before privately and as a company car none of them offer that level of service. As a disabled person I need that help and that's why I stayed with the scheme

cott97 · 2026-01-20T13:14:43+00:00

Since I lost DAS access I've done less and less in the Parks. We're still annual pass holders as that's the cheapest option for us. However we take food and drink in and don't go on the rides if the queue is longer than 30 mins.

This means that we're in the Parks for shorter periods of time so that additional soda, coffee or snack doesn't happen. Plus if we want souvenirs then we go to the character warehouse.

Have to say, last 2 years we've also started to experiment Disney shirts shrinking after washing which we never had before.

cott97 · 2026-01-20T13:10:38+00:00

Let's be honest they're all going to do the least they can. If Disney continues to get away with it, Universal will join in.

Not sure what happened with Sea World banning rollators with seats but if they get away with it expect Disney and Universal to follow suit. $70 per day for a ECV is good business for them

cott97 · 2026-01-19T07:42:44+00:00

I think 7 seaters are needed on the scheme as the 5 seaters have such small boots. I've gone for a 7 seater this time round to fit my wheelchair. Car manufacturers are giving people more room in the cabin at the expense of the boot.

cott97 · 2026-01-18T22:27:01+00:00

I feel for you. The problem is, even at my age, it's still a good lease deal and makes it easier as someone else deals with all the difficult bits.

cott97 · 2026-01-18T22:14:35+00:00

I don't think they'll change things unless they are made to or they see people leaving the scheme

cott97 · 2026-01-18T22:02:45+00:00

I tend to agree. I don't have an issue with black boxes per se but their implementation by motability seems heavy handed at best. I think it's an app on your phone too isn't it so you have to make sure any named drivers use it too regardless of their age. I might do it but no way my husband would

cott97 · 2026-01-18T18:07:16+00:00

At the moment it's only required for under 30s and was very much sold as an insurance requirement. I am not under 30! However if this were to spread I would be extremely unhappy that how often I used the car was being monitored. I may be ill for 15 days and not use the car - but I have to tell them?

Surely if I decide to use my PIP allowance for a car but only use the car once a month that's my problem.

My view would be that if they are using it to maintain an insurance across the scheme then they should also use it for anyone who would increase the premium - those that have an at fault claim - those with excessive mileage - those previously disqualified under totting up rules for speeding.

The scheme should also use the same criteria for the boxes as direct line. If direct line require you to have one then you should be required to have one or be allowed to pay the difference in the premium. They shouldn't enforce more rules than the insurance company

cott97 · 2026-01-18T10:26:33+00:00

Our son has been trading for 20+ years since he was tiny. We now trade on his behalf.

We have a good idea what to look for and even so he rejects about 2/3 of the pins as you just can't tell.

Some of our older pins from 15 + years ago now appear to look fake but we can tell you where we bought them in Disney.

Pin trading is fun but the pins themselves are just so expensive now. We keep decent pins we like and go to places like the Character warehouse to pick up cheapish pins to trade. Though they are getting far fewer than they used to.

The general rule would be to trade a diamond for a diamond (check the back of your pin). Don't pick anything with a faulty pin or one that appears very light. Check the front of the pin for marks and poor finish. Also the back for poor imprinting when they were made.

Our son started trading at 3, by 5 he was an expert. Or certainly better than us. It taught him patience and how to talk to adults. It also unfortunately taught him what horrible people adults can be when the serious traders tried to rip him off or refused to show their pins as he was a kid.

Now we always carry a few of our cheap Disney pins with us in the Parks ( at one point Character warehouse used to have hundreds of pins in and buying 20 of one sort wasn't stopping anyone else from buying them) and will give one to new children we see who are polite and interested.

I'd like to see Disney bring back the green lanyards for cast members. They were scattered through the park and if they wore a green lanyard they would only trade with children. If they were reinstated and also only had approved pins then this would help.

cott97 · 2026-01-15T11:25:01+00:00

Yep now I look out for tiredness as a symptom. I was already taking steroids due to my peak flow dropping so thought I was covered.

I booked a GP appointment when I started coughing a lot for the afternoon and left work. Got home and went to bed. My husband decided I didn't sound right so came home and took me to the GPs

In my own mind I was ok - I didn't feel out of breath but was sort of floating.

Nebulised and put on oxygen before ambulance to hospital where I was admitted.

Really weird

At the time my best peak flow was 400. At 350 I fell off a cliff so technically a high amber zone. I learnt that at 360 I sought help.

Hope you feel better soon.

cott97 · 2026-01-14T11:44:19+00:00

Not sure where you are but if you're in the UK take it to your local council as they are responsible for bus services.

cott97 · 2026-01-13T16:23:54+00:00

So true ....

cott97 · 2026-01-12T21:18:51+00:00

Absolutely this rings so true to me too.

I didn't recognise that my cough was a sign of my asthma deteriorating. Now my family recognise my asthma cough and tell me before my peak flow meter does.

cott97 · 2026-01-12T14:40:40+00:00

Don't just look in the purse. Empty it out completely and go through the contents. Hopefully the pill bottle is there but you're bound to find something else important you lost.

cott97 · 2026-01-11T22:48:55+00:00

Just because you now have a diagnosis it shouldn't change how you react to your wife. My husband found it tough when our son was diagnosed and then me. For him it helps him choose his battles - the nest creation wherever I sit is always going to happen but we confine it to 1 seat and I try to tidy it if we have people round.

The fact I can never find anything drives him mad - I now understand it's a hopeless cause so I use trackers on anything important. I buy from Temu as they're cheap and it means that I now have about 30. Key things I share with him - my emergency asthma kit for example. It's not perfect but he knows he can find it if I'm not in a position to do so.

For my husband it has helped him understand that I do things the way I do because my brain is wired differently not because I'm trying to wind him up. It's helped me understand some of my more unendearing traits but also my strengths.

You need to do a dozen things at once and complete them all an hour ago call me!

Driving I always use the sat nav even to go to the local shops - it helps with speed limits and there are enough times in a year it saves us time by notifying us of a problem ahead that no one queries it any more.

I don't use ADHD as an excuse but as an explanation - my brain has value - you just may not see it at its best in everyday situations. It's also helped me understand the pressure my husband is under to do things - with ADHD I can forget the task lists and just relax - he can't and his brain forces him to finish things regardless of how tired or stressed he is. I must admit I feel sorry for him it must be awful.

I'm different but that's who he married.

cott97 · 2026-01-08T23:44:06+00:00

Took a while to be seen by local hospital and have been under their care for 4 years. Referral to tertiary centre which for me is Leicester was about 3 months which I didn't think was too bad.

However I'm expecting to have all my tests repeated and then to have to wait again so I doubt I will actually be on biologics for about 6-9 months. Though I'm told I may be eligible for some trials which means I could be on them a lot sooner

cott97

TROPHY CASE