[Rudolf Ross]

Hello Charlene,

To answer your question regarding the geography of Sydney etc, The city is east to the rest of us, the Blue mountains are west of the harbor bridge, I live 2 hours south of Sydney, no pollution, or peak hour traffic, beautiful green pastures what can I say its Gods country.

I do acrylic paintings as well so it makes one concentrate on the subject.

Cheers from me

Rudolf

 

[Rudolf Ross]

Hello Charlene,

Crickey’s, it’s been a few years since I made contact with anyone, basically I guess I got on wth life also I was in a mental stage where I sort of couldn’t be bothered with attending to things and letting things go.This lasted a year or more then I slowly realised I wasn’t going to die early.

In Australia we call it the “Black dog”,as a lot of men suffer from this and top themselves (commit suicide) This is a big thing with service men here and everywhere else I guess.

I sold up all my assets and moved in with my son also gave away enough $$$ to my 3 children?? ( 50 plus)for  them to debt free.

In this country if you have to much $$$ one doesn’t get the pension as we call it so it’s spend spend spend until one qualifies.

I am slowly deteriorating with my lung condition but then again I am over 80 YO so it’s sort of ok and could have a few more years to look forward to.

Cheers from me

Rudolf

[Rudolf Ross]

Hi Charlene,

Rudi Ross from the land down under.

You asked a question some weeks ago about whereabouts I lived in Australia,

I live south of Sydney ( 2 hrs.by car)in the southern highlands, it’s cooler in summer and colder in winter but overall it’s a great place to live.

Hobbies, As I live alone I do a lot of woodworking things like turn wood into fruit, making plywood statuettes of reindeer

and paint them.

Been to the doctors and had CT scans done, something changed in my lungs so more tests and scans.

Cheers

Rudi.

[Rudolf Ross]

Hi Charlene,

Rudi from down under here again, while I was working I used to stay awake till early morning thinking about everything and basically silly stuff desperately trying to sleep.

I picked up a book on self-hypnosis at a trash sale and after reading it I followed one of the examples written,

When you go to bed no matter how angry or bad you feel lie down and when you’re ready, start consciously thinking about your breathing, think to yourself the word SLEEP, think it slowly so it coincides with every breath you take.

SLEEP is a stupid word to say but it takes away the concentration of your other problems.

We can’t really think of many things at one time so after a while, the brain resists what you tell it but persistence is the key.

It took Pavlov 21 days to train a dog so give yourself a chance and persist.

It may not work every time but it’s ok for me.

May I say Charlene that I never ever thought that young people would succumb to this disease, how can that be as I worked in dusty dirty environments and it’s taken 50 years to find I have it.

My heart goes out to all of you.

Rudi.

[Rudolf Ross]

I am from Australia and I joined this site to get a better understanding of what’s happening elsewhere in the world.

I  am 77 and was diagnosed in 2017 with a combination of IPF and Emphysema? not sure about that.

Weekly I go to a thing called a men’s shed where men get together and make things out of wood or metal or repair thing broken, as it is a big dust hazard I use the professional dust masks when working or entering the workshops.

Twice a week I go to a hospital organized lung rehabilitation class where we do chest and lung expanding exercises to help us breath better, also lose a bit of weight, not sure if the exercises work but weight loss is good.

Cheers

Rudi

[Rudolf Ross]

Hello Mal,

Yes it seems we are neighbours sort of, I now live in Bundanoon with my son /Carer of sorts, last year I picked up some sort of virus/bug and been coughing constantly until recently I had a penicillin drug for 3 weeks and now feel a lot better for it.

My lung function test ( ILD )every year shows a small decline but nothing to worry about so the doc tells me in the 3 minute consultation I have with him every year. I breath faster now than what I did years ago however the oxygen levels are in the mid 90s, when I am doing things in the shed alls good until I try to exert myself then the puffing starts.

Used to be a sparky, that’s how I filled the lungs up with all sorts of great things like brick and tilling dust, fibreglass in ceiling mixed with 100 year old roof dust, I’d come out coughing and spluttering and never think of the consequences years later.

Cheers from me and hope your’e doing all right.

Rudolf