2016 Goals and Aims

It's already 2016.
Where did 2015 go? Time sure does fly when you're busy!

For the first half of the year I will have a lot going on, from summer school which starts this week for an intense month of studying...  and then next month Summer Shakespeare shows for two weeks - full time working hard in the Front of House as the FOH Manager.

In March I begin my final half of the year for my final four papers.

For 2016 my goals are:

1. To finish my final 5 papers for my final year of study at VUW. I'm enrolled in a paper for summer which starts tomorrow - I'm excited and nervous to get these final 5 papers done. - I don't know what 2017 will bring - uni will be done and I'll be working!?

2. To lose weight, and this isn't a generic "I'll lose weight because it's New Years" thing, I'm serious.

3. To actually push myself creatively - writing blog posts, photographing for my Instagram, making YouTube videos? Actually doing things regularly to get my creative juices flowing.

And the usual New Years Goals:

• have fun, 
• keep growing my nails out, (2015 and prior every year it was hard to stop biting nails, counseling helped on this one!)
• exploring more of the city,
• learning new skills,
• and learning new things.

According to a bunch of articles, and in particular this online article from 2012, sharing your goals online makes you less likely to actually succeed in doing them.
Weird huh?
I thought if you share your aims and goals that it would mean more people could encourage you in your progress. Apparently this is the opposite effect as sharing means more people are there to push you more, and increasing pressure means you're more likely to fail. So weird!



Some notes:
Goal 2: I went to my doctor in early December 2015 and found that I'm 25kg overweight. My fitness levels are non-existent. I've become addicted to sugar and eating junk food. My BMI is in the 'overweight' category and is on the Obese end. To put it the other way if I gained an extra kg I would be in the Obese category. That freaks me out. This is the wake up call I needed to see that I'm not living a healthy lifestyle right now. I need to work on my fitness levels and get healthier in what I'm using to fuel my body, mind and soul.

Nanowrimo

NANOWRIMO has been an amazing month. I did not actually hit the 50,000 word target, but I did manage to write a lot more words than I ever expected to do in a month.

I'll keep writing more and try and post it as a huge post - it's a really long piece though. Over twenty pages and counting. If I wrote around two-thousand words per day I would be close to the 50,000, but alas I wrote a mere thousand or so each day instead.

Here's an excerpt:

"Hello dearest reader, my name is Lisa Taylor. I was born one balmy spring day in September in the late nineteen eighties. My parents a scale technician and a housewife, had been labouring away finishing off their newly built home. They had been rushing to finish off the interior painting before my birth. But alas I came a few weeks earlier than expected at thirty six weeks. Some of this story is based on real life facts of my life. More will be made up as I go along. It is up to you dearest reader to sort fact from fiction and see how well you really know me. How well do you really know the people you meet online? In the bookshop? In the cafe every Sunday morning on Cuba Street in Wellington? On the bus every night after work? I guess this work asks these questions and more and suggests ways in which we can get to know people. To learn their quirks. To learn their traits. To actually listen and hear their story, versus what we think we hear when they speak. What is not being said, what do we read between the lines?"

I have had a lot of fun mixing up my past and future dreams and history within the literary narrative. I also spent some time on the road, with a Conference and other events going on mid-writing.

Today is Day 30 anyway, and I have a lot more to do.

I am actually taking some time off it, to allow for me to complete the Summer Shakespeare ticket sales and NZ Skeptics Journal stuff. I've just also signed onto a medical trial for Asthma, so will see how this goes. 

Social Media updates and exciting new ventures.

So, so, much has changed in the past two weeks. 

To be honest it's a bit overwhelming how much life changes; for the better. 

First of all I dusted off my camcorder and started filming a few things for my YouTube channel. You can see the latest things here; Lisa Taylor's YouTube... and on that note - started talking to more local YouTubers on Facebook - slowly gaining followers, can only hope to grow more by recording more and furthering my own skills in editing, recording etcetera.

I see a lot of the local YouTuber's seem to solely do YouTube...
I'm still happy to have Pinterest, Instagram, this blog and Facebook going on. I created a page on Facebook for the Blog and YouTube updates - I'm thinking that I should really make it include the other social media stuff too: instagram, twitter and Snap Chat too. Just literally downloaded Snap Chat again, and I'm really unsure on that app!

Outside of Social Media: I'm teaching more, I have four adult students now. They are all from South Korea which is interesting. Mostly I've taught South Korean's here and a few Chinese people too.

I'm on a break for the year from university. It's exams right now, and I was clever enough to choose a paper which was all internal. I'm waiting on my final essay's grade which should be out by the time the Summer Semester begins.

Over Summer - after Christmas (so January and February), I'll be going crazy with Summer Shakespeare where I'm the Front of House Manager** - no pressure! The team -including me- was featured in Victorious the VUW alumni magazine recently - you can see that article and photo here. Was an awesomely fun photoshoot, and new for me- normally I'm on the other side of the camera and taking videos and such, so it was nice to play Model for an afternoon!

Just have to invoke my inner Queen Bee (Beyonce too!).

In a few weeks I'll be down to the Skeptics Conference again - 

Christchurch you'd better be ready for us! 

I'll be there for a few days with Dan and the local skeptics doing the conference talks 

and recording the podcast... 

IF I remember I'll also film some stuff to upload when we get back.

Music that has me singing along:

Adele's Hello! (2015)
Britney's Work B*  (2013).

Movies I love: 

The Minions movie (2015)
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Harry Potter - all of them (2001-2011)

Don't care that this is also from 2013: Selena's song Come and Get It 

- always makes me dance and sing along!
Also reminds me (fond memories) of working at a job I had for a few weeks when this song first came out and we played it in the store every day, super loud. 

One good thing about having a bit of time off before the craziness of Summer Shakespeare begins, means I have more time to catch up with and see friends...

So friends (yes this is me being my usual dorky, awkward self):  

It also means that YES I'm heading home to Taranaki for Christmas - see you soon New Plymouth!


**NOTE: This is the same page used every year, so in 2016 it will change to the next play for shows in February of the following year. Show dates for Love's Labours Lost are for February 2016.

Sourdough Bread - recipe

Sourdough Bread

Starter - Method One

DAY ONE: Mix 1/2C wholemeal flour in 1C filtered water, cover and leave for 10 days.

DAY TEN: Add 1Tbsp flour and mix.

DAY THIRTEEN: Add 1 Tbsp flour and a little water and mix.

DAY FOURTEEN: It is now ready to use.  It should be the consistency of pancake batter.

Starter - Method Two

DAY ONE: Mix 2C of flour and 2C of water.  

DAY TWO-SEVEN: Add a little flour (and water if required) everyday to keep it at a soupy consistency. It should go bubbly and have a wine-like smell.

DAY EIGHT-FOURTEEN: Leave for 7 days before use.

Making Bread

1C starter

3C warm water

seeds of your desire (sunflower, linseed)

Mix starter and warm water and enough flour till it develops a pancake batter consistency.  Leave for 8-12 hours (overnight is good).

Take out 1C (to replenish your starter for next time, set aside).  To the remaining mix in 1tsp salt, any seeds you wish to add (sunflower, linseed) and enough extra flour to make a stiff dough (stringy-ish).  Put into a pan that has been oiled (and coated in seeds/oats).  Leave to rise for 4-8 hours.

Cook at 200℃ for 1 hour.

Recipe credit.

27 things to do when you're 27

Tomorrow I'll be turning 27 and I remember reading an article about a year ago someone wrote on the "27 things you're meant to do by age 27" or something, and the internet went into an uproar about the suggestions because it was like - don't listen to boy bands when you're over 27... and only wear, do and say certain things.

Well in response there was a pile of awesome bloggers (and others) who replied: Screw you and your thoughts, here's what we have to say! 

Here are my own 27 things while I'm 27, that I hope to accomplish in this year:

1. Continue with my education:
Get my degree.
Seek out the best ESOL teaching training options, and pursue them!

2. On Love:
Get engaged? Get married? Have fun with Dan.
Be smart about what to say when someone asks when you're getting married - it's very personal.

3. Be in the moment... 
Too often I'm busy, busy, busy and too hectic to just be.

4. See more of the world, and the beautiful country I live in. 
Go exploring in a new (to me) part of town. Take photographs and get awesome memories in the process (to later share some on here and Instagram too).

5. Use Sunscreen. 
Skin Cancer in my family means I'm already at a higher risk for it than I'd like.
Use the proper SPF stuff.

6. Stop worrying about what anyone else thinks of you, just what you think of you. Who cares if you buy your clothes on sales, or from the bargain section of the shop?

7. Get more of my university assignments in, on time. Being on time is a great skill to have too.

8. To learn how to appreciate being alone. To think. Plan. Make my own path for the future.

9. On saying No when you really don't want to (or can't) do something.
This is something I've been working on. I find it easier now to say no, but then the guilt gets me. I need to work on losing that guilty feeling (like I'm letting someone down by saying No.)

10. Update my Instagram / social media accounts more. But don't let it become an obsessive need to do it. Weekly updates are probably best.
And to post my blog posts onto my Facebook page each Monday when they're published here too.

11. Have more time with Friends. We're all so busy all the time with work, school, and other commitments that we barely see each other for months on end. (Crazy!)
I'm going to be trying to meet up with a couple of friends for walks/ swims and chats more often.

12. Learning a new skill. I've been working on teaching ESOL for a few years now and I'm still learning constantly. I teach one on one, so those kinds of lesson set ups with a student don't scare me. (They used to!) ... whereas I'm still not 100% in the way I teach, so I'm learning to be more perceptive of how my student learns and adapting my teaching style to them.

13. On food: 
Learn how to cook a signature dish. Mine just might be couscous. A year or so back Dan admitted to me that he couldn't stand rice. One evening I decided to try making couscous and we both love it. I've learned over time that couscous needs more flavour so adding some cumin and butter is awesome.

14. On fashion: 
I'm no fashionista! Generally I wear clothes that are comfortable. I'm not into fashion or the latest runway styles. I have my usual grab and go set that I wear often (I'm looking at you leggings!)... Recently I bought a crop top, so I am keen to learn how to wear that. It's striped white and black. If anyone has tips - leave me a comment.

15. Find, follow, and comment on other people's blogs. 
I recently found Helene in Between on BlogLovin'.
BlogLovin' also has a great email newsletter which puts you in touch with other blogs you may like. I've been subscribed to the main email list for a while, and love it.

16. Use protection: 
If you're like me and don't want a baby now, then use protection. I have my copper IUD in still, but there's lots of other options out there.

17. Figure out your finances:
Student loan? Yeah, and it's not pretty. ~$45,000 owing on mine*.
The good news is though, that I have no other debts. No credit cards and no overdraft. 
I had a $500 overdraft, with my bank and paid it off quickly. I also cut off that feature so I can't go into more debt again.
And just as I set myself a goal to aim for: to buy myself a tablet (to use for teaching, as well as University study...) and then I realise - fully upset now - about how close it is to Christmas.
This year is the final one I'll be having at home with my family; Next year (2016) is all about studying and saving hard to afford TESOL studies in 2017... before moving overseas! (late 2017 / early 2018).
*I haven't finished my studies either, so I have a little more which will go on there in the next 18 months. 

18. Creating a more homely home:
Keeping on top of my chores better, not letting washing pile up, or dishes take over the tiny kitchen.

19. Professional, in attire and in personality:
This is a current gap in my wardrobe, I dress relatively smart casual (so I think anyway?) So I have a distinct lack of black nice trousers and such for interviews and more business attire in general.

20. Making my health a priority: Up until I turned 25 I was biting my nails and making a right mess of my hands. It effected my self esteem and my feelings of worth.
Now I'd like to work on myself as a whole - eating well, drinking more water and just generally taking care of myself better. Since being diagnosed with Asthma at 21, I've let it be an excuse for my bad weight and health choices. I can exercise. I am lazy; I need people to support me in my fitness goals.
I am not trying to lose weight per se, but to become overall more healthy.

21. Facing things head on: If there's something difficult in the way, to face it like an adult and accept that things may be difficult. It's only a challenge for the moment. It won't last forever.

22. On music: 
Listen to whatever makes you feel something (it could make you dance and be happy, or cry...)

23. There's always a lesson to be learned: No matter what life throws your way, there's always something you can learn from the good, the bad or the ugly that comes your way.
Use these lessons in positive ways.


#24 credit

25. Stand aside from those who do not agree with you and your views. Embrace the whole "agree to disagree" vibe of life. 

  #25 credit.

26. Stop comparing yourself to others. 

The Jones' aren't at the same stage of their life as you are, and that's okay. 

Your life is not their life (and vice versa).

Life in the moment and just learn to be.

27. Be yourself.

Stop being ashamed of who and how you are. Embrace your quirks. 

You're you and your friends and family love you for being you. 

Getting my IUD put in and after; my reviews.

So as anyone who is close to me knows, I'm all about sexual health and being safe.
Last year I decided to change up my contraception options and try something new.
In today's post I'm going to share a little about what I chose and why, and some things I suggest for when you talk to your doctor.

Holidays week 2: don't let the flu get you!

So it's the second week of uni break now. Ties in well with school holidays being on at the moment too. Last week I went up to see my doctor and got my flu vaccine done. So I'll be protected from the flu for another year... Living in an apartment building means I'm (sort of) more susceptible to getting sicker, and I'd rather not expose those in this community to the flu. It's no walk in the park!
Read on to see why I chose to get the vaccine and not let the flu get me...

What I've learned from blogging and a beg for Help

In may 2010 I decided to create this blog, through all the life changes the one thing that has been there constantly is this blog...

101 blog post ideas.

Sometimes when I'm preparing my blog post for the week, I feel horrified to realise that I have that horrid Writer's Block. So what do I do? Research, I read blogs online and then I get distracted and end up somewhere crazy on Wikipedia at two in the morning...

Feelings and stuff

To be honest I am not sure what I plan on doing with this blog, since starting it in 2010; let's just say that during the past 4 years my life has changed a lot. I'm not the same person I was back then. My relationships have changed (love wise) and I live in a much swankier place now, an apartment. On top of all that I have my mental health stuff still going on, as well as Asthma (who saw that curve ball coming my way?!) If you'd told the Lisa of 4 years ago that I'd be living in an apartment in the city I would have laughed...

I haven't blogged in nearly a month now, I've had a lot of changes in my life offline...
such as I'm now adding to my career titles, I just wish I was being paid! (haha).
I am now a secretary for a society; as well as the Outreach officer for another society.

To the memories of this year...

At Te Papa, selfie in the art gallery.

Wellington Waterfront.

Make over with Brooklyn at Weltec.

Take Back the Hood, Bats show.

Above and below: art from Matchbox art gallery.

Sunset from our apartment.

My 100th Post and 100 things about me (that you probably don't know)

So apparently it's a 'thing' to do a list of 100 things about yourself for your 100th blog post... I have no idea how I'm going to come up with 100 but we will see how this goes.
This is also the Lucky 100th post, it's taken a few years and a lot of missed posts - I haven't been fantastic at the whole "blog post each week" promise I made years ago!

1. I'm technically a Lisa Marie, in other words officially I don't have a middle name!
2. I'm the oldest in my family - oldest child, oldest sibling, oldest cousin, oldest grandchild (on both sides) as well as oldest granddaughter (on both sides).
3. My High School Sweetheart died when I was 18.
4. My Parents are High School Sweethearts.
5. My Parents share their birthday, although in different years - Dad is older.
6. I learned Dance when I was a child.
7. I cannot wear High Heels.
8. I don't have children and I don't want any: I'm Childfree.
9. I've bitten my nails since I was a child. (Onychophagia).
10. I have been treated for Depression.
11. I'm open about health and contraception.
12. I've talked about having an IUD on Facebook.
13. I have an Instagram account where I upload photos (I'm better at photography than writing it seems!)
14. I love drinking tea. Green tea. Iced. It doesn't bother me.
15. I love pineapples.
16. I'm mildly allergic to coconut.
17. Also mildly allergic to kiwifruit.
18. Badly allergic to Ventolin.
19. I'm Asthmatic - from a Bakery job I had when I first moved to Wellington.
20. I moved to Wellington in June 2009 for University.
21. I'm nearly 26.
22. My birthday is September 22nd.
23. I don't believe in religion, God or otherwise. I'm an Atheist.
24. I love cats, but I'm allergic to them.
25. I want to have a dog, one day.
26. I joined Skeptics In The Pub with Dan - We do a lot of Activism there, like writing ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) complaints about advertising...
27. Dan and I have been together for over 3 years now (and counting!)
28. I spent a year after high school at Art School.
29. I have 6 papers left of my BA to complete at VUW.
30. Dan and I moved into an apartment with a flatmate and we love it.
31. Secretly I love DIY...
32. Last year I had my hair cut off into a Pixie cut - loved it for a while but then really wanted long hair. . .
33. I learned that Hair takes a LONG time to regrow when you chop it all off!
34. This year I was diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder - I've been treated with CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy).
35. Stopped being on the Pill after 11 years... (and got my IUD about 5 months ago).
36. A huge ally for my Queer, Gay, Lesbian, Trans* and Intersex friends.
37. Have been flatting, living away from parents, since I was 18.
38. Learned to drive while I was really depressed - the plus side is that I can't remember how scary it must have been!
39. I have memory problems relating to my depressive episode (at age 18-23).
40. Parents and family now live 4.5 hours away from me.
41. I live in the capital city of New Zealand.
42. I wear glasses for reading.
43. I have my full drivers licence.
44. I adore Bubble Tea (with the Tapioca bubbles).
45. I taught an Asian friend how to boil rice on the stove. (He had only every used a rice cooker).
46. I want to learn how to fly an aeroplane - helicopter.
47. I dressed very tom-boyish as a child.
48. When I turned 22 or 23 I started to dress more femininely; more dresses anyway!
49. I still don't know how to wear skirts well.
50. I wish I knew how to sew better and I want to buy a sewing machine so I can do so.
51. Dan can't drive, so I do it. But we don't have a car so it's not a big deal.
52. I'm quite lazy - but only with certain things.
53. I really don't like exercise - if it's not "fun" I won't do it.
54. I'm still in touch with my high school sweethearts mum.
55. I fear that people close to me, don't actually like me.
56. Justice Crew is the coolest Dance/Song group I've seen in a while.
57. I worked as a Security Guard for 3 days.
58. I have had Panic Attacks.
59. I admin on Facebook for a variety of groups from childfree ones, to fluoride (pro) pages to anxiety groups.
60. One of my childhood school friends fathers is a convicted sex offender.
61. I volunteer for Wellington Rape Crisis, where I work on their behalf in a charity store called Eva's Attic which is a charity shop that runs off donations and volunteers manning the shop. It's all designer and stuff so I've had to learn lots about fashion!
62. I'm quite frugal, possibly because I've always been kind of on the poor end of the middle class scale.
63. I own TWO designer pieces (both brand new) that I got for under 75% off retail through Eva's Attic. (Volunteering has it's perks!)
64. I was a Supervisor in a previous job.
65. I was 2IC in a shop I worked in when I was 19.
66. I have moved house ten times, the first time when I was 7 the most recently in January 2013.
67. My favourite colour right now is Purple.
68. I like the look of tattoos, but I'm scared I'll be allergic to the ink.
69. On the topic of tattoos I can't nail down a design I love, so I'm going to wait.
70. I love the Marvel comics, movies and shows.
71. I adore eating chocolate.
72. Cupcakes are so fun to make and decorate.
73. Cider, and wine are my beverages of choice alcohol wise.
74. I love wearing scarf's.
75. I'm a grammar nerd, but I make mistakes sometimes.
76. I love languages and I'm learning French and Korean.
77. I taught Korean students English for a year.
78. I love baking and try to do so.
79. I have occupational asthma - Baker's Lung, which means I'm allergic to an inhaled Flour particle called alpha amylase and here I wrote about my journey.
80. Although I'm allergic to the dust of Flour, I can still eat it in other things (like in cakes, cupcakes and cookies!)
81.  My Flour allergy is NOT the same as being Gluten Free.
82. I worked in a Pie Shop for over 2 years. (Jesters Pies).
83. I'm trained with Occupational Safety and Health  - in Kitchen Hygiene.
84. I trained as a Barista (coffee making) but the smell of Coffee makes me feel sick.
85. I want to live in Asia - teaching ESOL.
86. I am yet to travel the South Island of New Zealand. I've travelled around 99% of the North Island of New Zealand.
87. My first car was a White Ford Laser, which we bought from my best friend. It was a 1991 one. Sadly after I sold it (to fund the move to Wellington for University in 2009) it was written off by the following owner after us. *My parents bought it for me.
88. I'm often caught not wearing glasses when I should be (anything on the computer and doing anything up close, like reading). *Grabs glasses and puts them on.*
89. I don't know how to wear make up and I am trying to learn. It's my goal before I turn 30 to learn how to do it.
90. I have nice blue eyes.
91. I've been to Melbourne three times. Once with my family, and twice with Dan and his family.
92. Highlight in Melbourne was going on the Oldest wooden roller coaster in the Southern Hemisphere at Luna Park.
93.  I get into marathons of TV shows, so I'll watch the entire season in a short period of time. Most recently The Hills.
94. I drowned a recent cellphone in the washing machine, I was sick and put my dressing gown etc into the wash and realised when it had been going about 30 minutes that my phone was being washed too! Oops!
95. I don't really have a favourite band or music, but I listen to a lot of the Top 40 songs...
96. Dan and I saw Macklemore when he came to Wellington.
97. I'm quite Introverted, so a loud night out ends with me needing a quiet day to relax.
98. First pet was a bird named Barney, a blue budgie.
99. I decorated the sign that hangs outside the Eva's Attic shop (art school paid off!).
100. I had a car crash when I was 20, I backed into someone who drove behind me when I was reversing out of a car park. It was really scary and I still don't like reversing when I'm driving. But like everything, practise makes perfect.

Bonus fact about me: 
I have piercings: 2 in each ear lobe, my industrial bar on one ear and my bellybutton pierced. As always, I wish there were more!

Talking, walking and thoughts

Thank you to my friend for taking me for a walk today. The talk was much needed and very appreciated!
It's often the small things that mean a lot.  

My day started with a meeting (- oh the nerves! - meeting strangers) in a coffee shop to meet and discuss a neighbourhood meetup for the Wellington Host Lions. They set up a meeting, which is happening in a little over a week to get neighbours to meet up and help prepare in case of an emergency, or in case the "big one" hits *. The idea is to get to know our neighbours within our building, so we can help each other out. Even if it's like a Fire Drill - to know that the lady in 10B** has a small child is a good piece of information to have. That way - if we evacuate and see her without said child, we can respond appropriately. (IE By telling emergency services etc). Or if there's an elderly couple or someone with a disability...

Next up I guess would be setting up a Neighbourhood Watch/ Neighbourhood Support group within our building. We used to get newsletters of things happening - but we haven't had any in quite a while.
I wonder if I should / could write a new one, or if it is out of place for me to do so? I don't know who the Body Corp. of the building is for a start, and I don't want to step on their toes too much. Just hoping this initial meeting neighbours thing goes down well. At least I'll know who (from our building) is on board soon enough.

There are a lot of apartment buildings in Wellington's CBD I noticed today on my travels (both alone when I was going to and from the coffee shop, but also when walking with my friend)... a lot of new buildings being built too. I hope the market drops soon. If we want to buy an apartment it looks like we need to wait until the prices drop and they won't do that until some sell, or more are on the market!

It was crazy to think, today, that our apartment building with 60 apartments is considered "small" compared to most. I know it's only 5 stories worth, each with 12 apartments... but it's not that small, surely? SOHO just down the road has 350, it may be closer to 400. Insane! There's a new building going up that is rumoured to have close to 500 apartments. Each of those are also 1-2 bedrooms. (Which means 1-4 tenants... the same as we have here).

Dan is still away for another 8 days. Missing him lots. But can't do much about that.




NOTES:
* I live in the Capital city of New Zealand and we're right on top of a fault line, earthquakes are common here. Hence we're waiting for the 'big one'.
This of course has been the status quo for years, if it happens this year or next, who knows. Best to Be Prepared and have our things ready to Get Thru.
Get Ready & Get Thru
**10B is just an example, there is no 10B in our building.

Bakers Lung: I'm doing some of my own research.

So a couple of years ago I was diagnosed with Occupational Asthma. I have Bakers Lung.
I am still trying to work out exactly what this means for me, long term. Questions remain over the long term treatment. I have no idea how long I will need to be on corticosteroids for.

Rose coloured Tinted glasses. 30th of September.

Hmmm, so it's the end of September already. Where has this year gone!?

Rose Tinted Glasses: A Psychic and Skeptics

This weekend Dan and I went along to the New Zealand Skeptics Conference held in Wellington. A two day conference with some amazing speakers. We met some awesome people in various fields, doing various jobs, and responding to the world in different ways.
Basically a bunch of "non-believers" in a room for a weekend to talk, discuss, debate and question things.

Baker's Lung Occupational Asthma: In other words My Story

I am one of six New Zealand Adults who live with Asthma.
However my story is not like the norm!

My name is Lisa Taylor.
In 2009 I moved from Taranaki to Wellington to study at Victoria University. I was nearly 21 and had decided to uproot my entire life; To live in the Capital city of New Zealand. A place where I knew no one.
After I'd met some amazing flatmates who are now my best friends, and I had been living in Wellington a few weeks. I'd learned my way around the university campus and been going to classes where I met more friends.

I decided I needed to supplement my income with a part time job. So I searched around. One day I was in the local mall and saw a bakery position. I applied and naturally got the job.

After a period of around 18 months I found I'd become quite sick, all of a sudden over a period of around 6 months,  I had developed allergies, a constant cough (worse at night) and sort of wheezy breathing. I didn't know what was wrong. I'd also moved house and I was still studying and working at the bakery. It got so bad that I was seeing my doctor nearly every second or third week (luckily for me it's free when you're a student).

It was suggested to me to try to change a few things in my diet - one doctor thought it may have been a food allergy symptom. So I went Dairy Free for over 9 months, no changes. I went semi-vegetarian as well. I eliminated 95% of the dairy I was consuming. (I allowed myself yoghurt and even that was very occasional).
I also did a food/body awareness course through the university health clinic. This taught me that I was "dieting" all wrong, eliminating the wrong things for my body and it wasn't making any effect on my health/ allergy symptoms or cold house. This lasted for months. Months and months of sneezing, coughing, allergies... This became a daily battle with anti-histamines. Yes, I was treating what I now know to be daily asthma attacks with an anti-histamine. This is because I don't have "normal" Asthma!

One day my usual doctor was away so I saw someone else. They noticed my breathing wasn't normal. It sounded wheezy and I had a cough. They listened to my chest. They asked if I had Asthma? When I said no, they looked confused. The doctor gave me some medicine and it made my chest relax and my breathing improved. I coughed less often. I continued with the medication. I was sent to get an allergy test done. (Skin prick test). The tests came back negative.
After a year of getting the allergy symptoms, the night time cough, the chesty weird wheezy breath I finally had an answer: I could have Asthma.
I was given Pulmicort to take 2 x per day (morning and night). It is a preventer. http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/consumers/cmi/p/pulmicort.pdf
I was given Ventolin to take if I had another Asthma attack. It is a bronco-dilator (it opens the airways).
http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/datasheet/v/VentolinCFC-freeinh.pdf

I had a bad Asthma attack when I was running late to a doctors appointment. (Luckily I was going there and not somewhere else!) I took my Ventolin as I'd been told to do. My doctor noticed I was very, very flushed (bright red face) and asked if I always look that red? I do have a skin condition/allergy on my face which means I flush easily - so I often look red. Never *this* red though! She realised I was having an allergic reaction to the Ventolin. The Ventolin had calmed my lungs and breathing (as it is supposed to), but instead it gave me another problem: Acute Sinus Tachycardia. In other words a very, very, very fast heartbeat.
With my heart racing out of control I was put onto a bed and an ECG machine was hooked up to me. Wires crossed my chest, legs and arms. I stayed lying there for hours. Three ECG's later, I was sent to the hospital. They inserted an IV line into my arm which left me in pain and bruised. (Curse thee tiny veins).

8 hours after I'd gone into the doctors with the initial Asthma attack I was finally allowed to leave the hospital.


A few weeks later I saw a respiratory specialist at the hospital. for my follow up They ran all sorts of tests. They tested my lung function, my ability to 'blow' into a machine. They re-tested my allergies, another SPT. Again negative for any allergies. My lung function is Normal for my height/size. I don't have anything wrong with my lungs. The only problem they found was that inhaled Flour Particles cause an Asthma type attack to occur. As such I have been formally diagnosed with Baker's Lung. (A form of Occupational Asthma).

When I was at the specialist, he also changed my medication, so I would be off Ventolin and onto something else: A green inhaler called Atrovent. http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/consumers/cmi/a/AtroventInhaler.pdf
Although - they left the Ventolin with me as well - if the Atrovent fails I take the Ventolin and go to hospital regardless. I also was told to leave the Bakery job immediately. I have been away from the bakery for over 2 years now, symptom free for months.

Although it seems like I have had a lot of turmoil and uprooting, my life (and Asthma) is better controlled and well balanced now. I live in a newer apartment, I'm warm and dry. I haven't had an Asthma attack in months.
My skin condition is still a daily challenge, but some days are better than others.