Becka's Journey To Japan: A trip to the clinic..:

Today after day 2 of the seminar James and I went to the clinic.

Most of you know I have asthma, it's never been something I like to talk about - people have always treated me different once they know and don't let me do everything like usual.

It's been cold here recently and the last couple of months I've been taking my ventolin more alongside my other inhaler.

My asthma has been okay- not good but not bad, some issues but easily controlled with the inhalers. It's like magic.

When aunt penny came in October she restocked my basically empty supply of inhalers. I got steroid ones and about 4 ventolin.

Between now and then I've ended up with one ventolin left.

I actually have no idea where they've gone. I don't want to say lost- maybe misplaced and turned out to be a expensive misplacement at that!

One of them I think I left camping, one I have but it's nearly empty hence why we went to the clinic.

It's winter and flu season here and the last thing I want is to need it and not have anymore.

They made everyone wear masks, even James 😂

It's the scariest thing in the world to not be able to breathe and to feel it getting worse. Imagine breathing through a straw and then as it gets worse run up and down some stairs and still be breathing through just a straw- getting air in and out is hard, breathing becomes an unbelievable effort. Something you usually never think about and just happens becomes something that takes all the energy you have.

Apparently there isn't ventolin as a brand on the island but he said what he gave me is the same.

I had to pay the clinic fee and the prescription fee- with no insurance it cost me ¥5000, expensive but can't really complain if it ends up saving me from something more serious.

On the plus side training was great again today- really challenging but great.

We worked on the Shorinji Ryu bo kata- I can't remember the name now! So much to take in!

We did seisan- the Uechi Ryu kata too.

It's like being a white belt all over again. Fun, scary, overwhelming, exciting and new.

The more you learn, the less you realise you know.

This is worth it though. It's an amazing experience, I'm very lucky to be able to do this. Literally spending all day every day doing karate.