Monday, October 20, 2014

Survive and Thrive Bloghop: Asthma

Today I'm participating in the Survive and Thrive Bloghop, hosted by Stephen Tremp, Michael Di Gesu, Diane Wolfe, and Alex Cavanaugh.  Copied from Alex's web site: The blogfest is meant to bring awareness of disease prevention and early detection regarding medical conditions that may be averted or treated if caught in the early stages. Our desire is to motivate people to go in for early screening, and if a condition is caught early and treated, then our world just became a little better place to live.  The topics are wide open. You can post about a particular cause you support. Or you can share a personal or family experience that is near to your heart.

I’ve had asthma since childhood. Being a non-medical professional, I really can’t say if there’s a surefire way for anyone to prevent scoring this respiratory condition that offers wheezing, shortness of breath, and the company of inhalers. But if I were to give a cocktail party response about how someone can avoid getting asthma, I’d say that a good doctor listening to your lungs when you’re miserably congested might be able to detect early wheezing, and then they can offer immediate treatment to keep the wheezing from becoming more serious.

Growing up with asthma wasn’t easy. I didn’t know many other kids, if any, with asthma. I remember sometimes getting up in the middle of the night when I was in elementary school, middle school, and high school. I’d sit in bed and just cough and cough and cough some more. My post-nasal drip, either from general allergies or catching a bug, would tickle my throat and trickle down to my lungs. My eyes would tear up and my back and neck would ache from the physical exhaustion of coughing and inhaling heavily. The inhalers helped some, but I still had many rough, unwanted all-nighters at home or in the ER fighting my shortness of breath.

My asthma improved by the time I was a spring-semester high school senior. And my symptoms continued to subside as I continued on to college. I am pleased to say (knock on wood!) that as an adult, my condition is mostly much more mild now than it was when I was younger. 

While asthma might've deprived me of a good night's sleep on a number of occasions and it has given me some challenges, I'm not the fragile image of the suffering asthma patient you might've seen on TV or in a movie. Having asthma hasn't stopped me from pursuing what I want to do, whether it is working, writing, traveling, exploring, playing, or connecting with others. 

I just need to remember to bring my inhaler with me.

Do you know anyone with asthma?

16 comments:

Natalie Aguirre said...

So glad your asthma improved. My husband's progressed into much more serious lung problems during his life. Not being able to breathe really impacts your quality of life and what you can do.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Glad yours improved. My nephew had it bad when he was young but he's better now. Unless he forgets his inhaler.
Thanks for participating in the blogfest!

Unknown said...

Hello there! I'm glad you're doing better. I personally don't know anybody with asthma, but from what I've read and seen, it doesn't sound pleasant! Your last paragraph was very good!

my blog: morgankatz505.blogspot.com

Pat Hatt said...

Glad in subsided a bunch and hopefully will stay that way. We have to push on and enjoy life indeed

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

As a PE teacher, I've known hundreds of kids with asthma. It seems many more are diagnosed with it than early in my career but the treatments are also better. Fewer kids are restricted from exercise. It is frightening as a teacher when a student has difficulty breathing. One of my former students died shortly after graduation when he had an attack at a family gathering. It is a serious illness.

J.L. Campbell said...

Hi, Cynthia,
I have suffered from Asthma since I was 19. My mother had it in later life and didn't take it seriously, which resulted in a massive heart attack that took her life. My son has it, but I ensure that he carries an inhaler at all times. My symptoms are milder now and I have few attacks.

Jay Noel said...

I work in immunology, and every single person with asthma MUST get blood tested for allergies. Not the skin prick test, but the immunocap test to identify allergic/asthmatic triggers. I know several people who were allergic to dust mites. Once ragweed or pollen season hit, it put them over their allergic threshold and triggered an asthma attack or uncontrolled symptoms.

90% of kids and 66% of adults with asthma have allergies.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

My daughter is now using an essential oil on her chest before she works out and it's been a miracle. I can't remember which one, though.

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi, Cynthia,

Wow, that is a difficult condition to deal with as a kid. I am so happy to hear that your breathing is better and you only need your inhaler every now and then.

Asthma is a horrible condition. I also have sinus conditions and terrible allergies that limit my breathing, so I know how it is when breathing is difficult. Thankfully we have medicines to counter act allergies and other breathing conditions.

Thanks so much for joining us on the hop!

Diane Burton said...

My son was misdiagnosed for over 2 years before I changed pediatricians. I knew something wasn't right but he didn't wheeze (he coughed) so asthma wasn't even considered. Finally we got a specialist who recognized it and put him on meds, inhalers, and a machine for breathing treatments. In high school, he swam long distance races. Eventually, his asthma went into remission--you never get over it. Now he lives in Arizona where he is doing well.

Shannon Lawrence said...

My brother had serious asthma and allergies as a kid. He was basically the boy in the bubble. Couldn't have anything in his room, plastic sheets, no stuffed animals, air filter in his room, etc. Happily, he outgrew it, but there was a lot of misery for him as a child. I'm glad you outgrew much of it, too!

Crystal Collier said...

Ooh, ooh! Me! Mine is only exercise induced, but I know what you mean about the hacking, and the occasional panic as to whether or not your airways are going to open back up. It's definitely scary, but you do have to learn how to live with it, right? Here's to thriving, despite the challenges!

Unleashing the Dreamworld

Sherry Ellis said...

My daughter had allergy-induced asthma. It can be really scary when you're not able to breath. Glad yours has gotten better through the years!

Stephen Tremp said...

My kids used a nebulizer from time to time, and a few times we had to take them into Emergency. But they've outgrown that stage now, although we kept the nebulizer and use it, althugh rarely these days.

Thanks for participating in the Blogfest. Hope to see you again for next year's event!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Cynthia - asthma is a horrible disease to have ... and thankfully many grow out of it ... but it is worrying - I'm glad you've included the post here ... as it's brought up some informative comments.

All the best - Hilary

Empty Nest Insider said...

It must've been tough growing up with asthma. Sorry you had many restless nights over it. Thank goodness your symptoms got better at the end of high school. Good thing you always carry an inhaler with you just in case. Take care Cynthia!

Julie

Post a Comment