Colds, colds and more colds - Asthma Community ...

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Colds, colds and more colds

5 Replies

Okay, so I tend to get colds almost constantly (a complete bummer) so as it affects my asthma I tend to have time off school to recover and make sure that I dont end up in A&E. Unfortunately this causes my attendance to drop and the school to send letters home about my absence, they also now refuse to send me home if I end up in the medical room. My grades have never really been effected by my large amount of time off school through the years so I don't really see much of a problem if I am Unable to make it into school due to an illness and bad asthma combination.

Does anyone else suffer from colds like this? And does it effect your daily life as much as it does mine?

Many thanks

Frankie x

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5 Replies

Hi Frankie,

I am not an expert by any means but thought I would bump your post up - maybe someone who knows more will be able to help!

I vaguely remember having a lot of problems with PE teachers at school but not so much with attendance. They also had this weird policy about not letting you carry your inhalers on you - even during PE! My mum sorted that one out.

From looking around this forum I think one approach might be for you and perhaps your parents to get in touch with your asthma nurse/GP/consultant and explain that the school is not being helpful. Once you have some back-up from them you could perhaps arrange a meeting with your form teacher/head of year/headteacher (whoever is most appropriate) to explain the problem, that you are not skiving and even if your grades are ok you would appreciate some support if you have to miss school because of asthma. If the age on your profile is right (and even if you're older now) you must have exams coming up, and it would be good if the school could recognise that you need extra support if you have to be away from school instead of just going on about you being absent!

I think some asthma nurses are also happy to come into the school and explain things to the teachers so you could ask if yours would do that. This might be especially useful as your school's asthma policy seems to be either inadequate or non-existent! Really does not sound safe what they're doing - would they call an ambulance if you needed it? Is someone with you in the medical room or do they just leave you to it?

Hope this helps and you get something sorted...and get some sleep!

hi

just read your post and i feel really shocked by your schools attiude, new to this asthma thing, been diagnosied after feeling unwell for 6 months , so i now have asthma, on my first cause of antibios after having a really sore throat , probabley from using brown and blue inhaler, yippee, age 46 and feeling fed up with it already. Just so shocked people attiudes towards this horrible illness are so unbelievable, it makes me so angry, i really feel for you hunni, get as much help as you can, get your asthma nurse involved at school, they need educating about itand how it effects your life, good luck x

yes i agree, should they just be putting you in the medical room at school without contacting your parents first. Your parents really need to speak to the head and get this sorted. When you are bad at school have they a policy for your parents to be contacted and are the school fully aware of your asthma. When my niece went to school i must admit they were really good and she carried her inhalers at all times or she went to the teachers and requested her inhaler.

just a thought and good luck

angievere profile image
angievere

Hi Frankie, my son (14) has been in the same position as you. He's had a lot of time off school and his first year of secondary school was a nightmare. Unfortunately a lot of school staff are not aware how serious asthma is. After years of dealing with this I now do the following:

If he is off school for more than a couple of days I ask the GP for a sick note for the school.

I write in my absence note which GP he saw, what they said and whether son is on antibiotics/steroids.

I send a photocopy of the consultant's letter (sees consultant twice a year). I tell them it's for my son's school file and their information.

When he's off sick I badger school for homework he's missed (dont get much success here but keep trying!).

After years of difficulties with PE/Games dept my husband and I went to see the Headteacher and explained the situation. PE staff have been a lot better since then and son is let off doing Games etc outside in the winter months.

Another thing, it might be worth your taking Vit C - me and my son have taken it for a few years and I think it has helped. We dont seem to get as many colds and the last one my son had didnt go on his chest altho he was wheezy etc. Good luck and I hope things improve for you.

Thanks for all of the responses :)

My parents have spoken to my head of year about my asthma and it seems to us that he understands the situation, luckly it is coming to the summer months so hopefully my asthma will impove. I only have around 9 weeks left until I leave for my exams (Off to 6th form in september) so it shouldn't be an overly big problem.

I've also been shocked about the way that asthma is treated in schools, I have friends in different schools that have suffered with similar problems when it comes to teachers and attendence, which isn't right at all.

Fingers crossed for the best,

Frankie

x

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