My asthma review 3 wks on from my first ever asthma attack

[elanaoali]

Hi all I thought I start a new post as if I added to any of my old ones it would get confusing.

Three weeks on from my going from intermediate asthma to a 'crisis' thats what the asthma nurse say today. I am getting better. I was in her words two weeks ago struggling to say a sentence to being able to talk again.

Peak flow even better than my tops (425) managed 450. The combination inhaler I started on monday (Steretide) is working. The asthma nurse would like me on a new one as this one takes 20 mins to work and Steretide takes 20mins) Side effect makes me shake so that explains why I was shaking this morning. Plus of course Ventolin makes you shake. I just had some an hour ago. Plus Prednisone makes you shake too and messes up your sleep. Only have to take 15mg then 10mg then 5mg off by sunday. At last as this medicine makes my blood sugar go crazy and it makes me a little crazy.

The asthma nurse thinks I might have allergic asthma (cats are my trigger) and probably dust mites but there is so many allergy out there. So she might prescribe me Montelukast for my asthma. Either it will work within a month or not. So I think I going to give my house a really good clean when I got the energy.

Sleep will be disturbed for a while yet as the steroids will do this and the asthma is doing it too. So just a thing to have to live with. Now I know I why I wake up them I am ok. Yes I might get a little annoyed sometimes.

I come from a very low point when I had my asthma attack. I had all ten puffs and called a paramedic and after all that my peak flow was 300 so bears thinking what it was before that. Going to take a long time for my chest to settle down up to 18mths. However I have been told I good at knowing my body so that makes me more confident to know when I need help.

My asthma attack was not well timed just before winter starts. We laughed over this as I made the joke about being sorry for now timing this right! Twelve weeks of winter isn't going to do me any favours. No jab today on advice of DR. I booked myself a flu jab next Tuesday now I confident I am on the up.

So now when my doctor rings me on Thursday he won't need to send me to see anyone else. Good because I been to my local hospital over 15 times with my IC so getting a bit tired of seeing it.

I asked lastly about how much I can do and she said you know your body. I said I was told I did. Just knowing when to slow down. I would be doing too much not the other way round. I am a mother of three teenagers and hubbie. Christmas will have to be slower this year. Walk don't run. Swimming will have to wait for the new year. Pilates yes I think I can do that. I told my mum to sit on me at Christmas if she thinks I doing too much.

The steepess learning curve either these last three weeks but thanks to my GP, the asthma uk nurses and my asthma nurse. Thanks to you all for listening to me and answering my question. The biggest thanks to the paramedic who came to my aid when I had my asthma attack. My church and family. Thanks to God who gave me the peace, the strength, the braveness and assertiveness to deal with this. I know its not over yet but I not bitter or scared but have expected my situation and have to live a little slow for a while. I know asthma has hit my hard out of nowhere but I got back up and now are living with asthma.

Life is different and will never be the same its a new normal.

Happy Christmas every one and please look after yourself. God bless.

[Asthma-girl]

You really have had a rough time, I hope you continue to improve.

Happy Christmas to you.

[elanaoali in reply to Asthma-girl]

Thanks for the kind wishes. Tough but on the up

[Hidden]

How about getting your teenagers to help with the housework in the run up to Christmas? We've done that in the past when I've been very unwell. On two occasions my two boys even decorated the Christmas cake and actually did a pretty good job of it. They raided my icing cupboard and found some of the little pillars that had been used for our tiered wedding cake. They arranged them decoratively on some fairly roughly applied royal icing (some of them lying flat, one or two upright). The result looked as though a blizzard had hit a Greek ruin:-).

Take it easy. I know that's hard. You want Christmas to be a wonderful event for the family, but it's so easy to overdo it - even when fully fit.

Happy Christmas to you and your family.

[elanaoali in reply to Hidden]

Hi thanks for the suggestion bless with teenager girls who can cook minced pies, decorate trees etc. Bless with going to my mum and dads told my mum to sit on me if I do too much. Hubbie and my mum cooking christmas dinner. I promise to take it easy just blessed to be getting better now. Good lesson in taking it easy in progress.

[elanaoali]

Hi all now getting to the end of treatment to that I started with just over three weeks ago with my first ever asthma attack. My doctor rang me today to make sure I was ok. Yes I am getting better. Still have a sore chest and this gets worse as the day progress or and if I have been busy. No solution suggested by doctor just paracetamol. Its sore now but not as bad as when I first had it. I just need to keep an eye on it.

The combination inhaler is definitely working all good from my doctors perspective. Its seretide and I have to be on it at this high dose 250mg two puffs twice a day for the next 12 wks and then he want to see me to wean me off to a lower dose if possible. Explain again how this inhaler was working damping down my inflammation. Good to be told again and am fully confident in his care of me. That goes for the asthma nurse too who going to ring me next Wednesday to see how I am. Wasn't keen to change it to a newer one didn't thing is made much of difference that this one takes 20 mins to kick instead of 5 for the new ones. Glad too as I am comfortable on this and really don't want any more medication as I don't like to waste these thing. Still go the brown inhaler in my draw that I may go back to in the future but it has a long date on it. (June 2018).

I will be glad when I finish to precisdone as it has disturb my sleep and made me a big highper. Should be off having my last dose 5mg on Sunday. So hopefully a good nights sleep when I don't wake up will be coming soon. Looking forward to seeing my bed again when my husband finished treating the mold in our bedroom.

After Christmas I going to sort through my bedding and chuck out the very old pillow etc and make sure my bedroom is a clean as it can be.

Still have alot of presidone in my draw and do I keep it. He said it wasn't be taken without speaking to a GP or 111. Of course I won't do that I just wanted to know what to do with it. He said that it would be very dangerous to take if I had an asthma attack caused by a chest infection. Didn't know that another bit of information to store in my head.

Having my flu jab on Monday and a blood test (this is for overactive thyroid) My mum and my sister has this. My sister is not on any medication at the moment. I like to keep an eye on my thyroid levels just in case mine goes south too.

Still getting the hang of my peak flow. I not be able to take a good reading so far in the mornings as I have only manage one night with taking some Ventolin in the night and then you have to wait 4 hrs after that to get a good reading.

Still working out how to pace myself but as its Christmas the usual stressing of family life getting up early to get my teenagers to the bus for 7am are not there. Normal family life won't be happening now for the next two weeks. Lots of travelling around to see my parents and inlaws.

So over the worse and working on the goal of getting my asthma really well control.

My faith in God has really helped me through without God filling me with his peace. The prays and care of my church and family have made a real difference to how I have cope. Please believe me I have not enjoy this experience on bit. I hate being ill and having a cold for a week is my usual ill moments. My other condition is much better control this too is not curable but treatable.

I pray that you all have a healthy Christmas. Be sensible and look after yourself and remember that if you need help shout for it. Thank you God for the NHS.