I don’t know where to start....
September 2018 I had pneumonia, the paramedics came out and thought it was pleurisy, I had a fast heartbeat, high Temperature, rapid and noisy breathing, I was put on 2 different nebulisers, I refused a hospital visit due to being a lone parent of a lad with autism. (It was my neighbour who called the paramedics as my son went and fetched her as I wasn’t responding to him) I saw my GP who prescribed prednisolone and doxycycline and a blue inhaler to take (no diagnoses of asthma at this point)
October and I had another chest infection, and another in November and December.
Decembers chest infection raised alarm bells with the GP and I was sent for chest X-rays and spirometery tests, the X-rays showed a small pocket of infection which the Drs believed is what kept coming back and reinfecting my chest, but the spirometery tests show absolutely nothing, not even asthma, so my GP got me to do peak flow readings for the next 4 weeks.
January came and I returned to the GP to discuss my peak flow reading and she said I have asthma, was given a blue and a brown inhaler, then mid January my brown inhaler was changed to a pink one due to my chest still not settling down...
Fast forward to March and yet another chest infection and another trip to the GP, at first she didn’t seem overly concerned and booked me in for an asthma review with the asthma nurse (10/04/2019 today)
Monday (08/04/19) had to have a medication review and the GP I saw seemed really concerned that I’d had so many antibiotics and steroid treatments in such a short time and is confused as to why my spirometery tests show absolutely nothing and yet the X-rays show a pocket of infection and has referred me to the hospital again for more spirometery tests.
So today I go for my asthma review, I feel like I got no where. I was told to buy a humidifier, lose weight (I am overweight) take 2 extra puffs on fostair on a bad day and that she thought I was a medical mystery and she would have a word with the GP who’s been dealing with my chest problems and to call an ambulance if my peak flow drops below 200 (I’m only just blowing between 200 & 240)
I just feel so out in the cold about my condition, I feel like I don’t know if I’m doing the right or wrong thing, I explained I couldn’t hold my breath for the recommended 10 seconds after taking my inhaler through my spacer, she didn’t even check my inhaler technique. I struggle some days to walk from the sofa to the toilet when I’ve got a chest infection, my chest rattles all the time, she didn’t seem concerned, she just said she understands I find it difficult and that was it.
I actually feel really alone.