I’m just home from hospital after the worst two weeks of my life 😢 I was diagnosed two years ago with asthma so this was all a real learning curve!! and very new..
There was a flu type virus going round our village so I wasn’t too different to everyone else so I thought!! that was in late February and everyone was left with an annoying cough. I had been checked twice at the surgery but I was told it wasn’t a chest infection. Then bang three weeks later after on the Saturday night I’d had enough I hadn’t slept with coughing for four nights so I phoned nhs 24 and was asked to go to out of hours, I drove down😕 I absolutely reassured my husband I’d be fine with that! When I got there the doctor very quickly ordered up a blue light ambulance and fed me up with steroids! I ended up in the high dependency unit for five days then the respiratory ward for the rest of the two weeks. I’ve had loads explained to me now and the warning signs! to look out for. But honestly I was so tired and got to a stage even using my inhalers was an effort... What I’d like out of this is information for my family so maybe they can notice too. The doctor did chat to my husband but there’s so much to take in. The experience was hell on earth as Norovirus hit our ward too!! now that took all of this to another level honestly you just couldn’t have made this up, then it was my birthday 😂 I can laugh a bit now but honestly it was traumatic we were locked in the room with minimal contact from nurses for a week of this. We all sat and cried at one point. No WiFi ! my phone was playing up we were so bored we were even counting how many red cars were in the car park. I’ve never been so happy to be home 🤗
Jen
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Weejenny
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Hi Weejenny, sorry to hear you've been through such a rough time. Are you now under the hospital asthma team? I'm guessing they'll see you soon&hopefully give you the nessecary treatment you need to keep your asthma under control.
I recently had a very similar experience...other than I've had asthma since I was 12years old, and am now 40. I too got blue lights and sirens from my surgery back in March&ended up in hospital for 11 days. I escaped HDU...just, but was very poorly. Mine too was triggered by a chest infection. This was my second really bad asthma attack in 3 years but now I'm under the hospital team&am on crazy meds.
Hope they get you sorted soon!It is scary when it happens! I'm not great at realising when I'm getting bad either but generally, I know my peak flow starts dropping down,I need to use my ventilin more&nights are interrupted more by coughing&breathlessness.
Take care&I'm glad you're back home...take it easy ad you've been through a lot&your body will take tim3 to recover!!
Yes sorry I’m going to be attending the hospital clinic for a year the asthma specialist is a lovely lady and has asthma herself. The nurses spoke very highly of her she’s very respected there so that’s very reassuring
Thanks madonbrew, sounds like you know exactly what I’ve just gone through 😪 I’m feeling a bit weepy and tired. My legs feel like jelly but I think that’s steroids I’ve had three weeks of those 40mg. My doctor is phoning me today I’m looking forward to that just to get a bit of reassurance, I’ve lost a bit confidence now. Everyone is saying rest but sitting too much can’t help either but how much is too much 🥺 I’ve pottered about this morning and I’m going to watch some gardening programmes on Netflix this afternoon. My mam has filled our freezer so we’ve a lovely dish of lasagna for tonight. I’m actually very lucky. I too have been made far more aware of decline! I’m never ignoring signs again but it does creep up on you too. It’s so so hard
I think it took about 3 or 4 weeks for me to feel ok again! And my legs were shakey&like jelly for a while.The steroids & inhalers can make you feel quite shakey I think!
I remember a day in hospital when I just cried one night...I felt so pumped up with drugs and all I longed for was just to be able to breathe again normally.
Breathing is our first need in life so when we can't it's a big deal!!
I'm glad you have a good specialist! That really helps! Hope you had a good chat today with them!!?
I think my consultant is considering if I've got brittle asthma or severe allergic asthma. I also have a rare autoimmune disease that has affected my pancreas and kidneys etc so they're wondering if it's the same affecting my lungs too.
Have a good day tomorrow &just do things gently!!...I started with a little walk around my road.
Also, you know on your asthma plan...hopefully they gave you one when you came home...well,my average peak flow is roughly 340ish so it's somehow works out that I don't get to the red category until my peak flow is 180...which is when it suggests to get immediate medical help....HOWEVER, I know that once my peak flow drops to 250 I'm gonna end up in hospital or definitely at my surgery on nebs..so if you start feeling unwell sooner than stated on your asthma plan, don't wait,but seek medical advice sooner!!!
Gosh Dee sounds like we’ve loads in common with this asthma my best peak flow is 340, after HDU and I could actually do one i got 150 and today I got 250. My doctor phoned me tonight she didn’t seem too bothered about my situation I thought, she said not to bother making an appointment until I’d been to the hospital clinic. I asked about coming off the steroids she said it was fine to just stop them but that’s not what the asthma nurse said 😕 she then suggested two weeks off work the asthma nurse suggested up to four. I’m very lucky I can have the time I need. I’m 51 going through the menopause, I have a pacemaker for a heartblock and asthma with silent reflux. Two years ago I had nothing wrong with me 😕 it’s been a lot to take in!!
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