What is your weirdest trigger or your funniest location of attack?

[EmmaF91]

Hi everyone

Thought I’d do another post to hopefully make us laugh at our lungs!... what is the weirdest trigger you’ve found, or the funniest place your lungs decided to kick off?

My funniest place was on a high wire course. Had to get permission to keep pump in pocket, and boy was I glad I did 😅! Half way round the course, 20+ foot in the air, on the most difficult obstacle, my lungs decided that it was the ideal time and place to start complaining! Had to be ‘rescued’ from the obstacle and spent about 10 mins on the platform sorting them out, whilst trying to tell my mates not to worry and to continue on without me (so dramatic 😉😂) and at the same time try to convince the worker on the platform that no, they did not need to do anything because getting help from where I was would have probably involved fire engines etc (was a ladder free platform, and a couple of obstacles away each way to a ladder) and I knew that my ventolin would calm it enough to get me back on the ground 😅😂😂😂 (could tell he and the person at the other end of his radio were panicking slightly 😅 ‘guys chill, give me 10 for vent to kick in, then I’ll finish the course. No worries. It’s all good!’)

Not sure what my weirdest trigger would be, but my barometer lungs kind of spring to mind... that or this youtu.be/hw3CE04LGiA(Not working as expected?) (which always makes me laugh, and my old housemates loved to keep playing for my reaction... until they had to take me to hospital 😅🙈... suffice to say after that the was a play limit put in place!)

So... has anyone else have weird and wonderful places where their lungs have given issues? Or have a bizarre trigger?

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

I'm not sure I can beat the zip wire for weird places! I have had some drama with ambulances to work but that's not really exciting. I think I need a more exciting life generally (post-lockdown) lol and to go to more exciting places. I managed to scare my endocrinology nurse once by having a mini-attack at my appointment (bus on the way decided to start emitting smoke...) - she's happy dealing with adrenals, not so much with my wayward lungs! Had to sit in empty room and neb then finish off the appt.

Also had a mini-attack in a bar in Chicago on holiday. I was trying a cocktail and it had a minute amount of rosewater in it which wasn't obvious from the listing. Luckily it was a loud bar (to cover my noises) and I got things under control. I didn't really fancy a visit to the set of ER, even with George Clooney lookalikes

Weirdest trigger: I am always amused by the fact that my lungs are crashing snobs about perfume. They absolutely hate anything you can buy in Superdrug or Next (damn those perfume tester bottles near the counter) but are completely happy with Dior, Chanel, Givenchy perfumes. The opposite applies to essential oils and flower scents - cheap lavender shower gel apparently doesn't actually contain real lavender (lived with someone who used it), but the quality stuff I avoid like the plague.

And I know Emma won't be happy unless I mention the fact that laughing sets me off, and some things are worse than others. DYAC compilations are one. This video is a classic and I cannot even hear a phrase from it without cracking up and making noises (please be careful if you have delicate lungs): youtube.com/watch?v=nIwrgAn...(Not working as expected?)

I'm just imagining trying to explain that video as a reason for going to A&E.

[Junglechicken]

Hi Emma.

Weird triggers-diluted squash (any brand or flavour) and laughing too hard.

[1974lovejoy]

Love this game ...

not really a weird trigger but the most ridiculous environment you’d think you’d be safe !!!! Respiratory ward during a long admission - a rather irritating demanding patient each day had her wash at the bedside. She became known as impulse after spraying herself with the damn stuff on the ward !!! It was an instant trigger and set me back days - another time a carer on the ward decided to spray air freshener down the corridor outside the bay as the visitors to the next door bay complained about someone’s bowel movements - three of us in my bay ended up on nebs ... it was like a comedy sketch with the nurse running around trying to work out who needed it the quickest !!!! 😂 I do say stupid things when I’m becoming unwell though - my crew mate usually knows I’m brewing an event when my conversations don’t make sense and become very random !!!! I don’t always remember these conversations either 😂.

Not as exciting as you EmmaF91 ... I’m going to get more exciting when I’m allowed out to play again !!

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to 1974lovejoy]

😂😂

I’ve had it before when I was parked in the corridor awaiting admission from majors. I was right by the door the paras used to bring in patients to resus. It was cold, and every time they came in I started to struggle. Then they dropped off patient, pulled trolley to basically in front of me , and wiped it down using the cleaner that always triggers me. I’d then end up on a neb 🙈😅. After the 3rd/4th time this happened I just told the nurse I would walk up to the other end of the corridor when they came in, and wait for them to leave before coming back, cause that only led to vent being needed rather than nebs... 6hrs later nurse suddenly realised she could have just swapped my bed from the front (where I was placed so they could see me cause I kept getting issues) to the back (where I kept walking to to avoid issues) 😂😂😂

The neb party sounds fun, I can picture the nurse running round trying to help but not knowing where to start 😅😂 and I completely understand the talking nonsense! As a student I was obvs brewing an issue during a lecture, we were working in groups (no idea what on) but remember talking, my group/lecturer staring at me in confusing then me finding it hilarious that I couldn’t spell. lecturer then panicked recognising possible hypoxia, but no oximeter to check 😅. Forced to PF and vent (I didn’t think I was bad but humoured then and they calmed down once the giggling stopped), and that night I was in resus, so yeah... 😅😂😂

Ha! No - this is not a challenge 😂😂! I’ve just decided that now I know my condition and body super well I know how far I can push it... sometimes I misjudge slightly (see above 😉) but still say that it was fine cause I didn’t need hosp (or even a neb!)... if I did nothing jic it made my lungs kicked off I’d never leave my flat (case in point rn I’m not leaving my flat and my lungs are still kicking off 😅) but I do get ‘hmmm’s quite a lot from medics (like I’ll tell AN I’m probs about 2 weeks from hosp, then tell her I’m doing an exercise challenge and no I’m not giving it up even tho yes it causes me to neb each time 😅🙈. If the benefit outweighs the risk I’ll do it (ie the risk of exercise was I’d land in hosp slightly earlier, but benefit was mental health, physical fitness and charity so guess which won 😅)... one of my better (tho medics would say worse) risk/benefit decisions was to have Chinese with friends/family before going to hosp as my GP ordered cause of silent chest (risk get bad enough that have to ambo it (at the time I wasn’t feeling bad and sats were still ok) benefit CHINESE, socialising with friends, Christmas presents) once I felt the need to go I went but then got called Chinese lady all night when i explained to triage why i hadn’t arrived until 8.30pm when I’d seen GP at 5 😂😂😂.

I have naughty habits but I blame that on severe asthma... when you have what’s technically classed as severe attacks most days (or multiple times a day) you kinda learn to adjust 😅🙈

[1974lovejoy in reply to EmmaF91]

Oh yes I can relate to most of that ... especially the talking nonsense and not being able to spell !!! I chat about random stuff with made up words .... usually by the end of the shift I’m on a neb in the back of the ambulance I’ve been driving and working in all day with my crew mate trying to get the drugs in without panicking 😂!! Got it down to a fine art now !!

I also push the exercise and the late admissions ... it’s the way I try to feel normal with a bit of control before I know I’m going to loose what little control I have completely, once admitted and stuck on a ward for days on end !!! It’s like I’m trying to stick two fingers up to asthma and pretend I’m fine when my sentences are two words long with the shortest word possible😂.. needless to say asthma wins each time but I don’t stop trying to beat it 😂😂and I don’t go down without a fight !!!!

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to 1974lovejoy]

Oh that sounds darkly comic! And yes had the same when someone in bay sprayed deodorant all round her- wanted neb but bay full of the scent, ended up in corridor for ages with loads of vent and spacer aghh which sort of worked (think I had neb when it had dissipated). Also had a few occasions with staff spraying on resp ward and admissions (and once in resus) which annoys me.

One time I was still struggling to get to the bathroom right next to.me and an HCA sprayed because it smelled, then I tried to find another one (really struggling) and kept getting told to go back to bed because I wasn't fit for a shower. I just needed the loo!!!

That hosp now seems a little more aware of sprays but I always make a point of saying, especially if I find air freshener in the bathroom. Not all staff seem aware it's an issue.

And yes I also push things or I would have no life - ok I may get set off but I will probably end up with that anyway and I want a life (remember the burgers Emma when I visited you? I will have burgers and THEN consider hosp!)

I also remember finding everything hilarious during bad attacks. Tbf the junior was good but had no filter and I found that very darkly amusing and was also 'talking' rubbish.

[Wheezyjen]

Sex. Asthma attacks during sex are always awkward.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Wheezyjen]

Oh yeah that's always fun...not. Been told my performance is a good marker of how I'm doing, but not really something I plan to use with medics 🤣🤣

[1974lovejoy in reply to Wheezyjen]

That’s got to be the best response so far 😂😂😂you win the prize for that one !!!

[Blue-Breeze]

Loving these answers. Weirdest place respiratory ward. Cleaner bless her. Came to mop the floor. I was laying on the bed. Throat gradually started to close then nose then started the coughing. Before long I had to run out to quite room with quick explanation. She was mortified and luckily for me I had not long had nebuliser. I was able to rally my lungs around once away from smell. The next day, she came with warning and half strength. Since then the detergent has changed and I'm now fine when in.

I've had an attack on the bus because a lady sat in front of me in strong perfume! Lucky a friend had got on, saw I was in trouble ( hand gestures must have been a sight) and took me for a coffee till I ventolined and settled.

[Hamscoul]

Emotion is a trigger for me, especially laughing, cigarette smoke, exercise and ice cream.

Ice cream is funny if I am out with family. The cold makes my airways twitchy and its not a proper cough, I make a weird noise. I can't control it and my family find it hilarious.

[AirIsUnderrated]

Mine was when I was 11 with childhood allergic asthma. I was in school in summer and they were cutting the field outside the open doors with an enormous ride-on mower. I felt my chest tightening up and I asked the teacher if I could close the door and she said I could. I put my hand on the door jamb and pulled it shut from the outside, and trapped my thumb in the hinge. As well as an asthma attack, I now had a broken thumb as well. Mum had to ask Grandpa to pick me up from school, and she was ever so cross.

That was not a good day!

[Claire-Rose]

On a plane coming from Spain, they had to make an announcement for a doctor of nurse passenger to come and see me I’ve never felt so embarrassed in my life