listen up

hi all i am emma and i am on a mission, my asthma has a huge impact on my life and with bing at teenager it stoped me doing things that my friends are doing.

A lot of my freinds think that asthma is not a disablity and lots of people are not aware on how asthma effects young people so i have made it my mission to let people know how it effects young people and how the goverment could do things to help us. if you think this is a of interest to u or to a friend e-mail me on

<address removed - sorry, no contact details allowed on the boards - Peaksteve>. i will shout until i am heard that people with asthma need more support and mote funding for the goverment.

thanks

emma

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This sort of thing is already done by Asthma UK - perhaps you would be better off finding out ways to help them get the message across? Take a look at the ""What you can do"" section for some ideas.

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Hi Emma,

Which part of Tyne and Wear you from?

Wanda

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Hi

I think it is really great that you want to help but asthma uk do alot of this already. Im 15 and i was chosen to be a member of the Youth Asthma Forum which started a few months ago. This helps them with add campaigns etc andtheir website.

If you want to raise awareness why not hold a fundraising event or get your school involved in the school's mararathon with your friends.

Good luck

May x

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hi emma, i think your crucade is fantastic, being a young person myself, i know how it feels to be restricted by this illness and it horrifys me that people can be so ignorant about it. I had to teach my collage tutors about asthma as they had no idea on what it was and how it affects me.

i agree woleheartedly that asthma suffers need more support and funding as it is a chronic condition and it is one that once you have it, toy have it for the rest of your life usually.

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Hi Sealover17,

I live about 8 miles from you.

I agree with what you are saying

Wanda

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Hi Emma

Its lovely to see that people have a bit of fire in their belly and are willing to do anything to have yuorself heard and support Asthma UK.

Often people dont understand what asthma is as you well know but talking to your friends and advertising asthma uk might get them to look at this site and understand what asthma is all about and why you feel bad from time to time.

When I was first diagnosed I didnt have a clue nor my family what asthma was it was only by having support, understanding and reaserch that its made me and others around me more aware

Asthma Uk does do alot and has made it there mission to its made my mission as well to asthma

Good luck with your mission

Take care

Giggles

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My friends don't understand either and i think that if i tried to explain they will just laugh at me even more.

xxx

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Duckie,

I think dealing with friends is one of the harder parts of having asthma (apart from not being able to breathe of course). My friends don't get it at all, and I have no clue how to talk to them about it. For now, we just avoid the subject mostly. It's pretty awkward. I don't know why, but I'm even embarrassed to take my inhalers in front of them, so I am always disappearing off to the bathroom. They've seen me carted off in an ambulance, and I've been in hospital enough times, but it's just something we don't talk about. I wish I could find a way to bring it up, and to explain it to them, but I guess now it's just been too long.

I guess you might be saying that those don't sound like true friends, and it's true we're not that close, but I only have 13 people in my year, so these are the people that I hang out with every day. I have some friends outside of school that are absolutely amazing.

Anyway, sorry this has been long-winded and moany, don't know exactly what I'm trying to say, just that I know it's hard to deal with friends.

Sealover- I agree with you completely that we need to raise awareness of what it's like to live with asthma, so Good for you, keep it up!

XX Brynne

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Getting people to understand what asthma does to anyones life is a big thing!

Adults too have exactly the same problems telling people and getting them to understand!

But asthma can and is life-threatening so anything that will highlight the issues we deal with every waking moment on this earth has gotta be good!

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Well said Wheezer

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You are absolutely right it is very difficult to talk to people about your asthma. I am very lucky compared to a lot of people who use this site, in that my asthma is mild and largely well controlled (well it is now I've started taking my beclomethasone regularly!!) but it can be triggered by certain flowers, notably lillies. As I work in a hospital we often have them brought in so I make sure I have my Ventolin handy. My ward Manager, who is a very senior nurse wanted to pack me off to Occy Health or A&E this week just because I was using the Ventolin. I managed to explain that I would be fine in a few minutes (Having crossed my fingers first) and sure enough I was. Even so I felt embarrassed at the fuss that was caused by a Professional person, so trying to explain to a lay person must be a nightmare.

Try andmake sure that you carry an Asthma Aware card so that in the event of a full blown attack your friends would have some idea how to help you

Take care

Tricia

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Thanks brynne, for understanding hope u r ok xxx