In denial

Hi everyone - Lost my prescription so I had to go get another and it was a different Doctor this time. He said that my normal Doctor should not have told me to stop taking my preventer because I do in fact have asthma and certainly I am feeling it more now.

I was seriously living in hope that it might just go away as quickly as it came, or I would come up with some wonder food, or constant reiki treatment would send it packing, but according to him it's not going to happen. Am feeling seriously deflated (ha ha - no pun intended).

Am sure I only got this because I helped a friend to tile his outside wall and inhaled a lot of cement dust at the same time. Surely the lungs will clear themselves in time? Or maybe taking anti inflammatory supplements such as turmeric would make it go away? I had planned on going to Peru next year, will I get travel insurance?

This all sounds so very selfish when I read your posts about emergency treatment in hospital etc but I just can't come to terms with the fact this might have been preventable.

On another note, I am going to offer a free distance reiki session to anyone who needs it, is in hospital, or generally having a bad time with asthma etc. just email me on here, let me know and I will send love and reiki to you. I have been a reiki master for a long time now and feel this is a good way of helping and bringing peace to people in distress.

Love and light

[starveycat]

Hello Faraway. I too thought it would go away but no there is no cure and you do not mess with it. I think mine was triggered by helping to clear up after we cut down some leylandii trees they were full of dust., but the doc said no .but I still blame those trees as for insurance if you can look up some of the older posts on the site there has been a few discussions on the subject keep well ♥

[Minushabens]

Hi Faraway.

Denial is probably the one sure fire way to make sure it DOESN'T go away!

It's hard to know what switched it on in you. I've been saddled with it for near enough 50 years so I never really had to deal with sudden onset, so others are probably better placed than me to support you with how you come to terms with things. But the overwhelmingly strong advice is don't mess with it. You must keep on with your inhalers.

It is a perennial bugbear of many asthmatics that lots of insurance companies add a bit on for various things (travel, life insurance, etc.), but it won't be a lot. There are companies that specialise or do good deals on pre-existing conditions & well managed asthma isn't usually crippling on the premium.

[Hidden]

I've certainly never had trouble getting travel insurance (neither has my asthmatic son).

A friend of mine who is a type 1 diabetic who also happens to be asthmatic recently told me that she thinks of her conditions as being like lodgers: when she first acquired them she had to get used to living with them; she didn't always get it right at first, and when she didn't they let her know about it, but as she learnt to respect them and how to deal with them they became much easier to live with. I've had asthma for most of my life (in fact I can't remember a time when I haven't had it), but except for those early childhood years when my GP refused to acknowledge that I was asthmatic, I think I can say I've managed to live a pretty full life. Like those lodgers, you have to learn to manage it, you mustn't allow it to manage you. There are plenty of people who can help you to do that, from health professionals to those of us on the forum who are not medically trained but who do have a certain amount of experience of dealing with the condition. Don't be afraid to ask for help, nor feel that you are being selfish - you are not.

Keep smiling.

Maggie

[Triggerina]

I completely agree with MaggieHP.Love the idea of chronic conditions being lodgers!

Don't let your asthma control you. You control it. I have had it all my life(59 years) and it has rarely stopped me doing anything. However, it must be a shock to have to accept that you are now asthmatic. Try not to beat yourself up about whether it was preventable or not. it is very possible that something else would have triggered it off either now or shortly.. My sister was non asthmatic but developed it out of the blue at about 50 years old .Keep on with the preventer

I have never had trouble getting travel insurance. main query seems to be:...Have you been admitted as an in patient in to hospital for your asthma in the last year? and... Do you take more than two types of inhalers? I pay about £10 more for annual travel ins. than my non asthmatic husband. That is for world wide travel (inc. USA) for a whole year .

[Hidden in reply to Triggerina]

Thank you for that kind reply. I do feel a little less shocked now. I think it was the direct way the temp doctor said I do have asthma as the normal one said I didn't and the specialist does his tests but has never really commented either way.

I am so relieved I will still be able to see my friends in the USA and Peru, although did wonder whether it's hard to breathe on the aircraft, particularly long haul?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I've been to the States and also to New Zealand (and from the UK you don't get much more long haul than the latter). I had no problems with either. What is important is that you keep your medication with you (do not put it in luggage that goes in the hold in case that gets lost).

[Triggerina in reply to Hidden]

I have never had problems breathing on long haul aircraft and fly regularly.

Make sure you have plenty of both preventer(steroid inhaler) and reliever inhaler with you. Always in your hand luggage. A spare one of each is also a good idea.

Enjoy your next trip!

[Hidden]

Thanks for that, am so relieved. Do you feel any pressure on your lungs though in the cabin?

It may be that I better ask for one of the other inhalers to take with me, at the moment I only take a preventer twice a day. As I have never had an emergency I havent needed anything else but suppose to be on the safe side I better ask.

So grateful for everyone´s replies

Thank you

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

No, I felt nothing at all, my lungs were fine.

If you don't have reliever medication I do recommend that you get some, and that you ask for two inhalers of that. One should stay at home (or wherever it is you are staying when on holiday) the other should go with you wherever you go, just in case you start to have problems when you are out and about.

When going on holiday I usually make certain that I have enough preventer medication to cope with maximum dosage for every day that I'm away (2 puffs morning and evening for me, but your doctor should tell you what is right for you) just in case I do have a problem with my asthma. It means a certain amount of forward planning, but it does mean that I don't have to worry about running out of medication if things go out of control.