There’s always going to be a lot of negativity on forums like this and that’s totally fine because this is not a positive condition. We often hear about people’s terrible experiences with meds, doctors that don’t understand, etc. etc.
But what’s everyone’s most positive asthma memory? For me, it’s Christmas Day 2014: I had been on Clenil Modulite for about 6 weeks and my peak flows had gone up but I was still struggling. I had an asthma review on Christmas Eve and got prescribed Seretide for the first time. To date, I haven’t breathed better than I did that Christmas morning!
There's nothing quite like the feeling when meds kick in - even if that involves a lot of them and you're in hospital - and now you can breathe and the boa constrictor has slithered off for a break. I do remember feeling pretty amazing the first couple of times I ever had IV magnesium - it still works but things are more complex now and it's never quite the same as those first few times when it all worked and I could breathe after days struggling.
I've also met several good friends through this forum (from my previous time on it about 6-7 years ago). I connected with several people and still am connected to many of them on Facebook, and in particular I have three good friends. We met through asthma but I found I didn't stay in touch with people if that was all we had in common - these are good friends in all sorts of ways, and I have been on holiday with them, gone shopping many times, chatted for hours about all sorts, visited them in hospital and they visited me, discussed our work...
I know that without asthma, we'd probably never have met, because they're mostly different ages/come from different places from me, and before then I found it hard to meet people who weren't from a similar background and/or from work (one is actually in a different country!). We agree on how annoying asthma can be, but I'm very glad to be friends with them. I've also started to 'meet' and have random chats with people this time round on the forum which I also like.
When you catch yourself ‘just breathing’ I love these moments and try not to take them for granted! I’ve said to my mum before, ‘you know this morning I actually felt like I could just breathe, like a normal person’
Aged 7 or 8 - for the first time ever (in spite of my GP at the time's resistance) I got an inhaler - the orange, Intal Spinhaler it was, and for the first time ever I could run in the playground. In those days (early 1970s) asthma seemed incredibly rare, so of course, all my mates wanted a go with it & I felt like I was actually quite lucky to have asthma.
Alongside that, as I mentioned on another thread a while ago, I could do the best Muttley impression in school.
You know that sounds like a really warm, comforting laugh! I wonder if my father sounded like that - I was too young when he died to remember. I also had an uncle who sounded like that (not a blood relation).
One of the great disappointments of my childhood was that Dastardly & Muttley never won the Wacky Races, in spite of the fact they were nearly always in the lead at some point
Unfortunately I never saw whacky races, I don’t think, so I can’t really relate to it. But it sounds good!
On a separate topic: did you ever receive my message regarding your PF charts? I was so grateful to you, but I could not get it to work on my iPad, which is all I use. Probably an iPad thingie. Since then I have found a simple, okeyish one that I have downloaded on my phone. It is in some ways irritating, but it works well enough for me to record when needed. Recently I have needed it as for a short period I was trialling if I could cut down on my inhaler (with discussion with my asthma nurse) (couldn’t) , and, of course, since then had another cold. As I am rubbish at ‘feeling’ how I am I need to use every means available to monitor, including encouraging people around to tell me when things don’t sound right. They do tell me and I haven’t realised.
Hi, yes I did see your message & apologies for not replying. I had started work on a non-Excel version of the spreadsheet & was going to revive it, but work got in the way, & I've been rushed off my feet these last few weeks. Sadly, my contract ends at Xmas & I've decided to drop back on supply teaching rather than try to find a full-time job, so hopefully, I will have a bit of time to work on it once term ends.
I'll let you know once I make some progress with it & stick a message on here as well...apologies again!
Really no need to apologise! I was just concerned that my non-contact might have seemed unappreciative, and that wasn’t right! As long as you know I really appreciated you sending it to me!
I remember the one and only time I ended up in hospital (long may that last!) when they put the oxygen mask/nebuliser on me, the sheer bliss of all that cool ‘air’ against my face. I am resistant to using steam, really just don’t fancy it, it brings back memories of towels over head and ending up damp from the shoulders up, but that lovely vapour I got in hospital was a different beast! Thus I have now ordered a steam/vapourising/nebulising thingie, not for the nebuliser at all, just for that lovely, comfortable feel of vapourised ‘air’ against my face.
My best memory of Asthma was meeting a lady who was also in hospital in 2016. We shared symptoms and experiences and 2 years on we are still friends who support each other.
The first time I every used a blue inhaler. Diagnosed with EAI I took in and was suddenly able to do double somersaults (I was a gymnast 😂).
Now as severe it’s the feeling when I realise I haven’t had to think about breathing for a few weeks - that feeling where I remember what life was like ‘before’ when I was ‘normal’ and that I could get back to that level again!☺️
Also my asthma laugh... although it’s a sign that I’m declining, Muttley is an entertaining character and my friends crack up when he comes out 😅😂
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