Being asthmatic means that I have to be very fussy with smoke, dust, and other allergens which nurtures ones obsessive-compulsive side. I got used to pills, inhalers, waking up in the middle of the night with continuous coughing and yes, the all-year-round sniffles and frequent chest infections. Rather than seeing them as restrictions, I see them as something usual to my everyday life. I even have auras about any impeding exacerbation or infections much like someone who has a migraine. Just like now, I have to work through another exacerbation and yes, another course of treatment.
It is winter time again and bugs of sorts start to spread their love to the most vulnerable people. Norovirus and influenza viruses are notorious during this season and people in other countries are now even reporting cases of H1N1 again. Year 2009 witnessed the worst influenza pandemic yet and yeah, I can tell you it was so terrible (second to the leptospirosis outbreak that same year) that even members of staff in the previous hospital I worked at became very ill. Everyone was so paranoid about catching the bug that if Sterilium can be used as bath water we would have gladly used it so.
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| My kind of cocktail |
Contrary to popular belief, having a chronic health condition has its perks too. You get to know a lot of medicines (generic plus trade name) and you often get "checked-out" by doctors. You learn which medications work and which do not, which are cheap and expensive. You have met most of the celebrities in the antibiotic world like Augmentin, Zinnat, Klaricid, Levox and Zithromax and probably had a chance to have a longstanding love affair with the last one. Prednisone seems romantic but it is actually one name asthmatics hate together with all the other pills that sound like it (i.e. prednisolone and methylprednisolone). You learn to love purple and blue not just because of their tint but because of the relief they bring. You know what a peak flow meter is and why being in the red zone raises a red flag. You know that an O2 sat above 95% is okay and anything below that pushes you on the grey side. The words bronchospasm, DOB, SOB, wheezing and chesty are written at the back of your hand together with the numerous asthma triggers that you have. You learn to appreciate the symptom-free periods and make the best out of them. You also learn to plan your activities depending on the weather and the pollen levels. Being experienced and all, you become an expert patient who knows the ins and outs of the condition which makes you an excellent resource person for other asthmatic patients and their families. Asthma keeps you away from smoking and snorting drugs (though some sufferers try their luck on these). You can easily disprove claims of complete healing or instant cure from hoax adverts and quack doctors. Why? Because you are the most competent person in this "field" and you are sure that there has no cure for asthma yet. It is manageable but not yet curable. Your doctors may know more medical/techie stuff about your lungs and how they work but at the end of a consultation, they will always gear towards the treatment which suits you best with your consent of course.
Asthmatic. Meteorologist. Pharmacist. Diagnostician. Manager. Expert Patient.
Are you one of us?
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