Life as a Moderately Severe Asthmatic

MissE1000 gives you the rundown on life with asthma!—Sparkitors

I'm here to write about a fairly common disease: Asthma. When you think of asthma, you probably think “Oh yeah, my best friend has to use her inhaler before gym because of that,” or “Oh yeah, I've got asthma. Doesn’t really bother me.”  That's a common reaction, and it's not incorrect. Many people live with asthma. In most cases, it’s very mild. I happen to have a more severe case than your average asthmatic. Mine is not controlled with just a puff of an inhaler. Oh, how glorious that would be if it were that easy; I could dance through moonlit fields, singing Disney songs, purposely making myself dizzy, happily knowing I won’t have to worry so much about that horrible disease.

But it’s not that controllable. So we end moonlit field dancing and get onto reality. For those who don’t know, asthma is a disease where your air passages swell up when you exercise or are exposed to “triggers” (like things you’re allergic to, or sometimes fumes). I myself am severely reactive to perfumes, and I react to certain cleaners. I also have allergies, including mild food allergies, and those trigger my asthma as well.

Why are swollen airways so bad?  Well, if your airways swell up, that means there’s less room in between them. This, in turn, makes breathing difficult. If they swell up enough, that means that you can’t breathe at all. It can be a fatal disease, which is why you have to control it. So what is living with asthma like? There are pros and cons. I'll start with the upside:

1. You get to go to the nurse whenever you want. Without a pass. Some of my teachers have given me permission to just walk out in the middle of class. That makes me feel special.

2. Because you spend a lot of time sitting there in the nurse’s office, often with nothing to do, you get to watch all the other kids come in. I have learned first aid from observation, and now know about diseases such as diabetes from talking to kids who have it. I know more about these diseases than anyone I know, and I can identify them pretty easily.  That would be great, if learning about the human body didn’t make me nauseated, which means I will never use any of this wonderful knowledge that I have acquired.

3. Sometimes, you get out of gym. My asthma is triggered by cold weather, so there was no gym for about a month because of this. (And no, I cannot just wear warmer clothing. The air temperature is what matters, and wearing warm clothing does not warm up the air.  Just answering your question before you ask it, since that is a major question I get).

4. People show concern for you. You have more people looking out for you than you ever thought possible, making sure no one opens a smelly marker or sprays perfume.

5. I got out of taking art. Since I developed a passionate hatred for art in elementary school, this does not bother me in the least. In middle school, I took two musics instead, which is where my interests were anyway.

6. No yard work. YEAH!

7. Being allergic to cleaners gives you a perfect excuse to get out of cleaning bathrooms.

Cons (these outnumber the pros by a lot):

1. You look really stupid going around at a party reading food labels to make sure there’s nothing you’re allergic to in there.  If I eat out at a buffet, I have to sit there and watch everyone else eat while I wait for a chef. It is torture. Oh, and the last time I went to one, I was told I couldn't have any of the desserts, which looked amazing. The chef brought me ice cream sandwiches instead. Exclusive, but still no match for freshly baked cookies.

2. There is always the threat that someone could get me into an elevator, spray Axe body spray, leave me in there, and I would die.  Oh, and you jump any time you even THINK you see someone smoking or spraying perfume.

3. You have to carry and inhaler, an Epi pen, and Benadryl with you EVERYWHERE YOU GO!

4. Speaking of Benadryl, it has strange effects. One pill puts some people to sleep. I’m immune to that reaction, but I do act very strange after one pill. For example, I don't do math very well when I’ve had Benadryl.  1+1 does not equal 5, although I may try to convince you that it does after I’ve had Benadryl.

5. You sometimes have to use a machine called a nebulizer to receive medicine.  Not only do you look very strange with a tube (or sometimes a mask) sticking out of your mouth, but you also appear to be smoking through that tube. And it leads to a lot of questions (which normally I am more than happy to answer), but you can’t answer because you have to focus on breathing in the darn medication.

6. You have to take a bunch of medications. On a normal day, I take two controller inhalers and two pills for my asthma and allergies.  If I’m sick, the amount of medicine can go up.  WAY up.

7. I had to have allergy shots, every week, or sometimes every other week, in each arm, for five years.  I no longer am afraid of needles, but my arms are extremely sensitive.  No one can poke me without me jumping.

8. You miss school, and getting caught up, especially if you’re like me and take AP, GT and whatnot, is hard.

9. No cold weather sports. My asthma, and many other people’s asthma, is triggered by cold weather, and this is a disadvantage. No skiing or snowboarding. Ever. Needless to say, I am never moving to Canada. Not that I like cold weather, or even playing sports, but moving on…

10. Some asthmatics cannot own a cat or dog because of their allergies. I'm unusual in that I'm not allergic to cats, since most asthmatics are. But it’s a good thing. I own a cat, whose favorite place to sleep is right up against my body. She doesn’t bother me a bit. This is unusual, but I am lucky, and grateful for this.

10. People panic. “You shouldn’t be standing out in the rain!” “You’re riding a bike! Did you remember your inhaler?  No?  What do you mean you’re fine?”  And the most famous one that I hear as many as twenty times a day, and at least once a day: “Are you ok?” Even when you don’t appear to be having trouble, the “Are you ok?”s always pop up.  Though I know that people are just looking after me, after a while, they do become annoying.

11. People don’t believe you, which is worse than when they worry too much.  I have had people spray perfume and whatnot around me simply because they don’t believe that it will create a problem. Guess what?  It does!  I ended up in the hospital one time because some guy sprayed something outside his locker. 9-1-1 calls from school are NOT a good thing!

Just as a side note: if you are out in public, DO NOT spray perfume, no matter how stinky you are. Asthmatics can be anywhere, and you can create a serious issue, even though I know you don’t mean to.  Also, people with chronic migraines have bad reactions to perfume as well. Instead, carry damp wipes and deodorant with you and freshen up if you feel the need to apply more perfume. This is also a good place to mention the benefits of moderation with your perfume.  Most asthmatics and other people with allergies to perfume will not react if you put it on at home moderately, but if you douse yourself with it, we've got a problem.

12. You get depressed. You feel sorry for yourself. You wonder why this had to happen to you. Depression occurs with a lot of diseases; cancer, diabetes, asthma, you name it.  It’s unfortunate, but the truth. During my stay in the hospital, I actually got some encouragement. I don’t know asthmatics who are like me, but I met some there. There were people with MUCH worse asthma than mine; one boy was in the hospital almost every month with his asthma, and some go there annually with attacks. My attacks can be controlled without going to the hospital most of the time, and I haven’t been in the hospital with my asthma for a few years.  And a new controller that I’m on is also helping greatly. I do my best to understand my asthma, the disease, and the treatments. Many kids just stay silent and let their parents discuss it, but that’s never been me. I always stay informed.  I know my options. And I know what’s happening. This is how I keep myself safe. But the most important thing: a positive attitude. This keeps you going even on days when you wanna just lie in bed.

Oh, I forgot number 13 on my Cons list:
My mom found cleaners that I’m not allergic to, so I am now condemned to clean bathrooms! Save me!

Does anyone else have asthma? Do you want to add any pros or cons to the list?

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