Danielle’s tried and true tips for working around asthma during exam period

Yikes! I’m headed into my fifth exam period of my university career! I’ve dealt with asthma exacerbations in one form or another at pretty much every exam period so far.  If you are fanatic student like I am, you’re going to want to maximize your time studying, minimize your time spent dealing with your asthma, and NOT miss any exams. Here are some things that have helped me:

1. Study away, but don’t compromise your sleep. The less you sleep, the more susceptible you are to colds and infections, which can create big asthma problems. Sleep is a priority, I mean it.

2. Become a germophobe, especially during this H1N1 outbreak. Avoid your sick friends, wash your hands and use your head. It’s worth it if you can avoid getting sick.

3. Make a study schedule, and arrange it so that you are pretty much prepared for your exam the day before you actually need to be. This way, if you are suddenly flaring the day before your exam, you won’t be in trouble. Less stress for you. I bet it’ll improve your mark too.

4. Know your school’s policy on absenteeism from final examinations. Know what kind of documentation you need if you are to miss an exam.

5. If, 24 hours before your exam you are flaring and are unsure whether or not you’ll be able to write the exam, contact your professor to let them know what the situation is. They appreciate this.

6. Don’t be afraid to step up your meds as per your care plan if you think it’s what you need to get you through.

7. Be aware of potential triggers in the exam hall. For example, every year I seem to have at least one exam scheduled on the rink of the hockey arena. Arenas really set me off due to a mix of cold temperature and fumes from the zamboni. Therefore, I pre-medicate for these exams. Another thing to look out for might be a really old or dusty building.

8. If you think you’ll need it, and even if you don’t, have your ventolin out on your desk. In most cases, you’re not allowed to do so much as reach into your pocket during an exam so have it in plain sight. If a proctor gives you a hard time, be firm and tell him/her that it’s absolutely necessary (I’ve only ever gotten one comment about this).

Does this make me sound neurotic?? If it does, it’s only because I really care about school and because I’ve run into a lot of problems in the past. I know a lot of you are students so tell me: how do you deal with the asthma beast during exam period?

EDIT: I just checked my exam schedule and I have no exams scheduled in the hockey arena. Score!!

Gearing up for exams

Exams start in two weeks minus one day, anyone else feel like these past four months just flew by? From now on in, I am committed to studying and staying healthy. Of course I will run as much as possible because this is what keeps me studying well! Time to hunker down

The long run vs. the tempo run

Thanks to the Runner’s World magazine my dad brought me, which I read cover to cover many times, I’m starting to learn stuff about running. Like how you should schedule both a long run and a tempo run every week (well, if you are actually serious about training that is).

A tempo run, as I understand it, is a shorter run at “medium-hard” pace, intended to increase speed and resistance. I usually do one a week if the week is going well breathing-wise. I find these way hard! I know, I know, they’re supposed to be. As I’ve been experimenting with running different distances and at different paces, I’ve been surprised to discover that I can handle a “long” run quite well, as long as I keep my pace in check. I always thought that due to my lungs I’d never be an endurance chick. But nope, as long as I maintain a slow and steady pace and concentrate on breathing, I am able to run long.

The tempo runs are harder. These are the ones that have me on the floor after I stop. It takes me forever to recover from one, even though it’s such a short workout. I suppose it might be this way even for non-lungers (feel free to chime in, I wanna know!). When you push your pace, you’re putting a pretty high oxygen demand on your body, and it takes a whole lotta breath to meet that demand. I like them though, because they wake my muscles up and really make them work.

I’m not training to be an elite runner, I don’t really need to increase my speed,  I just want to run!  I don’t really need to include tempo runs in my regimen, which is why it’s hard to make myself do them when I know I’ll feel crappy afterward. But I guess it’s good for any runner to shake things up and develop different facets of their running. It’s bound to get easier if I stick to it! I’ll keep you posted.

Get to know me… and my accordion!

So I asked for some blogging topics, and Kerri suggested I share a little about the accordion. If you’ve been hanging around for awhile, you may have noticed that I actually play this marvelous instrument. You’re probably wondering why.

SO! I started playing the violin when I was six years old. I did the Royal Conservatory exams up to grade 10. While I was in high school, I probably loved playing the violin more than I loved anything else in the world. That being said, I put a lot of pressure on myself and found it quite stressful at times. I was that kid who hung out at the conservatory multiple nights a week, eating Subway for dinner and doing homework between theory class and orchestra. It was all very serious.

My little brother was the one to discover the accordion. His 9-year-old self decided that he was into folk music, so he asked my mom to find him a teacher. My sister and I ended up hanging around at a lot of his jam sessions and concerts. Accordion events? Are seriously FUN, none of this haughty business you might find in the world of strings.  When I was 17-going-on-18 I decided I wanted to try it toojust because it looked so darned fun.

I’ve been playing for just over 2 years now and it’s seriously a blast. It’s pretty much impossible to play the accordion with a long face, I dare you to try. I’m getting somewhat good at it, but I think my brother is miles ahead of me. I mostly play classical stuff because I like it, but I’m not above breaking out into a polka once in awhile. I also like to play French Canadian folk music with my brother. I try my hand at Klezmer, East European, French, Latin American…pretty much anything! I actually do compete with it and I’m not kidding when I say the competitions are the funnest part. Most people in my age group are virtuosos, but they are so friendly and funny!

My gorgeous accordion weighs about 32 lbs. My left bicep actually bulges a bit from pushing the bellows in and out, whereas my right bicep is comparatively modest. When I’m sick and not breathing well, my accordion is actually too much to handle! It’s such a beast. Somehow I rarely have this problem with my violin. LOL

Now, I would like to open up a formal Q & A session to you the readers. Ask me anything… about my asthma or about asthma in general, about my hopes and dreams, daily life., or whatever. I will try to answer as completely and honestly as possible! I’m in need of a writing exercise. Even if you’ve never commented before, consider leaving me a question!

BLOG FOOD PLEASE

I’ve been trying and trying to write a real post and I keep deleting them just because. I’m sure you don’t want to hear about my probably insignificant career-related quarter-life crisis so please! What would you like to hear about?? I’m willing to go anywhere so ask away!!

Cooking right along…

DONE my last midterm and DONE my last 6-hour lab!! Now I am FRREEEEeeee…. to study for final exams lol. Such a glamourous life I lead (you know I love it though). My lab section went out to celebrate this evening, yay for beer on a Monday! I love when scientists get together to do social stuff… we’re a special bunch who can’t help thinking DNA jokes are funny.

I took the rest of the evening off from studying and baked banana cookies. YUM they were so good!!

As for the lungs, they held up nicely on this long day. I’m thinking that I will kick the prednisone tomorrow. And hopefully go running!!

Good morning, sort of!

Things have gone pear-shaped again, despite the 50 mg pred. I felt great after my run yesterday but started to get really out of breath while doing my grocery shopping, of all things. It got worse as the evening progressed and last night was pretty miserable to tell you the truth. This morning is somewhat better but I’m still short of breath. I added 10 mg to my prednisone dose today, hoping that will do the trick. Tomorrow I will call my doc because I admit this is a bit of a pickle I’m in.

I don’t want to think about whether it was wise to run yesterday, it just is what it is.

Alive

I love to run, even when breathing is pretty tough. I might even say I love it especially when breathing is tough. To start running is to make my lungs wake up. Suddenly I’m pushing air to the nether regions that never seem to see any action. My lungs feel alive, and real, like a part of me instead of some faulty auxiliaries.

When you see me doing my lowly 6 kilometre jog in the morning, huffing and pushing air with the intensity of an olympic rower, you might wonder what my problem is. Well I’m here to tell you that I don’t have one, I’m just out getting my daily high.

Yeaaahhhh. What makes you feel alive?

Feeling much better

24 hours after starting the prednisone, I feel like me again. I went for an easy 3 km run this morning. Some people might say that is a ridiculous thing to do, but don’t worry I did use my brain. I rolled over in bed this morning, and didn’t feel any pain, and instead of taking in a half a breath before coughing my brains out, a nice full breath just glided into my lungs. Now THAT’S improvement!! I couldn’t believe it, so I jumped outta bed, took my puffers, had some water, got dressed and went. I took it easy and I was fine. It felt so good to be outside and active! I’ll be back to my regular distance/intensity in no time!

Now I am chowing down one of my favourite breakfasts : oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins with milky Earl Grey tea on the side. yummmm

I have THREE good reasons to get and stay healthy for next week: I have a midterm on Monday, I have an appointment for my H1N1 vaccine next Tuesday, and I am giving blood on Friday. Yes, yes I know I’m fairly certain I already had swine flu back in June and that I’m probably immune to it (especially since my rockin’ immune system fended it off when my roommate had it) but really you can never be too safe!

I’m so happy to be feeling better and that I didn’t spend all that much time in the crappy zone. I must say (though pride is supposedly a sin) that I think I handled this flare-up pretty well. I didn’t waste any time in doing what I needed to do and as a result I’m already better. Oh, and what did my mom say when I called her? “OK, well good luck with the asteroids sweetie”.  

 

65_RedRoses

If you are interested in seeing a young woman’s journey with CF and through a first lung transplant, then watch this documentary, which aired on CBC this Monday. Cystic fibrosis and lung transplant is so outside my world, but Eva’s battle still deeply touched me.

View the documentary here, I have no idea if it will work outside Canada, someone will have to let me know.

Read Eva’s blog at http://65redroses.livejournal.com

Unfortunately, she badly needs a second transplant. I hope it comes soon.