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Actually, I don’t know the answer, but I can speculate. Does anybody else feel like when they are really, really tired for any reason that they get more asthma symptoms? I do. When I was younger, my mom would always hate to let me go on sleepovers because the next day would invariably be rough. She noticed this pattern way before I did 
I don’t know that being tired actually causes asthma symptoms, maybe it’s just that my body and mind are less strong and can’t cope with the asthma that’s always there anyway? There’s really nothing about fatigue that should be an asthma trigger in and of itself. I don’t know, but it always feels like more work to breathe when I’m tired.
Anyway, all this to say that I myself am very very tired. A funeral followed by a few very late family party nights, followed by late nights trying to catch up in school and studying my butt off during the day means that I’m nearly burnt-out. I finally got the message yesterday when I tried to go running but couldn’t keep going, came home, crashed and fell asleep on my bed in my running clothes. I slept for 2 and a half hours. Asthma-wise, I’ve been “feeling it” much more this week. Although, this morning my mind, body and lungs feel refreshed. 
I guess I just needed a long nap!
So, I’m interested. Do you struggle with your asthma as much as I do when you are fatigued? What are your hypotheses on this phenomenon?
Phew, it was one of those long days!
This first bit may be too much information for you, if you don’t wanna know about what comes out of my lungs, do not read on. So I was standing around in the kitchen at breakfast, eating an orange while talking to my roommate, when suddenly I inhale some of the juice and start to choke. After the startling bit is over, I continue to cough a little bit. And then. Then I had this sudden massive rumbling cough, and I coughed up like a whole mouthful of thick but sort of fluffly white phlegm. Taken aback, it took me a moment to realize how freaking good that felt. So I encouraged the coughing for a few minutes and was able to clear some more. And for the next few hours I was on a cloud.
It’s a good thing I was on a cloud because I had a class, then a midterm. The cellular physiology midterm went super well. It was a bit on the easy side but whatever I could use a bit of easy amid my courses!! Next I had my massive Monday lab, which didn’t turn out to be too bad. By the end of it I was starting to feel tight and I could really feel it on my walk home. I was kind of grumpy about that because I thought I had fixed my lungy problem with this morning’s phlegm fiasco. I got home and made dinner and sucked on some ventolin.
I went back to school because there was an info session for next year’s honours projects. Even though I was feeling tight still, I brought my pool stuff for after because I had planned on a swim today. Of course the fact that I brought my swim stuff meant that I absolutely had to go to the pool, so I did. I love being in the pool, but I had to get out after 8 laps because I just wasn’t feeling it, I was too tight. Sooooo I came home, which is where I am now.
The lungs are being not very nice this evening, and I don’t know why. I wish they would get over themselves. Grr. It’s not a huge deal, and I’m not concerned about it, but it’s a little much for running or swimming.
The 5 km vs. 10 km debate is still not settled. People have not been very warm on the 10 km idea at all. And now I don’t feel so good so it’s harder to think a 10 km is realistic. I guess I really do have until Sunday to decide.
Monday is my worst day scedule-wise, so now the rest of the week is looking pretty peachy!
OK, so that is just an analogy for what is going on in my lungs today. I feel like something is a’brewing. I’ve got a little bit of painful breathing and definite gurgliness. All you seasoned survivors, do you have any tips on how to keep the infections at bay? Other than getting rest and fluids, I mean? I would really like to avoid the “something wicked this way comes” part.
PS I started wearing mitts.
It is really difficult to define and describe both the notions of asthma control and severity. I think it’s difficult for patients to articulate what their level of control is, and it’s also difficult for physicians to assess it in their office. In addition, people can be bothered to varying degrees by the symptoms they are experiencing. A new asthmatic will (appropriately) be distressed by mild bronchospasm whereas the most seasoned asthmatics can carry on with severe breathlessness.
There are several guidelines out there which aim to define asthma control in an objective way. Some measure by how many times a bronchodilator is used in a week, or how many ventolin puffers are used per year. Other measures include days of missed school/work, frequency of unscheduled doctor visits/ ER visits, etc. There are all good things to assess, but no one criterion will give the whole picture. Asthmatics are just too darned variable!
I think that most asthmatics have skewed perceptions of how they are doing. We see ourselves as less sick or more in control than we actually are. That’s human nature and that’s how it goes for most things, not just illness. As bad as the bad times are, they can be forgotten when considering the big picture. I’m trying to take an honest look at how my asthma has been recently, just for kicks.
When I saw my doctor last week, I said that things were good, that’s what I would say if I saw him today. When he was asking me his questions, I could tell that he was less than satisfied with my answers.
Despite feeling good overall, I still need my ventolin every day. On some days, I will need it frequently, and if I’m running, you can bet I’ll be using it a lot. Do I wake up at night with asthma symptoms? Yes, especially if I’ve exercised that day, but that doesn’t mean I’m having a “bad night” every night. And YES, my asthma did get out of control last week, to the point where my inhaled medications were not helping and I had to resort to prednisone. BUT the point is that I took the pred early-on-ish and I had my asthma back in control within 2 days (this is a good thing).
I’m not a short-sighted-silly, and I’m not stuck in denial. I know, when I think hard on it, that these are not signs of mild asthma, nor signs of asthma which is particularly well-controlled. I know that your average family doctor wouldn’t be too pleased when presented with the above. But the thing is, I feel like my asthma is good right now, I really do. I’m living a really normal life, doing everything I want to do, and I AM RUNNING. So I’m not fussed about it, I’m in control.
This brings me to my next point: the runnning. I feel great when I run, the adrenaline I get from it is beyond compare and my body is thanking me a thousand times over. But I still get tight, I still cough and I go through a lot of ventolin. As I said above, it also makes my nighttime symptoms a bit worse. The gist I get from people is that they assume that now that I can run, I must not have asthma symptoms any more. I have told a few people that I do in fact feel my asthma get worse in the hours after a run, and their response seems to be then why the heck do it???
Cause I can. Plain and simple. I told myself I could do it, tried it, and realized that I can do it. I seem to have asthma symptoms whether or not I’m physically active, so I might as well take the route that is actually good for my body.
So, all these convoluted ramblings to say that my personal perception of my asthma at this point in time is that it is actually quite good. Also, I love to run.
I did it!!!!! I ran a 5k race without stopping and it was the best feeling in the whole entire world!!!
So I guess prednisone and proper medications + adrenaline = Danielle the running beast
I will admit, I didn’t run this fast of my own accord. The thing was, I had my aunt’s car key in my bra (um, yeah) and she was my ride home and with thousands of people at the run there was no way we could get split up. I told her I was taking this at a slow jog and she said that was fine. Her idea of a slow jog is not the same as mine. She is 56 and probably the fittest person I know. We started off way faster that I have ever run and I remember thinking I was not going to last. But I’m stubborn and not the kind of person to ask others to slow down, so I kept up to her and before I knew it we were at the halfway point. About half a km later I could feel my breathing change, I was starting to trap air. I was using so much energy to blow out my air in quick sharp blasts, to the point of making my abs and ribs sore. I stayed very focused on breathing properly and keeping my upper body relaxed but was still running hard as ever. Pretty soon, I could see the finish line. After that, it was all over, I was just going for it. When I could finally see the numbers on the clock, I was absolutely in shock that there was we were still in the 20 minutes and not in the 40s. I was actually convinced they had set up the clock wrong. I finished strong and fast, and when I crossed the finish line, I walked it out, waiting for the grip on my lungs to tighten, waiting to start gasping.
BUT IT DIDN’T HAPPEN. For the first time in my life after a run I did not feel like my lungs were collapsing upon themselves. I felt just normal. I talked to my aunt all the way back to the car. Can you say adrenaline?? Now I’m showered, I’ve had a massive snack, and I still feel fine. IT’S WEIRD BUT TOTALLY AWESOME.
Is it even possible that yesterday morning I was out of breath from making my breakfast?? How does that even *happen*??????? I called my mom and she doesn’t even believe me, she told me to get out of town.
I know the asthma beast likes to be sneaky and strike hours later sometimes so I’ll take it easy and be vigilant.
The atmosphere at the pre-race was emotional and inspiring and very optimistic. As I said before this is a Canada-wide event raising money for breast cancer. Every time I looked at people’s “I’m running for…” bibs I almost cried. People were decked out in pink cowboy hats, feather boas, neon pink lycra tights, you name it. It was amazing.
GUYS, I am hooked. Can I call myself a runner yet?? I’ve got my eye on the next race…..
Admittedly, after my exercise extravaganza yesterday, the lungs were rough last night. It was worse than most nights and I didn’t get much sleep. Nighttime asthma symptoms are so much worse because a) they happen when you’re alone in the dark, usually disoriented from your half-sleep and b) you get so aggravated because you think you’ll never ever fall asleep.
I feel much better now that it’s morning but I know I’m tired because I boiled water for my tea this morning and then poured it over my cereal. Duuhhhhh.
Do I think it was a mistake though, to do a cardio workout yesterday? No, I’ll probably do it again next Wednesday. The endorphin high and the good I know I’m doing for my cardio-respiratory system were worth it.
Thursdays are my favourite day because I have genomics (my favourite class) and accordion lesson and highland dance! So yeah I may be dead on my feet but at least I have an enjoyable day ahead of me.
And did I mention my muscles hurt? Oooooww
Hola! I don’t have a whole lot to say, because I’m feeling really good! I expected the opposite in my first week here. I was flaring my first day here and upped the symbicort and have hardly had a problem since Tuesday. That’s quite something, it’s even been pretty hot, though not oppressively humid. Rock on!
Someone give me some blog food, as Kerri says! I’m outta topics!
Ooooh Update: I’m going for a hike today with my aunt! HA -it’s not the Rocky Mountains, but these hills will do!!
I guess I’m fairly opinionated on this topic. It’s hard not to be when it’s your breathing that gets affected. Across Canada, the way that smoking is valued by the public (or, conversely, devalued) varies a great deal. Where I’m from -out west -people rarely smoke on restaurant patios or at outdoor concerts. In my city it’s outlawed in all indoor buildings, I hate to admit I don’t know the bylaw over here. In other words, it never gave me problems, especially since I didn’t happen to interact with anyone who smoked.
I recently took a trip to Quebec city. Smoking is still very much part of the culture there and it is still regarded as normal to smoke outdoors in crowded areas. I went to several outdoor concerts, and the first time it surprised me even though I had been there several times (funny how you forget certain things). I had to move around every time someone lit up because second-hand smoke really triggers my asthma (well whose asthma doesn’t it trigger?)
Where I am now, and I’ll tell you that it’s somewhere between Quebec and the far west geographically, I’d say that the level of public smoking is somewhere between the two cities. It still happens alot, much more than I’d like, but it’s not as much as a thing as in Quebec city. On campus, I frequently encounter people smoking at building entrances.
I wish people wouldn’t smoke, I really do. It’s not good for anybody. I still have to respect that it is a choice people make. There have been rigorous efforts to propagate educational campaigns regarding the adverse effects, but that is all we can do.
Despite it being a free country, I still feel that smoking in public areas should not be a thing. I don’t think it should be allowed. Peoples’ homes, backyards, and cars are a different story. But this air that we are all sharing? I NEED it to be clean, not to be all dramatic and stuff. If we were to discuss ethics, I would back myself up from a utilitarian point of view (you know, the greatest good to the greatest number of people). Because surely I stand to gain a lot more from breathing clean air than a smoker does from being able to smoke in public.
I’ve got 2 anecdotes to demonstrate how much trouble second-hand smoke can cause for an asthmatic.
1. As a child having spent the evening in the emergency room, I was finally allowed to leave into the cold December night. Stabilized but still rocky, I stepped out of the hospital only to encounter staff smoking at the exit. This undid much of the work that was done in the ER and I stepped right back inside for a few more nebs.
2. I was on a school trip in France. I was already pretty rough, I was suffering from a cold and was caught off-guard by the French spring season. Walking to the restaurant for dinner, the smoking on the crowded main street sent me over the edge into a coughing fit that would not stop. My teacher and I took a cab to the ER, it was definitely a bad one.
For some reason, I feel horrible complaining about this. I guess I’m just worried about offending people. I also don’t intend to sound whiny. But, it really does negatively affect me and I know it does countless others as well. As always, I invite and encourage discussion : )
I’ve heard people with chronic health issues say things like “I hate my disease, but given the chance, I don’t know if I’d get rid of it”. So, OK, I get where you’re coming from. I know that hardships help you grow, and make you appreciate life so much more. And I know that living with something like that for a long time can start to define you and become a part of your personality. Yes, yes and yes.
My take on the hypothetical “if you could take it all away…” situation is that my asthma is not the end of the world and I certainly can cope but if my fairy godmother came along, I would say YES! I’m thinking of all the possibilities here. I could get a good night’s sleep every night, I could wake up and feel like an actual human being in the mornings, I could dance and run without having an excuse not to, I wouldn’t have to take (and pay for) so many meds, I could go anywhere without having to run the list of potential triggers through my head. And most of all, there would be none of this life-threatening asthma episode stuff, no more scaring myself and everyone around me. Doesn’t all that seem like a good enough reason?
Of course, I can also appreciate the parts of having asthma that have been good for me. Number 1 is that if I hadn’t known what it’s like, I would never have learned to appreciate being able to run like the wind. Now, when I’m healthy, I’m extra-happy, and my smile shows it. I try to remember everything else about my health that is good, like having full mobility, no muscle or joint pain, no stomach issues, no headaches or neuro problems. Hey, I’m a healthy girl.
The other thing that’s been good, and which I really do appreciate is that I have a pretty good angle on what it’s like to be a patient and that will help me very much in my career. I’ve met a lot of doctors and I know which ones are able to communicate effectively and compassionately and I’m starting to model myself after these people.
So yes, every cloud has a silver lining! But I could still really do without the asthma attacks.
My 2 cents for the day, a little peek into my crazy brain. I’m away for the weekend, have a good one!
Just finished watching So You Think You Can Dance Canada. In case you’re wondering, they’ve narrowed it down to the top 46 and the top 20 will be revealed Sunday.
The reason I’m writing about this is because of a certain competitor that I noticed. At her audition, she mentioned she had lung issues that caused her to have a lot of scar tissue (pulmonary fibrosis?). They didn’t put a whole lot of emphasis on her during the Toronto week, but I noticed that she was still standing at the end of today’s episode. Oh yeah, and her name is also Danielle. I promise, it’s not me : )
Anyway, go dancer Danielle! I’ll be rooting for you and your lungs!
