Guest lecturing about asthma at a local university

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just call me professor.

I'm guest lecturing about asthma in a class at a local university. I have all the supplies packed: nebulizer and albuterol vials, peak flow meters, inhalers, discs, Epi pens, etc.

I was looking up the latest stats, it's a little surprising what they are.

According to Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America,

Every day in the US:

• 40,000 people miss school or work due to asthma

•  30,000 people have an asthma attack

•  5,000 people visit the emergency room due to asthma 

• 1,000 people are admitted to the hospital due to asthma

•  11 people die from asthma

I never want me or my kids to fall in that last statistic. 

 

Two of my kids have been in the hospital for asthma 12 times (and 2 of those were in the ICU.) It's terrifying to have a son in the ICU and watching them struggle to breathe. He came close to dying and I'll never forget it.

It will be interesting to see what this class thinks about asthma. I'm going to talk to them about  what happens to the lungs during an asthma attack, what can trigger an asthma attack, what to do during an asthma attack and understanding how serious it can be. 

 

I feel that people really down play asthma "just give them their inhaler and they'll be fine". But we all know it's not that easy.

I'm bringing 11 of my son's plastic army guys for my visual aid. I'm going to set them up at the beginning of the lecture, them knock them over one by one to symbolize how many people will die today from an asthma attack. 

 

It's a sobering thought.

So, off I go to guest lecture. Maybe they'll bring an apple for the teacher!