Asthma - "Things Can Always Be Worse"

I was watching the video "Ever After"and there's a great line from Anjelica Houston. She is the deliciously evil step mother who says to Cinderella (Drew Barrymore):

"We must'nt feel sorry for ourselves, must we? No matter how bad things get, they can ALWAYS (insert shrill trill of the tongue sound) get worse"

Photo cred: IMBD 

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0120631/mediaviewer/rm710188545/

That has been our family mantra. With three kids with asthma (inherited from me), we have had countless visits to Asthma Doc, Urgent Care, the ER and 12 hospitalizations (2 of those were ICU admissions.) 

I sometimes have people ask if we think "Why me?" It always surprises me when people say that. No we don't say 'Why me?'

I'm a fixer. 

Like most women, when something's wrong, I want to fix it. So, when we're in the doctor's office or pharmacy, or I'm pacing the floor because one of the kids is really bad with their asthma, I think, "How can I fix this?'

Each flare up is different, but sometimes we have to bump up their daily, controller inhaler to help keep the swelling down in their lungs. Sometimes it means giving treatments with the nebulizer every 4 hours - around the block. Sometimes I know we need to start Prednisone (again.....), sometimes one of the kids will need a shot of Decadron (steroid injection). 

Sometimes I know that this is beyond what I can do, and we need the hospital with a steroid IV and oxygen, and round the clock monitoring from the professionals.

Don't get me wrong, there are days that I think 'Can I just have one day without worrying about the kid's asthma?!'

But, through it all, I have the Best Hubby In The World, and amazing friends who get us through. We've had countless dinners delivered, cookies baked, prescriptions picked up from the pharmacy, goodie bags dropped off for me with Dr. Pepper, chocolate, and Interior Design magazines.

But I know that we'll get through this. Not everyone gets through their various medical problems. Some people become became disabled, have surgeries, chemo, radiation, etc. 

Or don't survive at all.

We are surviving, and I know that could always be worse. I try to remember that, even on the bad days. This has brought us closer as a family because we must rely on each other during the emergencies. We all have to pitch in and help.

All in all, we'll get through the bad days with asthma, we always do. 

And 'we mustn't feel sorry for ourselves, must we? No matter how bad things get, they can always be worse!'