Bad memories from asthma

Last night we were having Sunday Dinner with our college kids. Middle Son decided he wanted to (gasp!) watch a movie with us. 

He pulled out Lord of the Rings and mentioned that he hasn't been able to watch it for the last 10 years. He said it brought back bad memories of being in the hospital when he was younger and then being stuck home afterwards to recuperate. 

As a teenager, Lord of the Rings was one of his favorite videos. And there are 3 looooong videos, so he could just rest and let his lungs recover while he vegged in front of the TV.

Many teenagers might think, "That's Dope! I wanna stay home and watch videos all week."

Yeah, well.....you have to be REALLY sick to go to the hospital in the first place. And the recovery isn't much fun either.

This is what I saw with my kids after being in the hospital:

They are weak. 

Their chest hurts from coughing.  

They cough so hard they throw up.

They have to sleep propped upright on the cough because it's easier to breathe.

Oral steroids make them hungry and mean (and keeps them awake.)

They can't go too far because they run out of tubing with their oxygen concentrator.

 Everybody is outside on bikes or scooters, and they just get to watch from the window.

It's always time for another breathing treatment, steroid pill or antibiotic. 

Their friends have to bring home their homework because the teacher doesn't want them to fall behind.

I could go on and on about how hard the recovery is.

So, if my son wants to watch Lord of the Rings - you betcha! You want ice cream for lunch? Okay! 

What bad memories do your kids have of being in the hospital? Are they re-setting bad memories by embracing things now that remind them of the hospital?