What I Wish I Would Have Known 20 Years Ago!
It's been exactly 20 years since my life was changed forever. Son #2 was diagnosed with asthma at age 5 and admitted to the hospital.
What a scary time for us!
That was the first of 12 hospitalizations for Son #2 and Daughter Kitty. (And a healthy amount of After Hours visits, Emergency Department visits and many sleepless nights.) Son #1 was also diagnosed with asthma, as was I!
I had no idea that I had asthma all my life - it all made sense now!
How I wish I knew more back then. I wish I would have known:
Emergency Rooms - when to take my child (read more)
Different types of asthma inhalers (which one to I take every day and which one do I take when I have an asthma attack?)
Your home - how things in our home can affect our asthma
Different types of asthma (who knew?) I still have to remind the doctor that I have Cough Variant asthma and I DO NOT WHEEZE!
Changing inhalers - sometimes people are okay on a corticosteroid, others need a combination inhaler. It's okay to increase to a stronger dose or a different type of inhaler if you don't feel it's working
Which kind of inhaler? Do you like dry powder inhalers, metered dose inhalers or soft mist inhalers? Some people really hate the dry powder inhalers, some people love them. Some Ask your doctor about the best inhaler for YOU!
Nebulizers - so much EASIER to use when we have a bad asthma attack or are sick with pneumonia
I could go on and on about everything I've learned over the last 20 years.
What do you wish you would have known about asthma?
I wish I'd known (or my doctors had) about the different types of asthma. I have no seasonal asthma, and by the time I cough much, I'm in deep trouble. My asthma is primarily reactive (disinfectants, fragrance, all that) and I can only use an albuterol inhaler and an N99 mask.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's hard to keep up on the research. I attend national asthma conferences and listen to asthma webinars every month to make sure I stay updated
ReplyDeletePrimary Care docs have their hands full trying to keep updated on diabetes, asthma, seizure disorders, cancer treatments, etc. They have to deal with so much!
Knowing that there are different types of asthma can explain why some people don't respond to certain inhalers while others do