Ive written about this before, but this is such an important topic; one that effects most chronic lungers and causes more suffering than any other respiratory symptom, that Ive decided to come out of blog retirement to write about it again. Most of the information that Ive been able to find on the internet regarding [...]
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I haven’t blogged about this experience until now, because frankly, I been too sick to sit in front of the computer for more than a few minutes at a time. You see exactly 2 weeks today, I stopped taking one the most physically addictive substances known to man…Methadone ( Some might say even worse than [...]
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Being sick for long periods like this, often has me thinking about lung transplant surgery and how wonderful it would be, at least in my mind, to not have to struggle to breath all the time. This month also marks the one year anniversary of my initial SARP work up, and the infamous meeting of [...]
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We all know what it’s like to be in asthma purgatory for a few days or maybe even a few weeks, but for 2 months? Geeze, cut me some slack would ya! Seriously, except for a string of 6 days in the middle October when I still on high doses of pred, Ive been in [...]
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I actually had something else prepared for this weeks post, but since there’s a good chance I’ll be heading to the slammer shortly, I thought Id do a quick update on what’s been happening. If you’ve been watching my sidebar lately you probably noticed that my numbers have been all over the place. Ive been [...]
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I often find it frustrating that here I am, a life long asthmatic, a Respiratory therapist and an asthma educator, yet still unable in normal conversation, to describe what makes my type of asthma so different from others. When asked to define asthma in general, I usually give the spiel about how asthma is an [...]
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It’s been almost a year since Ive updated my asthma status. Here’s the latest report card. For the year, I give myself a C + In general my lung function has only declined a couple percent which is good. The problem of course, is that when you’re down in the lower ranges like I am, [...]
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For 5 years now, I’ve been heralding the benefits of daily exercise in people who have severe lung disease. That message is plastered all over this blog, and I believe is the reason that Ive lived so long. But wait, just as with every other facet of this frustrating disease, there’s a catch 22. While [...]
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Just a year ago I was routinely hitting 370- 380 on the peak flow meter, representing the upper end of my green zone. Well, looks like those days are over. Though Ive been breathing pretty decent lately with no major flares, on a good day Ive only been hitting 310-320, maybe 330 on a stellar [...]
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Battle scars: 4 failed arterial line attempts and 12 failed IV attempts. I have no veins left and my radial arteries are so scarred up from previous insertions, that it’s virtually impossible to get access unless they put a central line in. Very frustrating for the doctors and very painful for me. I’d been having [...]
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The Happy Hospitalist must have read the last post I published regarding dyspnea and opiates, because he just wrote an article about it. I don’t know how many physicians actually read my stuff, but I’m totally flattered that someone would find one of my stories interesting enough for them to expand on it and write [...]
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No longer just reserved for severe pain control or to relieve end of life suffering, today a growing number of people with severe lung disease are using opiate medications to help quell their severe dyspnea . Well, you can now add to that list, a certain quirky little asthmatic marathon walker, by the name of [...]
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…………..As in my 94th hospital admission for asthma. I had been feeling really crumby most of that weekend prior. My dyspnea was increasing and my peak flows were gradually trending downward. By Sunday evening it was pretty evident that this flare-up was getting worse , not better. I bolused myself with 60mg prednisone and decided [...]
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