So my asthma is acting up again and I feel like I have the proverbial elephant sitting on my chest. I say my asthma is acting up, but in actuality it’s always acting up, so I guess what I really mean is that my symptoms have been ramping up from my norm, getting more intense. […]
Back in the old days when you got sick and ended up in the hospital, it was probably because your primary care doctor put you there. Boy, have times changed. Nowadays you have one set of doctors who see you in the clinic when you’re doing well, another set of doctors who see you if […]
Not sure what’s going on. Since 2003 when my asthma started to get really bad, it was for the most part, relatively stable and the symptoms tolerable for several months at a time. Even the exacerbations, while still very severe on occasion, were somewhat predictable. Likewise, my lung function, specifically my FEV1 and FVC, though […]
If you’ve suffered from asthma for any length of time and/or have been hospitalized for it, no doubt you’ve experienced some of the not so pleasant side effects of corticosteroids, or possible psychosis from being in the intensive care unit for any length of time. Being in and out of the hospital and on steroids […]
The search term “Intubation” comes up fairly often on my blog’s traffic logs, so I thought I take a moment to write about it. Heaven knows I’ve had my share of them(35 times as of Mar 2017). I truly hope your asthma never gets to point where you actually need to be intubated for it, […]
Think a severe asthma exacerbation only effects your lungs? Check out the photos below. Each photo was taken appx 2-3 weeks after being discharged from the hospital after a serious asthma flare. Dehydrated? Perhaps, but interestingly, most people retain water while on prednisone. The thing about frequent severe asthma exacerbations and frequent use of steroids, […]
Most people will tell you Im one of the sweetest, most caring people you’ll ever meet. But make no mistake, when Im recovering from a bad asthma exacerbation, I can become an obnoxious asshole… I get anxious, I get irritable, I get angry and nasty all at the same time. I snap at everyone and […]
Oh goody, another post about asthma exacerbation recovery. After being discharged from the hospital only 3 days ago, it’s probably a little early to be writing about this topic again, but something is definitely different this time around. The recovery seems excruciatingly slow( gee, where have I heard that before?). In my mind I should […]
Gee I haven’t written about a good ole hospital admission for quite sometime. Since I just completed my 112th, maybe now’s a good time. The theme for this latest admission is fun with steroid psychosis and why IV fluids should always be monitored closely. The fun begins The trigger to the flare leading up to […]
For those of you who thought I was kidding…No, it’s not a hotel, it’s my hospital. But the poshness doesn’t end there. The information counter at the front entrance looks more like the registration desk at a 5 star Hotel, and occasionally you’ll find a chamber orchestra playing in one of many the sitting areas […]
It feels good to brag about something positive for a change. This week marks 15 whole months since Ive had to have a tube shoved down my windpipe in order to breath. Ive had zero, what I would call “critical condition” type hospitalizations in that time period as well. Granted, I’m still ending up in […]
Just one of the advantages of being an asthmatic Respiratory Therapist, though the hospital staff might not be so thrilled. They get a little grouchy when the patients start adjusting ventilator settings 🙂 Now for the serious educational part: The rational for using non -invasive bipap therapy during a severe asthma exacerbations is simply to […]
Over the years Ive built up a pretty loyal following of friends who are interested in what Ive been up to and how I’m doing health wise , but the bulk of visitors to this blog still get here while searching for answers to asthma related questions or topics. The following (in order of popularity) […]
