Friend, Award-winning Chef , severe asthmatic and fellow SARP alumnus, Sheila Brillhard, wrote me the other day to tell me about her new cookbook . She created it for people who have to take prednisone for their asthma or other medical conditions. What a cleaver idea! I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how [...]
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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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The following is a perfect example of what prednisone can to an otherwise intelligent and creative mind…… I was at the town grocery store the other day, where I noticed they were having a contest to see if you could guess the weight of this huge pumpkin they had as part of a Halloween display. [...]
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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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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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(Get it?) Actually, I was inspired by Kerri’s messy drug drawer posts, to straighten up my own medicine storage area. ( There’s all kinds of double meanings here) No , this isn’t my medication drawer, it’s my medication ROOM! I have so many boxes of Albuterol/Atrovent nebules.. I could open up a pharmacy ( a [...]
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It’s been just over 2 weeks now since I did the Boston marathon, and except for today, which I can’t blame on the marathon, Ive managed to stay pretty healthy. That hasn’t always been the case right after a big race. Looking back on how things played out on Boston weekend, I think the strategy [...]
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(Arterial Line) Thanks everyone for your support and especially to Dr Wensel for staying in close contact during my 98th hospitalization. Thanks also to ALL the wonderful nurses who took care of me..You guys are awesome! Most of all, thank you to my dear Douglas who goes through hell every time I get sick. I’m [...]
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Sorry for the silence. This one kinda snuck up on me. I ended up in the slammer very very sick, but am starting to improve. I’ll write more after I get home. (It’s really difficult to type when you have a ton of IVs in your hands and arms). Thanks for the cards,calls and wishes. [...]
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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 I mentioned a while back, at the recommendation of Dr Wenzel at the University of Pittsburgh, I decided to do a 3 month trial of Qvar brand ( beclomethasone) . I’m hoping that adding Qvar to my treatment regimen will have a positive effect on my breathing by reducing the number of flare-ups I [...]
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