Anyone care for some Albuterol? (Hey…..how did the Primatine mist inhaler get in there?) I sometimes jokingly claim that Im a hopeless Albuter-holic, because Ive probably inhaled more bronchodilators (asthma medicine) than any living person. Well, after doing the math, that claim might not be as far fetched as it sounds. When I first wrote […]
Im referring to the Pharmaceutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim and it’s patient assistance program called “BI Cares” Tiotropium, or Spiriva as its known by most patients, is a long-acting anticholinergic (or muscarinic antagonist) bronchodilator, that up until 2016 was not recommended for asthma and was used primarily in the treatment of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). […]
A while back I wrote a post titled “That feeling”, (you can read it here if you want). In that post I described that punch-in-the gut or sinking type feeling that I sometimes get at the sudden realization that my asthma may be starting to flare again. I wrote about it because it’s one of […]
Instead of another depressing asthma related post, this time I thought I thought Id take a break and write about something a little more cheerful. Im referring to a favorite hobby of mine….playing the bass. Its no secret that I’ve become quite an accomplished marathon walker, despite severe breathing difficulties. But, I bet you didn’t […]
Once again Im way behind on my blogging, this time because I just haven’t been in the mood to write or talk about anything even vaguely related to asthma or hospitals. My last hospitalization a couple months back, continues to f-ck me up….mostly in the head. Other than the usual prednisone induced insomnia and resulting […]
You know that feeling you get after youve survived a really bad asthma or COPD exacerbation? One that probably put you in the hospital for several days? Where it took weeks of painstaking recovery and a slow prednisone taper, but then you finally started feeling pretty good again? You felt victorious that you beat it […]
My life as chronic lunger is pretty much an open book…or would that be an open Blog? In any case, I might as well include all the mental stuff too. What I post most about is my life with Life-long Severe Asthma, Obliterative Bronchiolitis and newly acquired Posterior Glottic Stenosis (not to be confused with Vocal […]
I try to update and post something new to my blog at least once a month, but on the social media front I’ve barely been visible lately and I think some of my friends were starting to worry. So,to keep them in the loop, and anyone else who’s interested, here’s a brief update on what’s […]
Spending a lot more time at home, thanks to the pandemic, last week I found myself digging through a cardboard file box full of old miscellaneous paperwork. I was looking for a receipt for a roofing job we had done on the house several years earlier. Doug insisted that we had it done prior to […]
After briefly broaching this subject a few years ago with a Palliative care specialist at UCSF, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from this brand-new appointment. Heck, I wasn’t even sure why I was referred to the Palliative Care Dept again in the first place. What was my Pulmonologist thinking? I mean seriously, I […]
A sign of the times, I guess. As with other large sporting events worldwide, foot races of all kinds and sizes have understandably been cancelled this year due to Covid 19. The vendors who work with and rely on these events have taken a huge hit as well, and apparently the Marathon photography market is […]
I was racking my brain trying to come up with an appropriate title for this post and finally settled on this one. I think it works, because in many cases living with and managing asthma can be a full time, around the clock, job. Kind of ironic when you consider all the people who are […]
I remember someone asking me recently, how it was possible that I was able to post a video and update my status while I was on a ventilator struggling to breath? I really had to think carefully about how to answer that question. Actually, I was responding to all the get well wishes from my […]
