I'm home!

"Circe" wrote in message
news:%dlPa.744$u51.628@fed1read05...
Just a quick note to let everyone know that I got home from the hospital
about 90 minutes ago and have been reading all your posts and well-wishes.

First, let me say that I'm utterly humbled and *very* grateful to you all.
It is amazing to have such an incredible network of people you've never
even
met who are caring about you and pulling for you. I really just
feel...humbled, maybe even a little embarrassed.

I know there've been some questions as to how I got myself into this mess
in
the first place, and the truth is, it was a bit of complacency on my part
and some really bad luck. I've been treating my asthma symptomatically for
years, and I knew what I was doing was not THE BEST treatment, but three
kids and a full-time job and the thousand other medical events we've had
'round here (big baby heads, broken arms, etc. ad infinitum) just kept
pushing that visit with my doctor off. And since I was not symptomatic
often--I could go literally days without problems--and since the albuterol
and serevent seemed to work well when I WAS having trouble, it didn't seem
like a pressing matter. Things obviously changed Monday morning.

Honestly, we don't really know what triggered this event, but I went from
a
very mild asthma attack to feeling like someone had literally shut the
door
between my upper airways and my lungs in under 10 minutes. It was
LIGHTNING
fast. I had my albuterol and my nebulizer, but because I couldn't get ANY
air into my lungs at all, they weren't helping.

The plan at this point is to get me on Advair as a 2x daily preventive,
with
plenty of albuterol as needed if I'm having trouble. I'm also scaling down
on oral steroids and taking an antibiotic prophylactically for a few more
days. In addition, the pulmonologist who saved my life (bless him) gave me
a
prescription for an epi-pen. If I had had one of those on hand when this
event started, I might have been in a bit better shape when I got to the
hospital, since it might have opened my airways enough to allow the
albuterol to get in and do some good. As it was, the only way to get air
into me was to intubate me and force it in there--and believe you me, my
lungs *know* they were forced to breathe against their will!

As we've been discussing this whole event, it has occurred to us that my
father's asthma worsened significantly when he was my age. He thought it
was
due to having his nasal passages "roto-rootered", but given that he was
39-40 and I'm 39, it seems entirely possible that our asthma triggers are
just designed to get worse at around this age. I am much more fortunate
than
he in that there are much better medications available these days to treat
asthma preventively, though!

All things considered, I'm amazed. Monday, I was at death's door and today
I'm home with my family. I am so incredibly blessed. And grateful to have
a
second opportunity to be a better wife, mother, daughter, and friend.
Thank
you so much for caring.


I'm so pleased that you have recovered so quickly and are now at home. What
happened to you is so scary, I cannot begin to imagine what you were going
through. I've had a cough for a few weeks and I woke up the other night
gasping for breath twice before being able to fill my lungs, which was
pretty frightening, but not enough so that I didn't fall back to sleep
straight away.

Amanda
Mum to Adam Stephen 1 Oct 1992
Lost bubs May 1993
Stephanie Rose 10 Feb 1994
Sam Elliot 22 Dec 1998
Ttc#4 ever since.....








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Wow....... I've been very busy with work for the last week or so and
haven't been around here much, and just came back to hear this news.
At least I got to read that you are okay before I found out you'd been
so critical And very glad I was to hear you're home safe, too.

FWIW, asthma sounds horrid and being unable to breathe would certainly
be my worst nightmare. I guess I need to thank my lucky stars again
tonight that nobody in our family has ever had asthma. I can't even
imagine. I gather you thought quickly enough to get the help you
needed though, which sounds quite an amazing feat when you can't
breathe. Well done, and welcome back - home and to the group.

Take care of yourself,
--Lisabell

Glad to hear all is well . Rest up and take extra care of yourself and enjoy
all your kiddies!!
wendy

"Astromum" wrote in message
...
Circe, I am so glad to hear you are doing well! I guess your
attack made everybody realize how fragile we are and how small
the difference between life and death can actually be. I know
I gave DH and DS an extra hug when I heard the news, and I am
still reminded of it every time I swap over to am or mk*...

Today is truly the beginning of the rest of your life. Enjoy!

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD

"Circe" wrote in message news:%gDPa.2608
And to everyone else who mentioned having "mild" asthma--a brief plea: take
it seriously. I would have characterized my asthma before this event as
moderate rather than mild, but I never thought of it as particularly
dangerous or life-threatening. I know better now. It's just not something to
be taken lightly. The right trigger and you can be locked up solid like I
was, not able to take a breath for love or money. It's just something you
should have checked and be sure that your medications are really keeping you
under proper control. Don't mess with it!


Barbara, glad to see you're back and breathing again. I've been out of
touch for days, so this is the first time I've gotten online and I
went searching to see how you were doing.

You're very very right about not messing with asthma. I don't have
mild asthma, I've got a fairly constant problem with it with ~monthly
episodes (having one right now, actually) of decreased ability to
breathe due to bronchospasms. I've found the people at
alt.support.asthma quite helpful when my coping skills are inhibited
by a lack of oxygen.

Like you, I'm on adviar (love that purple round inhaler) as well as
singulair, nebulized albuteral, and I take medications for my
allergies and GERD as well. I spend a fortune on monthly copays, but
breathing seems to be worth the $ spent. My rescue inhaler isn't used
often, but when I need it, I need it!

I hope you're checking your peak flows carefully and watching for
triggers. I'm glad you're able to carry and use an EPIpen. I wish I
were, but I can't because it would be more dangerous to my heart
(congenital heart defect) than not using one.

You're actually so lucky, although it probably doesn't seem like it
now, but you found out that your asthma can turn to a severe problem,
and now you know not to fool around with your daily preventative
treatment. Lots of people aren't so lucky. There were 4,487 deaths
from Asthma in the US last year (2002). Asthma is a life threatening
disease. You now know how fast it can strike and how scary it can be.

I did note that you said both your father and you developed more
symptoms at 39, which I found really interesting. I had childhood
asthma that disappeared until I was 39. It came back with such a
vengance that I didn't even know what it was, because it was so
viralunt. From clear breaths to blocked airways in a matter of
seconds. I wonder if getting close to the big 4-0 does something to
shock the system? :-)

Glad to see you made it back safe and sound.

Marjorie

(Beth Kevles) wrote in message ...
Hi -

If you have a history of asthma, even if it seems very mild right now,
go see a professional about it. THe only excuse to NOT go is if you're
on the brink of poverty and truly can't afford it.

That isn't an excuse either. Because of the huge rise of asthma in
poor children, most hospitals offer clinics with free care for people
with asthma. The medical community is taking it much more seriously
than they did 25 years ago. I know in San Francisco, certain
neighborhoods have an increased case load of asthmatic children and
they are entitled to free health care. Most hospitals will treat
adults as well, as will community clinics.

Marjorie