So, this may not contain 100% of what happened as I went a few days ago but have been way too busy at sixth form to post anything. However, if I didn't remember something then it clearly wasn't horrifying!
What happened when I went?
The nurse began by going through with me what had happened when I saw the doctor six weeks ago, and asked if I had brought the symptom diary. I gave her the diary and she had a read (cue awkward silence!) and then we had a chat about it. She'd noticed that there weren't many days when I didn't use my inhaler and was concerned by this, she also noticed that the main issue at the moment is hay fever. She asked me a couple of questions about how long I've had hay fever, if I get eczema, and family history of respiratory illness etc and then asked me to use a peak flow meter. I got a value of 340 but i had run to the chemist and back before I went to see her! She then asked me to take two puffs of the reliever. The nurse typed something into her computer and then asked me to use the peak flow meter again. This time I got 400.
Next, she went through what a preventer, steroid inhaler is and how to use it with a spacer. She told me about what it does, why I should use it and when I should use it. She gave me a couple of prescriptions and asked me to go again in six weeks.
So what do I have to do for the next six weeks?
I was given quite a high dosage of the preventer inhaler and I have to take two puffs of this, morning and night, for the next six weeks. Oh, and it tastes foul :( I also have to use a peak flow meter morning and night for the next six weeks and record my values on a graph. So far, 2 days later, the graph is all over the place. Values at night are close to 400, values in the morning are around 350. Hopefully that will flatten out a bit over the next six weeks. Apparently, it can take up to six weeks for the preventer to have a full affect.
What happens next time I go?
To be honest, I'm not sure! She said that we will go through the peak flow diary, and look at if the dosage of the preventer can be reduced. Hopefully, by that time I don't get any more symptoms during the day as my a level exams start after that (well, most of them!). My dancing exam is in 3 weeks so hopefully I'm ok with dancing!
Ok, this will probably be the last post until my next appointment. I have a multitude of revision to do!
Bye!
Saturday, 21 April 2012
Scary experience whilst dancing
Sorry, this is a few day out but I have been super busy! Anyway, I wrote down what happened in my symptom diary straight after it happened so nothing will be missed out!
Ok, so a few night ago I decided to do a bit of dancing, my own combination of a street and hip hop routine. I forgot that I am supposed to use my reliever inhaler before exercise, so started without it but felt short of breath and got a tight chest after just a few minutes. No problem, I used it sat down for 10 minutes then started again.
I haven't made it through a dance properly in ages due to this asthma stuff, so I forced myself to get through the whole routine. To be fair, what happened is entirely my own fault for pushing myself too far and for not starting off with a slower, less intense dance.
Three quarters of the way through the dance I became short of breath and had a tight chest. I didn't stop. I reached the end of the dance and was unable to breath. I used the inhaler again but it didn't help. I began to feel dizzy so I sat down. After half an hour I could breath easily again but the dizzy feeling didn't go until the next morning. This stopped me from sleeping so I felt rubbish the next day. I also spent all night coughing.
In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have just gone to bed without telling anybody that this had happened. It was the second scariest experience of my life (the first scariest ended with me fainting on my form tutor!). The asthma nurse didn't say anything about it though, so it can't have been too severs, just made me feel awful! Hope this never happens again, and I have defiantly learned my lesson about ignoring symptoms!
Ok, so a few night ago I decided to do a bit of dancing, my own combination of a street and hip hop routine. I forgot that I am supposed to use my reliever inhaler before exercise, so started without it but felt short of breath and got a tight chest after just a few minutes. No problem, I used it sat down for 10 minutes then started again.
I haven't made it through a dance properly in ages due to this asthma stuff, so I forced myself to get through the whole routine. To be fair, what happened is entirely my own fault for pushing myself too far and for not starting off with a slower, less intense dance.
Three quarters of the way through the dance I became short of breath and had a tight chest. I didn't stop. I reached the end of the dance and was unable to breath. I used the inhaler again but it didn't help. I began to feel dizzy so I sat down. After half an hour I could breath easily again but the dizzy feeling didn't go until the next morning. This stopped me from sleeping so I felt rubbish the next day. I also spent all night coughing.
In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have just gone to bed without telling anybody that this had happened. It was the second scariest experience of my life (the first scariest ended with me fainting on my form tutor!). The asthma nurse didn't say anything about it though, so it can't have been too severs, just made me feel awful! Hope this never happens again, and I have defiantly learned my lesson about ignoring symptoms!
Thursday, 12 April 2012
The Symptom Diary
I've been keeping information about what kind of symptoms I've been getting (so, mostly breathlessness, tight chest, needing to take deep breaths, coughing), when I've been getting them and when I've used my reliever inhaler other than morning and night. I'm not sure if this is right. I was told to keep a diary but my doctor didn't explain what to do specifically and I didn't ask. At the time, I thought it would be easier than it is! I had a look on google, and what I'm doing seems to be along the right lines. Anyway, even if it isn't right, I must be doing something right as I've already learned a lot from it:
- My symptoms get worse in the morning and evening.
- I think my triggers include cold weather, exercise and pollen.
- I'm can last longer at exercise if I use my inhaler just before I do it.
- Oh, and I'm really bad at remembering to take the inhaler! I usually just put it off if I need it during the day, thinking 'I'll feel better soon.' To be fair, I do actually feel better after a while, but only if I sit still. I have been better over the last week though! I can sense a moan from the nurse already!
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
An attempt at getting a Peak Flow reading
Well, the revision idea was a fail!
So, I just borrowed my mum's peak flow meter. She didn't have asthma- it was for something else, though what I'm not quite sure. Anyway, I've had a couple of attempts and the highest value I could get was 440. Using the table in the box with it, and my height, this value is below normal :(. I'm about 5 foot 2 and a half. The value for 5 foot 2 is 258, and the value for 5 foot 3 is 461. This was within an hour of using my reliever. However, hay fever could be acting up as my neighbour is mowing his lawn on one side of the house and the other side has a field full of those horrible yellow plants (rape seed oil maybe?). Also, the meter is very old and has a label on the back that says it is valid for 3 years so not quite sure how much I trust it.
I gave up having any more attempts, they were just getting lower and I was starting to get a bit dizzy!
So, I just borrowed my mum's peak flow meter. She didn't have asthma- it was for something else, though what I'm not quite sure. Anyway, I've had a couple of attempts and the highest value I could get was 440. Using the table in the box with it, and my height, this value is below normal :(. I'm about 5 foot 2 and a half. The value for 5 foot 2 is 258, and the value for 5 foot 3 is 461. This was within an hour of using my reliever. However, hay fever could be acting up as my neighbour is mowing his lawn on one side of the house and the other side has a field full of those horrible yellow plants (rape seed oil maybe?). Also, the meter is very old and has a label on the back that says it is valid for 3 years so not quite sure how much I trust it.
I gave up having any more attempts, they were just getting lower and I was starting to get a bit dizzy!
The story so far...
For as long as I can remember, I've had breathing problems.Most of the time it was due to hayfever. From April to August every year I would be up 5 nights a week coughing, feel breathless, have a tight chest, and wheeze whenever I did exercise. I always just accepted that this is what happened, this was 'me'. I got a prescription for a salbutamol inhaler when I was about 9 and just kept using the inhalers as and when I needed then (usually every day). I don't know when the prescription ran out, I'd tell my mum I needed a new inhaler and a week later I'd get one. I suppose for a while I didn't even know they could run out! Last year, I decided that when the inhaler I had ran out, I would go to the doctors. Every year the symptoms get worse and it got to the point where I could only dance for 5 minutes before I was unable to breathe, eventhough my overall fitness had improved. I used to be able to last for an hour.
I had a chest infection when I was a few hours old, so I took it as given that every winter I would get around 10-12 colds and that I would constantly have a cough. Last year, in November, it was worse than ever. I was literally unable to breathe, using my inhaler 4 times a week and awake all night coughing. I saw a nurse practitioner but also had tonsillitis and laryngitis at the time so I couldn't explain myself. She told me I didn't have a chest infection and that I should just ride it out. By Februaruy it hadn't gone so I made an appointment with my GP. My inhaler had run out anyway by now. This was 5 weeks ago. He asked me a few questions, listened to my chest and then told me to use a salbutamol inhaler morning and night, and whenever I needed it, to keep an symptom diary and to see an asthma nurse in 6 weeks.
So, I'm going next week. My GP said she would do breathing tests, but didn't say what they are, or what they involve. My breathing had improved and, though I still get symptoms, I'm back up to 10 minutes of dancing a night and am generally more awake. Hayfever is my main problem at the moment and this year my tablets aren't working after a month of taking them, so I'm going to ask about something stronger.
Thinking about this, and after having done work experience in health centres, I know now that I have probably always had asthma. I've always had symptoms. I should have been reviewed in the last 9 years since starting to use an inhaler- no even showeed me this, I had to read the instructions in the box- but for some reason I have been missed. Maybe it was because I have never put myself forward, made an appointment to complain about breathing, so everyone just assumed I'm ok. Maybe I was just missed by accident. This is one question I'm hopefully going to get an answer to next week.
The other questions that I have include:
I had a chest infection when I was a few hours old, so I took it as given that every winter I would get around 10-12 colds and that I would constantly have a cough. Last year, in November, it was worse than ever. I was literally unable to breathe, using my inhaler 4 times a week and awake all night coughing. I saw a nurse practitioner but also had tonsillitis and laryngitis at the time so I couldn't explain myself. She told me I didn't have a chest infection and that I should just ride it out. By Februaruy it hadn't gone so I made an appointment with my GP. My inhaler had run out anyway by now. This was 5 weeks ago. He asked me a few questions, listened to my chest and then told me to use a salbutamol inhaler morning and night, and whenever I needed it, to keep an symptom diary and to see an asthma nurse in 6 weeks.
So, I'm going next week. My GP said she would do breathing tests, but didn't say what they are, or what they involve. My breathing had improved and, though I still get symptoms, I'm back up to 10 minutes of dancing a night and am generally more awake. Hayfever is my main problem at the moment and this year my tablets aren't working after a month of taking them, so I'm going to ask about something stronger.
Thinking about this, and after having done work experience in health centres, I know now that I have probably always had asthma. I've always had symptoms. I should have been reviewed in the last 9 years since starting to use an inhaler- no even showeed me this, I had to read the instructions in the box- but for some reason I have been missed. Maybe it was because I have never put myself forward, made an appointment to complain about breathing, so everyone just assumed I'm ok. Maybe I was just missed by accident. This is one question I'm hopefully going to get an answer to next week.
The other questions that I have include:
- what happens when you see an asthma nurse for the first time?
- the salbutamol inhaler is a reliever, so why am I using it daily, almost like it's a preventor?
- will I ever be able to get back to dancing for an hour?
- will doing a science degree cause me problems, since I'll be around chemicals all day and chemistry practicals that I do in sixth form now affect me?
More than anything at the moment, I'm just scared. I have seen my GP twice through illness, the first time for the inhaler when I was 9, the second time for something else, which turned out to be just a horrible bug that lasted ages, when I was 13. As you can imagine, it's a bit of a shock to the system that I've had two appointments within 6 weeks, have daily medication, and potentially will have more appointments and medication in the future. Writing this blog is helping me, and I hope it helps you too.
Now, it's time to go back to revision, maybe some biology? The lung diseases section? :)
The Introduction
Ok, so first a bit about me before I get into the 'story' of my asthma life up to this point.
I'm 18 and I live in a small town in North Derbyshire with my twin sister, parents and hamster. I'm studying for my A Levels in maths, biology and chemistry and want to be a doctor. I did apply for medicine this year, however having undiagnosed, and hence uncontrolled, asthma messed up my grades and interviews. Basically I was too tired to concentrate and couldn't think straight. More on that later. I'm now hopefully going to embark on a medical sciences degree in September :)
I'm writing this blog a week before my first appointment with the asthma nurse. I don't know anyone with asthma and my family don't seem that interested. I have so many questions that I can't find the answers to and, in all honesty, I'm scared. The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences of diagnosis , treatment and life with asthma in general. I know there must be thousands of these, but, well... here's another. I'll hopefully be able to answer my questions as I go through the motions and then the answers will be avaliable for everyone else, because they're on here.
Please be patient with me though- I am awful when it comes to technology! Feel free to ask me anything, I'll answer honestly!
I'm 18 and I live in a small town in North Derbyshire with my twin sister, parents and hamster. I'm studying for my A Levels in maths, biology and chemistry and want to be a doctor. I did apply for medicine this year, however having undiagnosed, and hence uncontrolled, asthma messed up my grades and interviews. Basically I was too tired to concentrate and couldn't think straight. More on that later. I'm now hopefully going to embark on a medical sciences degree in September :)
I'm writing this blog a week before my first appointment with the asthma nurse. I don't know anyone with asthma and my family don't seem that interested. I have so many questions that I can't find the answers to and, in all honesty, I'm scared. The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences of diagnosis , treatment and life with asthma in general. I know there must be thousands of these, but, well... here's another. I'll hopefully be able to answer my questions as I go through the motions and then the answers will be avaliable for everyone else, because they're on here.
Please be patient with me though- I am awful when it comes to technology! Feel free to ask me anything, I'll answer honestly!
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