Breathe

A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with asthma. I thought things like allergies, asthma and even acne disappeared when you entered adulthood. Apparently not.

Friday night I was exhausted and ready to go to bed at 6:00 p.m. I started coughing and coughing and coughing. I found myself needing to do a breathing treatment, and then another, and another and another!

It felt as if someone was stabbing me in the heart. Sitting on my chest.

Getting ready and doing my normal morning activity was exhausting and I found myself gasping for air. I could not breathe. It scared me. Shed a few tears out of fear, did a breathing treatment and laid back down.

My allergist was not amused that I did not call over the weekend. She had never seen me this bad. I have never been this bad. Fever, swollen glands and irritated throat. Dr. Somerville had wanted to do a cat scan today but for other medical reasons I could not at this time. I have an appointment with a ear, nose and throat specialist next week and a cat scan in three weeks.

I am a very impatient person. While waiting two hours to see the doctor I grabbed anything I could get my hands on to read. The asthma literature encouraged one to give or get a "Gift of Fresh Air." Plants like Boston fern, bamboo palm, philodendron, chrysanthemum, dwarf date palm, snake plant (Sansevieria) and spider plant to name a few can help a person with asthma. Another piece of literature encouraged asthma patients to become involved in lobbying to have a public smoking ban in the town and state they reside. Amen to that! I cannot stand having to walk through a cloud of toxic smoke to go into a public building!

This little episode is a gentle reminder on how a simple thing like breathing is something we take for granted.