Asthma

I had a pretty hard life growing up. I started getting sick at around 18 months, and nobody knew what was wrong with me. My parents later found out I had asthma. Asthma was not common back then. Nobody really knew what it was, and how to treat it. I remember in grade school having to go down to the nurse’s office quite frequently to get my medicine to help me breathe. It was awful. The medication didn’t work. I just suffered through the attack. There were countless nights my poor dad would take me to the emergency room for treatment. We would be there for hours in the middle of the night, and then he would get up to work the next morning with little or no sleep. Amazing!! I remember when I was in about the 4th grade my mom took me to the pediatrician like she always did, but asked my doctor if she should take me to this new doctor in Seattle who opened a clinic called Northwest Asthma and Allergy. He told her no. He would figure it out. We left there that day with my mom in tears. Not knowing what she should do. She was so frustrated and disappointed, she just couldn’t believe what was happening. Nothing was getting better. It was all bad. She knew her and my dad and I couldn’t keep doing what we were doing. There had to be another way. So she took me home and called Northwest Asthma and Allergy and made me an appointment.

I remember Norwest Asthma and Allergy was in a little trailer over by Children’s Hospital. They didn’t have many patients being a new clinic, so it wasn’t hard to get in. When we went there they did a pulmonary function test. Never had that before then. They also gave me a new prescription for my asthma attacks. They prescribed an Albuterol inhaler. Wow! What a difference that made. Huge! My old prescription was a cough medicine. My mom never took my back to the pediatrician for my asthma after that. My mom and I went to Seattle all the time. I was in research studies for new medication. I would stay at the University of Washington Medical Center, and get paid money for it. I was able to do this until I was 13. Most the money I made went to my parents to help pay medical costs. I had acquired a lot of bills, so this helped. My asthma was still not under control, but I was able to get some relief with the Albuterol inhaler.

As I got older I tried some crazy things. I was really stupid! A dumb teenage for sure. I had a lot of friends who smoked cigarettes. So what did I do? I joined them. DUMB!!!! Being an asthmatic, I can’t even begin to tell you how stupid this was. When I was 16 yrs old I woke up one morning not being able to breathe. I couldn’t even walk to the bathroom, which was right across the hall from my room. I believe I told my mom that morning that I thought I was going to die. She immediately got me in the car, and drove me to the doctors over by Valley Medical Center. We had different insurance now, so I had to go to Pac Med. After being examined by the doctor he sent me across the street for a chest x ray. Then we had to go back to the doctors to get results. Only to find out I was being admitted into the hospital, and that my lung had a mucus plug and was collapsed. I think? So back across the street we went. That first evening I had a visit from a pulmonologist. He was assigned as my new doctor. He told me if I kept doing what I was doing, smoking, I would be dead by age 20. Now that is not anything a 16 yr old wants to hear. I was so upset. You have no idea. To this day, I remember it like yesterday. Powerful emotions! How stupid could I be! I wanted to live! That next morning I had a bronchoscopy. Boy that was not fun! I had a scope put down my nose, through the back of my throat, and into my lungs. Terrible!! I had chest x rays every day, along with respiratory therapy. They would lay me on my tummy head down, and pound on my back 2 or 3 times a day. Can’t remember. I got out after about a week, but ended up back in a few months later. The only difference was I wasn’t smoking! I got smarter. I learned from my mistake.

My Asthma still flared up all the time. I had to carry an inhaler at all times. There was one time I went to my now husbands house, and forgot it. I noticed I was wheezing, looked in my purse, and it wasn’t there. I decided to go home. My house was only 20 minutes away. Troy offered to drive me, but I said I would be fine, so I left. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I needed my medicine, so anxiety sets in. BAD!!! My airways start closing in. I am starting to get really nervous. Panic almost. I rolled my window down, and stuck my head out to get air. I’m about 5 miles from my house. I am driving about 100 mph in a 25 mph speed zone. I don’t care! I pull up to the house, and honk my horn. Nobody notices! I drag myself out of the car and to the front door. I opened it and laid in the entry way. My mom came panicking. She later said my face was blue, and couldn’t figure out how I got from the car to the house. I told her where my medicine was and she got it. She wanted to call 911, but I told her to wait. My Albuterol worked. It took a while, and I took more than prescribed, but it worked. It was the grace of God that got me to that front door. A miracle! Let me remind you no cell phones back then. How I could have used one!

All through my life I have dealt with this mess! I would have Asthma attacks, get bronchitis, and pneumonia all the time. Even as an adult. I would get pneumonia at least once a year, but I don’t anymore! I work out.   I do a ton of cardio to exercise my lungs. Trying to keep them in good shape. I drink Energy and Endurance Formula from Beachbody every day. This product has changed my life. It contains L-Arginine which relaxes the smooth muscle linings in your body. Therefore I breathe easier. This product doesn’t get enough credit. I used to have chronic sinusitis, not any more. Can’t remember the last time I has a stuffy nose let alone a sinus infection. This is a life changing product for an asthmatic. I also replace one meal a day with Shakeology. This way I know my body is getting the proper nutrition it needs to perform at an optimal level. The third thing I did was clean up my eating, most of my shopping is done on the outer isles of the grocery store. I do my best to eat natural clean foods. All those processed food cause inflammation, which is not good for anyone especially an
asthmatic! If you are asthmatic or know someone who is and would like more information contact me.

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More info on Shakeology.                                                    More info on Energy and Endurance.