<p>“It looks like we’re getting to stable disease”</p>
<p>Focus on this, LTS.
Before I went to college, my parents took me to a doctor who diagnosed a heart murmur (strange it had never come up before, but this was not my usual doctor). He told my parents not to let me marry and have children, only allow me gentle exercise, and not let me go to college abroad. My mother was ready to cave in but I insisted on going.
I went to college and grad school, married and had two children. Some years ago, my doctor decided that my heart murmur is benign! i don’t even need prophylactic antibiotics. I should do more exercise.
Anyway, take the doctor’s diagnosis and advice as applying only to the present. Things are now stable; hopefully they will improve, and his advice will change.
Accentuate the positive.</p>
<p>I don’t wish to insensitive to your disappointment, but this sounds positive to me; it means you will be around to benefit when a treatment is developed.</p>
<p>LTS,
The DC area has epidemic proportions of asthmatics who use inhalers due to the areas seasonal allergens and high humidity. If it is albuterol (Proventil) that you are prescribed, it works as a bronchodilator (opens the passages), It is considered a rescue med for the times of acute exacerbation.</p>
<p>Mominva, thanks…that helps…I don’t know yet what they’re going to prescribe, I am in my office and told the nurse I would go to the drug store on my way home. </p>
<p>Marite, thank you for that; yesterday my attitude was “well, we will see…” This morning when my colleague called I got so upset I started to cry, and then I sat here at my desk crying for 20 minutes after we hung up. I am not usually like this but just a difficult day. I have a serious conference call in one hour with over 20 participants and I am just hoping to have enough breath to get through it. </p>
<p>ADad, thank you for that, I especially repeated to myself “fall seven times, stand up eight” over and over yesterday. It helped a lot. </p>
<p>Somemom, have you been in my house recently? LOL. I absolutely LOVE tapioca. I have some at home. Prior to diagnosis I would eat the stuff by the pound. Happily for me my daughter doesn’t like it, so, I never have had to share. I have been afraid to try to eat it recently, but, today, I have eated more than usual and have not taken any medicines, so, I may get up the nerve to try it in the next couple of days.</p>
<p>Mafool, stable disease as a firm verdict would be wonderful news…</p>
<p>LTS: my husband–the one who had stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma 9 years ago–is a coach for Team in Training. There are MANY people who participate in TNT who have been told they are “too old, too out of shape, etc.” You may have lung damage… but I know at least one cyclist who has only one lung. </p>
<p>I think the inhalers will give you a lot of relief, LTS. I’ve seen them work magic for shortness of breath. And with over 20 participants on the phone, it sounds like you will have some time to cover the receiver and take some deep breaths if you need to. Good luck on the call! You never cease to amaze me.</p>
<p>This may be slightly off point, but speaking of being told that you’re “too [old/ill/out of shape/whatever],” the other day at a local club I heard a wonderful blues and r&b singer, Janiva Magness, and at one point between numbers she said that folks had been telling her she was “too old” ever since she was 23. (She’s now 51.)</p>
<p>they call it “practicing” medicine for a reason.</p>
<p>No disrespect to any medical people here, but no matter how much they have learned, studied, tested… there is just no way for sure to be sure of every outcome. </p>
<p>LTS = Live to Share. And we all thank you for letting us be a part of your life in this way.</p>
<p>Really, inhalers are the best. If you need them, they totally open your lungs and let you do whatever you want. We all use an inhaler in our house - some occasionally and one at least twice a day. I honesly don’t understand struggling along when a solution is at hand. Yet I run into person after person who won’t use an inhaler. Why? I just don’t get it. These are people who will take all other sorts of prescriptions and supplements. What a mystery.</p>
<p>lts, you probably know many competetive athletes who use inhalers as a matter of course. The most common concoctions are legal for collegiate and Olympic athletes, so you won’t be compromising your eligibility :), just treating an inconvenient symptom. Best wishes to you, and breath easy!</p>
<p>LTS, a neighbor undergoing cancer treatment was disappointed to have treatment postponed for a week due to blood counts, but waiting a week brought a dramatic rebound in the levels as well as her stamina. I must have had the word “stamina” as a vocab word many decades ago, because whenever I hear it, the definition “Stand and take it!” pops into my head. I like the LTS-as-warrior image in conjunction with the “Fall seven times, stand up eight” mantra. I hope you can get some relief from the inhaler so you don’t need to exhaust your body and your emotions struggling for a breath while you fortify yourself for the next round. Take care.</p>
<p>Big meeting huh? Have you practiced saying, “What? Oh for goodness sakes I will call all you of back in 5 minutes” in an exasperated, just-had-someone-walk-in tone of voice?</p>
<p>Speaking as someone who’s plunked herself in the ER for asthma a few times…</p>
<p>inhalers are <em>~magical~</em>!</p>
<p>I didn’t know I had that much lung!</p>
<p>If you think you might have trouble with the inhalers the first couple of times, ask your pharmacist to point you in the direction of a diffuser. Inhalers take a little getting used to.</p>
<p>Oh I was just about to amend my inhaler comment to suggest having the doctor prescribe a ‘spacer’ (diffuser) with it.
The spacer has a one way valve. the medicine is puffed in on one end, you inhale at the other end but only some of the medicine gets to you. You get the rest over 6-7 breaths, giving your lungs time to absorb the meds into the bloodsream. Without the spacer, much of the puff gets lost on the first exhale.</p>
<p>I don’t have asthma, but I was very sick once and was having a lot of trouble breathing, so my doctor prescribed me two types of inhalers–one was for regular use and the other was an emergency inhaler. I used the regular inhaler once, and my breathing improved quickly and dramatically. Unfortunately, right after that I had a very rare allergic reaction to it, but it was good while it lasted! :)</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for all of the posts, I really appreciate it. I barely made it through my call and am thankful for mute buttons etc. I picked up the inhaler - I read every bit of the directions very carefully but think I still managed to mess it up. It didn’t seem to help much - but then, just after I did it, another colleague called, having heard from the first that I was upset earlier, anyway, he was so kind and so sympathetic, and so I started crying again, which I am sure didn’t help. </p>
<p>In any event I am past the crying, and will try my second attempt with the inhaler and hopefully I will get better at using it. </p>
<p>Delicate Arch, my entry point in this is that prior to cancer diagnosis, I could count on one hand the number of times in my entire life I had ever been sick - with anything. Never had measles, chicken pox, tonsilitus, etc. Never a menstrual cramp even. No broken bones. Never in a hospital. Antibiotics maybe once for an infection. Had a cold maybe 15 years ago. I am afraid of drugs. I do not understand them. But I am getting better at learning about how they are useful, and even necessary. </p>
<p>My biggest concern with drugs in my situation is that (in my sophomoric opinion) they mask critical symptoms. I suspect one of the reasons I am having such serious problems this week is because I am weaning off steroids yet again, and that the steroids have been disguising this problem of shortness of breath. I could be wrong though - </p>
<p>In any event, I am grateful for the support here, and am VERY comforted to read these posts and know that inhalers are very normal and acceptable. Thank you…</p>
<p>Corranged, one of my caregivers (almost made the national team for her sport 15 years ago) just shared with me that she used an inhaler once too, when she was sick. I was shocked - I never would have imagined…</p>
<p>LTS, I second (or third) the suggestion of a spacer or diffuser for use with your inhaler, at least for now.</p>
<p>Is the inhaler ventolin (albuterol)? and do your instructions give you the option of more than one “hit” per administration? If so, diffuser or not, it is often helpful to take a first inhalation to the best of your ability, and then wait a few minutes before taking another, full inhalation, The first dose helps to open the airways so that the second one can be more effective.</p>
<p>My very athletic son has breathing problems during high-ozone days. His inhaler permits him to compete.</p>
<p>LTS- I have noticed that people in amazing shape with virtually no health hisotry have a really rough time dealing with all the unexpected side effects of a problem like this.</p>
<p>My now 90 year old FIL had a joint replacement, because he was too slow on the tennis court, with no expectation whatsoever that complications would dare touch him. He got MRSA and to this day struggles to walk, has chronic pain and has not played tennis. It’s been several years.</p>
<p>He really sank into a depression when the chronic pain hit and I spent a lot of time helping him deal with the betrayal of his normally better than every one else body. The rest of us learn as we experience things and are more prepared when something goes more seriously wrong. You are having to learn it all at once :(</p>
<p>My D played on the US Jr National team and does every sport there is and uses an inhaler in the spring when the pollen is ubiquitous</p>