4/2/2007
I'm still feeling pretty good. I did have a couple of coughing fits yesterday
and that's a little discouraging. Maybe it was the week catching up with me. My son barbecued the steaks because I could not tolerate the smoke and heat from the grill. I started to do it but my coughing put an end to my participation.
When I cough I look as if I'm going to explode. My face turns beet red and it doubles me over. I feel as if the top of my head is going to come off. I can't inhale until all the air is out of my lungs and then some. Sometimes I become light headed and a couple of time I have blacked out momentarily. When I can catch a break in the coughing, I finally can use my inhaler and that settles things down after a few minutes. It usually scares the people around me a lot. Once I stop coughing my breathing is fine.
Maybe it is time to retire. If fatigue and stress cause this type of reaction
it might be time. If not now, then not too far in the future. I don't know how much more pounding my poor ol' bod can take.
It looks like the start of another fine day. I'm going to enjoy it and take life as it comes. As our Aussie friends say, "No worries Mate!"
tom
I'm still feeling pretty good. I did have a couple of coughing fits yesterday
and that's a little discouraging. Maybe it was the week catching up with me. My son barbecued the steaks because I could not tolerate the smoke and heat from the grill. I started to do it but my coughing put an end to my participation.
When I cough I look as if I'm going to explode. My face turns beet red and it doubles me over. I feel as if the top of my head is going to come off. I can't inhale until all the air is out of my lungs and then some. Sometimes I become light headed and a couple of time I have blacked out momentarily. When I can catch a break in the coughing, I finally can use my inhaler and that settles things down after a few minutes. It usually scares the people around me a lot. Once I stop coughing my breathing is fine.
Maybe it is time to retire. If fatigue and stress cause this type of reaction
it might be time. If not now, then not too far in the future. I don't know how much more pounding my poor ol' bod can take.
It looks like the start of another fine day. I'm going to enjoy it and take life as it comes. As our Aussie friends say, "No worries Mate!"
tom
Replies
Wow! Those are bad attacks. Thankfully My asthma doesn\'t affect me as drasticaly as yours does. Do you think it\'s stress that brings them on? I\'d bet that\'s hell with your job when those prisoners see you coughing like that. You should definitely get more rest. Didn\'t you say this is a relatively new thing in your life?
I have been hacking away to one degree or another since last July. Believe me it is much better than it was last summer and early fall. Since I\'ve been diagnosed and put on medications things have improved but I still have setbacks. I\'m more vulnerable if tired or stressed and lately I have been both.
Sometimes I worry about damage to my lungs and airway. All the forceful coughing I have done in the last 10 months can\'t be good.
But I don\'t want to dwell on the negative.today I will rest, try to avoid my triggers and enjoy the day. I hope you do the same.
tom
It seems only logical that such severe bouts of coughing would have an adverse effect on you lungs. If you decide to retire will you miss your work? Does pollen and animal dander affect you? Nick\'s asthma seems to worsen in spring. I hope you have a good one.
Kathy
My work lately has been a real pressure cooker. Bookings, releases, difficult inmates and even some difficult staff members all contribute. I have to personally review and be responsible for all work done by my subordinates and review it quickly. Compounding the problem now is the unreasonable expectations of a panicky group of administrators trying to justify their jobs. 10 years ago I may have been able to take this in stride. Now I\'m worn out. I still hold out hope that this latest illness will be better controlled and I\'ll be able to attack my work with renewed vigor. However I fear that my work site with all the cleaning products and air fresheners used there as well as the constant stress is a major cause of my flare ups. Oh yes, I must not forget the occasional use of pepper spray in the jail. All in all, a pretty potent combination.
I don\'t seem to have a problem with pollen or animal dander but I\'m very sensitive to fragrances, air fresheners, cleaning solutions, solvents, strong emotion, laughing and exercise. Oh, forgot temperature extremes and air pollution. Other than that I\'m just fine.
If I must retire I\'ll miss a lot of the people there but not the work itself.
Wow, I must have been thinking about this a lot. I\'ve just written a book in response to your question. Sorry.
Hope I haven\'t put you to sleep. thanks for asking.
Be well,
tom