Ever since I was young child I can always  remember not being able to
breathe  correctly. I remember having constant pain (90%  of the time)
when I took a  breath - like sharp stabbing pains - and always  having
a weight on my chest.  I remember not ever being able to do ANY
physical  sport except for swimming  and downhill skiing as I would
wheeze and get  SEVERE chest pains whenver I  would walk a few steps
or even hill, run, bike  etc. etc. etc. etc. I would  go for a period
of days of having the heavy  feeling of a weight on my chest  before I
would not have that feeling any longer.  I didn't get sick often
(maybe once every two years) but when I would get  sick I would get
sick for  a long period of  time and take longer than most  people I
knew to recover  from the cold or flu. If ever I ran too fast or  did
too much physical  activity I remember wheezing so hard that it  would
take me at least an hour  or sometimes a day or two to get my breath
back  to normal again. I could  never hold my breath long - either in
the water  or on land and had trouble  with the breathing exercises
for choir. I  couldn't ever sing without ever  getting out of breath
and to go and breathe into  my diaphram was painful for  me. I am
still very much like this today.

In the summer of 1998 (a few years before I was  diagnosed with
Asperger  Syndrome in March 2001) I caught Bronchitis and  was sick
for a very long  time at home, missing out on work and the
opportunity to make extra money  for myself. My previous doctor then
also  diagnosed me for the first time  with Asthma which surprised me
at the time  because all my previous knowlege  of asthma consistied of
people who are allergic  to cats have Asthma. I knew  nothing of the
condition or of the complicated  diagnosis of this disease. I  didn't
know this applied to me but when my doctor  explained to me why my
colds lasted longer than other people and doing a  lung test to see
how well  I was breathing she told me definitely I had  asthma. She
gave me two puffers  for my Asthma - one called Flovent and the other
called Airomir (salbutamol  sulphate). For awhile a took them then
stopped  because I felt I didn't need  them. As well mommy got very
angry at me for  getting the Flovent (it cost  $90 and I wasn't
covered) saying this is bad for  me, this is what athletes  use for
sports and has long term side effect. I  was "persuaded" or
"intimidated" by her words and didn't take them  again. My doctor left
her  practice because she was sick and I was without  one for a period
of a couple  of years. Then a couple of years ago I got a new  GP that
I really like and  my gut was telling me to ask the doctor to do
allergy tests on me to see if  I was allergic to anything at all. The
allergist  confirmed for me again with  the breath test and the
allergy tests that indeed  I have asthma. He  prescribed me Flovent
and Apo-Salvent (Salbutamol  Sulphate 100 ug/dose) and  I took that
for a few months then stopped after  my follow up appointment  with
him. Mainly because I was still uneducated  about asthma and keeping
it  under control and knowing what to ask the doctor  about asthma
management.

Anyway, I moved in September 2004 and I lost my  asthma medication in
the  move so I went to the doctor for more medication  as I was
experiencing the  heavy chest feelings again. She gave me a
prescription for the Flovent and  Apo-Salvent and I've been taking
both ever since.  The Flovent I was clear on  in using every day for
managing my Asthma but the  other one I was unclear  and I took it
every four hours as it said on the  container regardless of me  having
asthma symptoms or not. I ran out of  refils recently and when I told
my nutrionist this she suggested I see an asthma  educator to get me
educated  on Asthma and how to use the puffers and the  medicine
correctly. It's a good  thing I did because now I have learned the
correct way to use my puffers and  when I should be taking my reliever
medication. I  have been given a  peak-flow meter to help me determine
the breath I  am taking in on a daily  basis. This I shall be giving
her when I see her  next Wednesday March 2,  2005. As well I decided
on my own to mark down  every time I am using my  reliever medication,
the date I take it, the time  I take it, how many puffs  I take and
the reason for taking the reliever  medication.

I have concerns about my Asthma. If I am feeling  heavy chested all of
the  time and the feeling comes back every 3 hours,  what should I do
if I can't  take the reliever unless 4 hours have passed by?  And how
do I know if I've  had a severe attack? Is it normal to feel pain in
your lungs every time your  breathe? Is this a sign of asthma or an
asthma  attack? How do I know when to  go the the emergency room or
not? Should I be  getting a medical alert  bracelet for asthma? Would
this be wise? Am I  obesessing too much over this?  Am I getting too
concerned about my Asthma?  Should I be carrying my peak  flow meter
around with me at all times so I could  test my breath if I  suspect
an Asthma attack coming on? And if I am  wheezing and feeling pain in
my chest every time I walk, how do I manage this  if I want to
exercise to  lose weight? Should I keep pushing the limits of  my
exercise if I feel like  this all of the time? Will the pain go away
the  more I exercise by walking?  What do I tell the asthma educator?
Should I tell  her all of my history  relating to asthma? What should
I leave out? What  about weight and asthma?  Does weight contribute to
asthma making it harder  to breathe?

Mommy doesn't think I have asthma at all and what  I was diagnosed
with in  1998 with bronchitis was temporary. She thinks I  am looking
for sickness  because I love doctors and pills and all of the
attention. If I don't have  asthma, how do I explain everything I
mentioned  in the first paragraph of  this post? How does it explain
the fact that TWO  different doctors diagnosed  me with Asthma? How
can she explain THAT? To  mommy if she doesn't see it  then I don't
have it and am making it up. Why  does she do that to me? Why  does
she make me doubt what I have and wonder if  I am making it all up? I
KNOW what I've experienced in my body in the  past. So why does she
deny this  and thinks I am concentrating on this and being obessed
about it? Is it  wrong to want to know more about asthma and learn
about it? Does this not  make me become more aware about me and my
body?  Mommy says that if I REALLY  had asthma I would clean my room
and all my  breathing problems would go  away. It would be greatly
appreciated to get some answers back. Tara Kimberley  Torme

ASTHMA DIARY NOTES

Thursday February 24, 2005

Any amount of walking at any speed for any length of time makes me
feel shortness of breath, wheezing, dizziness, chest tightness. Going
up any hill for me puts this even worse as I cough more often and I
can taste the blood in my lungs. As well, it is worse for me when I
walk for more than 10 min-30 min as my chest can get so tight and
painful I can hardly breathe and when I do it's very painful for me.
This has been like this for me since childhood. If I'm like this on a
daily basis, how do I manage this aspect of my life so I can exercise
and lose this excess weight I have on me (being 248.5 pounds)? Is
there a correlation between my weight & asthma making my asthma worse?
Because I am unable to do any sport but swimming and downhill skiing
without feeling dizzy, sick to my stomach (ESPECIALLY in the hot
summer) I am (LIMITED) to what I can do. I could NEVER run or hold my
breath for long. Even since childhood I could only breathe shallow and
whenever I breathed deep I would experience pain in my lungs and
chest. I still experience this on a daily basis. Very often (even in
childhood) I am out of breath when talking and do a lot of yawning
when I talk. Is this a sign of an asthma attack if I feel like this
all of the time? Cigarette smoke, perfume, heavy soaps, dyes,
hairspray, ammonia (not bleach), laundry detergent, freshly cut grass,
deodorant, some strong shampoos & conditioners with sweet scents,
scented candles, incense, air fresheners  really bother me - to the
point of getting a sick headache and being really sick to my stomach.
I literally can't breathe and cough a lot around such substances. Is
this an allergic reaction? Does this cause asthma symptoms? If so, how
do I control this in my environment if it is present around me all of
the time? I'm supposed to be mildly allergic to corn an alder. I've
eaten corn my whole life, but have never experienced an allergic
reaction. What should I be looking for if I'm allergic to corn? How do
I know I'm having an allergic reaction to corn? What should I be
looking for? Should I keep on eating corn if it is a mild allergy or
should I avoid eating corn altogether? If I'm mildly allergic to alder
how do I know I'm reacting to it? What would I be looking for? Should
this be a concern for me or not? How do I know when to go to the
hospital or not? Should I be keeping my peak flow monitor with me at
all times to check if I am having a severe asthma attack? Is it normal
to feel pain when I breathe all the time? Should I always be feeling
so short of breath? If not should I be using my reliever medication
for that? And what happens (as of late from the last few days) when I
have a chest tightness from exercising, take my reliever medication
but in less than 4 hrs I need to take it again? Should I take it again
or should I wait for 4 hrs before I take it and suffer for that
duration of time? How do I know when I am having a severe asthma
attack? Right now I feel very short of breath and my heart is beating
so fast it is making me light headed and slightly dizzy. I can recall
many times when I can't sleep at night because of this feeling. Should
I be concerned? Since childhood I remember whenever I ran too fast or
hard I would have severe chest pains, wheeze hard and it would be at
least 1hr or more before my breath returned to normal again. Is this a
concern if I am like this? If I want to find out if I am triggered by
hot or cold days what should I be looking out for? How would I know?
And what if both extremes cause my asthma symptoms? I've always had
colds lasting a month with bad coughs (even thought I only get sick
every 2 years-REALLY sick). Is this normal? If dark circles under the
eyes are signs of allergies, how can I tell if the circles under my
eyes are a sign of allergies and how can I get rid of those circles
permanently? And why didn't somebody notice my asthma signs in my
childhood?

Friday February 25, 2005

This morning I woke up with shortness of breath & a heavy chest. I
took my flovent which took care of the heavy chest but I still feel
short of breath. After having my hot bath I felt a bit dizzy,
lightheaded and short of breath. All day long I've been feeling short
of breath even when I went out for some errands close by. I get easily
out of breath going up and down stairs like I've been doing today. My
heart has been beating so fast all day making me feel a bit dizzy and
unable to do the vacuuming for the house. The only thing I could do
was work on housing applications sitting down in the living room. I am
not sure if I am experiencing a severe asthma attach but I am not
feeling all that well today. I have been coughing a bit throughout the
day but I am unsure if t his is because of a cold I've been skirting
since December. I've had a stuffy nose today for a bit making it a bit
hard to breathe through my nose. I haven't been able to take DEEP
breaths at all today-at least not without some pain in my chest. All
I've managed to do today was take short shallow breaths and even then
when sitting down I've felt so out of breath throughout the day. The
only way I could keep deep breaths going is when I would regularly use
my blue puffer 4x day and then I would not get the symptoms I am
experiencing now. It's the only way I know not to be so out of breath
all the time. Right now (at 8:11pm) I'm feeling so dizzy I feel sick
to my stomach-I feel like throwing up. What does that mean? Is it a
sign of an asthma attack? I've had heart burn in the past and I took
tums to relieve it. Could this also be a sign of an asthma attack?
Last night I also went to bed dizzy, light headed and with fast heart
beats. It took me awhile to get to bed and get a good sleep. I drank
tea all throughout the day which helped to keep me calm but now I am
not sure if tea has contributed to the way I am feeling now. I hope
this question can be answered. I have just realized that I had past
for supper at 6:41pm. Even though I was only slightly not feeling well
I felt much worse shortly after I finished my supper. I think if I go
to bed early and rest quietly this incredible dizziness will go away
on its own. I should take a second dose of reliever today to help this
feeling of sickness I'm having go away.

Saturday February 26, 2005

It's 2:40 am and I was woken up by my rapid, shallow breathing and
rapid heart beats. Each breath I take is a new adventure in pain,
lightheadedness and shortness of breath. On the inside of me I feel
very jittery and slightly sick to my stomach. It's hard for me to
breath right now and I just took my reliever medicine a few minutes
ago hoping this will relieve those symptoms of mine. At least I don't
feel as sick to my stomach and as dizzy as when I went to bed last
night between 9:30-10pm. I was so dizzy that I could feel my world
spinning even with my eyes closed. I took my puffer last night before
going to bed and that's what helped me get through until this very
moment. I don't know if this is a sign of an asthma attack but I know
I've felt like this on many occasions before in the past before I was
diagnosed with asthma. The only way to deal with it is to rest, sit
still and do something quiet until this past. This is the first time
though I awoke at this time in the middle of the night to use my
reliever medicine. I am unsure what to do if this persists for any
further length of time. I guess if I'm like this after the play today
I will have to go to VGH to get checked out at emergency. But my rapid
heart beats make me breathe shallow, thus in turn making me feel dizzy
and lightheadedness. I have to admit that in public I feel
self-conscious about using my reliever medicine. I feel as though
people are watching me, wondering what on earth am I doing. How do I
get over this feeling so I can feel more confident about using my
reliever medicine in public when I need it? I don't know if I'll ever
get back to sleep again tonight so I think I'm going to do some
reading quietly until the official time to get up. I've promised to
vacuum yet I wasn't feeling well yesterday because of these symptoms.
Should I vacuum in the morning even though I am feeling like this?
Will it make my symptoms worse? I don't know what to do. I want my
asthma to be under control so I can stop feeling like this the
majority of the time. 7:07 am - I went back to sleep between 4-5 am
and tried to sleep some more with the trembly feeling I was
experiencing. I don't feel as trembly but breathing is painful for me
now and I can only breathe short shallow breaths - like a dog panting.
And when I do breath like that I can feel my breath trembly and faint.
Trying to breathe deep is out of the question as that is too painful
and hard for me to do. I'd have to do several shallow breaths just to
breathe deep and I don't feel it's worth it right now. 10:31am - I did
the vacuuming this morning between 9-10am. Even though I was still not
feeling well (but starting to get my breath back to normal "short
breaths") I still vacuumed because I promised to do so because mommy
has to work today. Since doing the vacuuming I feel very jittery on
the inside and I'm back to the breaths I was experiencing when I went
to bed last night and when I woke up around 1:30am this morning. If I
just keep low and quiet hopefully this will pass. I won't take my blue
puffer yet-until I know it will get worse. 7:04pm - I went out to see
a play today and by the time the play started at two pm I was gasping
and wheezing for air. I took more reliever at 1:54pm but still am
gasping and wheezing for air. It is hard for me to catch my breath
with me also having pain when I breathe. I also take Effexor XR 75mg a
day and don't know if this is a reaction I am having. I'll call Dr.
Chernick today and leave a message to let him know about this. I have
to rule this of act or out. When I told mommy I couldn't breathe when
I came home from the play she said I should stop taking my medicines
because I'm over using them. What do I say to that?

Sunday February 27, 2005

This morning when I woke up I had some chest tightness which went away
after taking Flovent. I was feeling much better. I was doing the
breathing I was experiencing yesterday and the day before. I was back
to my usual shallow breathing/pain when breathing deep. So everything
was back to the normal I was used to. I am not sure if I should have
gone to the hospital with the way I was feeling. I didn't go after the
play because I didn't want mommy to be angry or suspicious of me going
to the hospital. She would have wanted to know why I was going to the
hospital, I was only looking for attention, sickness, doctors when
there is nothing wrong with me (and I'm gasping/wheezing for air
because….? For no reason?) etc. So I decided that it was prudent to go
home and act like there was nothing with me (while I feel dizzy,
quivery, trembly breathing, wheezing, gasping for air….). Anyway I
also called Dr. Chernick my psychiatrist and told him of my symptoms
because these same symptoms are also reactions for Effexor XR 75
mg/day. I've been on it since December 2004 and I haven't experienced
a reaction before so I'm covering ground by ruling out any side
effects to my anti-depressant I'm currently taking. I was going to
walk all the way to the main Vancouver Public Library for exercise.
That's a long walk from Victoria & 40th. I walked all the way up 41st
to Cambie (about 1hr walk) with some hills along the way (not steep)
which made me wheeze and cough a bit (though I'm still skirting a cold
so…….). Then after passing Fraser & 41st I started to feel dizzy and
slightly disoriented a bit. I didn't stop and take the bus but kept on
walking slower and slower, staggering a bit when reaching my final
destination. My fingers on my right hand started to swell up to the
point I could not move them without great effort. This is VERY normal
for me to be like this when I do this amount of walking. I could feel
my face get red and hot and was starting to sweat like a pig. I'm not
sure if I should be concerned about this or not so I'm hoping my
queries can FINALLY be answered. I finally got to sit down on the # 5
Robson bus on Cambie and rested until I got to the library. Still
dizzy, I took my time getting up the steps to the Blenz (inside the
main Vancouver Public Library) and ordered a steamed milk to drink. I
took my puffer at 9:35am and it's now 9:58am. I'm feeling a bit better
and I hope this doesn't get worse for me again. After seeing the movie
Hitch I took the Cambie bus to 41st and I walked all the way home.
Though I was fine with my out of breath I usually experience I wheezed
whenever I encountered any slight hills. Even walking long distances
makes me wheeze and become out of breath. The more out of breath I
become, the more dizzy I become, making each step I make harder and
harder. I become trembly, weak, making me collapse on the spot if I
stop before I reach my destination. But this is very normal for
me-when walking long distances getting dizzy, weak, trembly, wheezing,
out of breath, shortness of breath, chest tightness. I've become so
used to this I barely notice it all. But here is my dilemma: I don't
exercise because of these symptoms I just described. So how do I
manage those symptoms so I can exercise and lead a normal life? Should
I be concerned if I am dizzy and weak every single time I exercise for
long periods of time? At least now I am feeling better with my
breathing being back to its usual shortness of breath and pain when I
breathe.

Monday February 28, 2005

This morning I woke up feeling fine. I went to bed last night with a
headache and was feeling dizzy and lightheaded. I did walk all the way
to Main & 33rd from Victoria & 20th before taking the bust to Main &
25th. While walking I wheezed, was short of breath, had chest
tightness, was feeling dizzy and light headed. I walked slower and
slower, staggering almost like a drunk person or an old lady shuffling
along the way. I did not feel the need to take my blue puffer medicine
as I was unsure if this was the right circumstance to take it. For the
rest of the day I've been feeling dizzy and light headed. I feel as if
the room is spinning all around me. Even when sitting down I feel
dizzy and lightheaded. I don't know if this is asthma related or not
or of a concern but I sure would like to know. If my asthma is out of
control then is there any other meds I should be taking to get it
under control? Do I have any options available to me? I'm also
experiencing a slight sore throat which I woke up with today and took
a halls to calm my sore throat down. Is this a concern for asthma? Are
there other ways to make sure I am using my blue puffer correctly? I
am using the technique I was taught but I feel at times I miss by
getting the medication at the side of the mouth. At least I'm using
the spacer daily for my Flovent which I always take. Does my
medication need to be adjusted to help better control my asthma? I
hope my questions can be answered.

Tuesday March 1, 2005

Today I woke up with a slight heaviness in my chest. Taking my Flovent
twice daily with my spacer does help with the heaviness of my chest. I
also still have a sore throat and am trying to keep it at a minimum by
taking a cherry halls. I'm feeling somewhat dizzy right now (since the
moment I woke up) and I feel like the room is spinning all around me.
I still feel shortness of breath-going up and down the stairs, moving
about the house but have not taken my blue reliever medication as I am
unsure if this is the right time for me to use it. What if I use it
when I have shortness of breath then 1hr later I feel shortness of
breath again? If I have shortness of breath when sitting down should
this be a concern for me or not? I hope I can get some answers because
I want to get my asthma under control and live a normal health life. I
am coughing a bit today but it could be from the cold I'm skirting
since December 2004. Throughout the day I've felt dizzy, lightheaded.
I've also experienced some chest tightness for a few hours in while in
class. I had a bit of trouble breathing-shortness of breath even when
sitting down. I did not take my blue reliever puffer but I waited it
out which passed after a bit. I'm starting to cough up a storm today
along with my sore throat which gets more noticeable throughout the
day. I've got a headache now (9:16pm) and still feel dizzy. Should I
be concerned? I talked to Dr. Chernick yesterday who told me the
Effexor is not a problem for me to take (i.e. I'm not having an
allergy reaction to it). I also picked up my last refill for Flovent
today which means I have to see Dr. Loubert for a new prescription.
Should I evaluate my meds more carefully to see if there are other
asthma meds I could be taking to better control my asthma? Which
course of action should I take?

Wednesday March 2, 2005

This morning I woke up with a sore throat like you wouldn't believe.
I'm coughing a lot more now - could be I'm catching that cold I've
been skirting since December 2004? Well, who knows. I felt a bit dizzy
and lightheaded when I woke up. Walking around the house, going up and
down the stairs in the basement made me short of breath-huffing,
puffing, gulping/gasping for air. I wheezed slightly with the walking.
I met with the asthma educator today who said my asthma is DEFINITELY
out of control. The meds I'm using are not the right dosage for me or
right kind for me. So she told me to double up on the Flovent puffs to
two puffs/day and I'm also prescribed a medication called SereVent
salmeterol xinafoate inhalation aerosol in which I take 2 puffs 2
times daily. I took it already once at 11:44am this morning with my
spacer and boy is that stuff strong. I could feel it rushing to my
head when I inhaled it. This is supposed to help with the inflammation
of my lungs (which are quite inflamed already) and help me not to be
so out of breath. It is a bronchodilator for oral inhalation and using
this will help me not use my blue puffer as often. It is a tricky
process managing my asthma. To know which dosage and which medication
is right for me is something that seems to take a long time and when
to use my blue reliever puffer is tricky - should I use it every time
I wheeze or am out of breath? Should it be for chest tightness only?
How do I know when I am having an asthma attack? What are my personal
triggers? Because my peak flow meter readings are very wide range, I
have to wait another 2 weeks to get my peak flow readings closer
before I can get an asthma action plan done. So another two weeks of
waiting with loads of questions that need answering still. At 6:54pm I
am noticing already what a difference the SereVent has made in me.
Even though I still have trouble breathing and pain breathing I don't
feel as breathless any longer. I don't feel the wheezing and I'm not
dizzy or lightheaded any longer. It's as if a cloud has been lifted
over me making me more able to walk without getting so out of breath
all of the time. GOD BLESS SereVent! I still have a sore throat and am
coughing more and more.

Thursday March 3, 2005

Last night when I went to sleep I had a mini coughing up storm before
finally getting to sleep for good. But I had a great sleep thanks to
the SereVent. I don't have that heavy chest feeling in the morning nor
do I feel dizzy, light-headed or wheezing & shortness of breath by
simple walking. I can feel my breathing become clearer and it is a bit
easier to take breaths. I thank God SereVent saved my life in terms of
breathing. Now I feel I can take up the task of walking farther
distances without feeling so wheezy and out of breath. I'm still
coughing today but it is more of a wet cough than anything else. There
is still some pain when I breathe but not as bad as before. I get a
bit out of breath when walking and have trouble breathing when walking
fast but at least I don't feel so wheezy and a tightness in my chest
like I used to always experience when walking or doing any exercise.
And for the first time ever my peak flow reached 500 last night and
this morning-YAY! Well at 2:53pm I can say I managed to walk to school
with no huffing puffing, wheezing or chest tightness. I was out of
breath but that was very short lived as well as the gulping for air.
When I got to my TOPS meeting at 51st Avenue I arrived with a regular
breath. I had some chest tightness and had some trouble breathing at
the TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) meeting but there were women
wearing perfume (very heavy perfume) which I think could be a trigger
for me. Should I use my blue puffer for that or now? My mommy smokes
in the house which makes me can't breath and I can feel my throat
close and I start to cough. Is this a trigger for an attack? Should I
use my blue puffer for this instance? I get the same feeling for
hairspray which my mommy uses on her hair on a daily basis. The strong
smell also makes me choke, cough, not breathe and I get headaches from
the smell. I live with that on a daily basis. My room has a new carpet
(installed Aug. 2004  before we moved in on Sept. 2, 2004). I can't
take it out since it is not my house so how should I deal with the
carpet? Is this a concern for me? I'm told I should keep the house in
a very clean condition. I'm very busy with school and a social life so
how do I keep a dust free place with the current schedule I keep? I'm
told I should take a lung test on a yearly basis to test that my lungs
or in working order. Should I do this for myself? And what about
talking to my doctor every 6 months even if I'm well? Is that a good
idea? I've got loads of questions and concerns about asthma and asthma
management that need answering. I hope I can get answers for my
questions & concerns about asthma & asthma management. 6:33 pm - I'm
coughing more and more now. The cough is in my throat - I can feel it
but I have a hard time getting the cough out so it is clear from my
throat. I feel the phlegm in my throat which just won't clear. I hope
I'm not worrying too much abut this in regards to my asthma.

Friday March 4, 2005

Last night when going to bed I coughed up a storm. It took awhile
before my coughing calmed down and I was able to sleep. It is now
official that I've started a cold. I've been coughing on and off all
day, at times to the point where my throat becomes raw and I'm short
of breath. I had toast w. crunchy Skippy Peanut Butter & homemade
freezer bing cherry jam for breakfast. I sort of did a hiccup where
part of my breakfast came up where I could see my breakfast bits
clearly in the sink when I spit it out. this is frequent for me. I get
this on a weekly basis for as long as I can remember. As well I do get
frequent heartburn where I am awakened at night by it and I have to
take Tums for it. Mommy says if I lost weight and stop eating so much
the heartburn would stop. Al day long I cleaned the entire house -
dusting, vacuuming, changing my  bed sheets, dusting my closet. I used
London glass cleaner and dishwashing soap & water for dusting. I've
noticed how easily I got a tight chest when cleaning and dusting the
house. The glass cleaner stung my eyes a bit and I had a hard time
breathing when dusting out my closet and cleaning my closet window (it
was covered in dust & cobwebs & had not been cleaned since before
Sept. 2004). I kept rubbing my eyes a lot-they seemed to be itchy and
I also kept rubbing my nose which became runny.  The more I dusted and
cleaned the tighter my chest became and the harder it became for me to
breathe properly. I didn't take my blue puffer because I am unsure if
this is the right circumstance to take it. The chest tightness became
a sharp, stabbing pain as I continued to clean and dust. I also got a
bad headache - after cleaning mommy's room which smelled of perfume
and hairspray. It was hard to breathe in that room and I coughed a lot
in that room. Later on I was using white out on my stuff and the smell
gave me a violent headache, I coughed a lot and had trouble breathing.
The smell made me a bit dizzy. I was not out of breath today and I
found going up and down the stairs easier to do. No wheeziness or
shortness of breath so I think that is a result of me taking SereVent.
When I was cleaning the washroom I noticed my cheeks getting a bright
shade of red - almost like a rash. Is that normal to do that?

Saturday March 5, 2005

It's about 4:14 am and I had to use my blue puffer reliever
medication. I woke up at about 1 am to go to the washroom and to get a
class of milk to drink because of my thirstiness. All night long I've
had chest & lung pains making it hard for me to sleep. After getting
up at 1 am I didn't get back to sleep because the pain became too
unbearable for me. Even trying to sleep upward didn't help at all. My
whole chest, sides & lungs feel as if somebody doused them in lighter
fluid and lit them on fire. That's how painful my breathing has become
for me right now. Looking back on my past I now realize I have woken
up on many occasions because of this pain. In fact this pain at night
time is quite frequent. I get this at least once a week at night time.
But I can sleep through it most of the time. I started my "P' on
Wednesday march 2, 2005 but I'm not sure if it contributes to this
pain. I have 2 feather pillows on my  bed that I sleep with. One is a
baby pillow that belonged to my Great-Grandmother when she was alive.
The other a regular sized pillow mommy bought used awhile back. Our
vacuum cleaner is an old reconditioned Electrolux vacuum cleaner. The
only two rooms with carpets are my bedroom and mommy's bedroom. I have
one no  cat zone-my office in the basement. It's very toasty there and
I feel fine in my office with linoleum tiling down there. 4:24 am - I
feel better from the chest pains. The reliever medication really
helped me a lot. I guess I was having an asthma attack at this time in
the morning. I write everything down here to help with what is
triggering my attacks and to help better manage my asthma. I'm not
going to bed now since I have to get up soon anyway. I'll get rest
later day. I have been coughing on and off all night. I think it's
because of my cold I have now. When I was a child getting ear
infections were the norm for me. I would get 2-3 ear infections when I
was a child. I don't know if this is relevant to asthma or not but I
am putting it down in case it is important to my personal medical
history.  The allergies my aunt Baiba had when she was alive were
deadly (makeup, bees eventually milk after a trip to Egypt etc.).
mommy's allergy to scallops are also deadly. She's also allergic to
sulfur. She also gets colds that last a long time just like me. When
she was younger she had trouble running (pains) but when she had
bypass surgery in 1994, it turned out she was born with very small
arteries. I've been walking from 40th & Victoria to below Main &
Broadway (a good 2 hr walk w. some hills on Broadway along the way).
I'm at Broadway & Carolina at Subway getting something to eat because
I was hungry. While walking I noticed I had normal breath - no
huffing, no puffing, no wheezing, no chest tightness at all. I was
able to do the hills with great east with a tiny bit of heavy
breathing - but that was slight compared to how I would really get out
of breath on hills. I still experience pain when I breath as always
and I'm still coughing on and off during my walk. But I feel really
great for a change. It's so nice to walk and not huff and puff and get
shortness of breath so easily like I have in the past. The SereVent
really helps me - I see a great improvement in my breathing capacity.
I can finally walk long distances with no problem at all. The only
thing which bothered me when walking were the care fumes and fumes
from commercial vehicles as well as the fumes coming from professional
cleaners. That always bothers me greatly, making me unable to breathe
properly. I have noticed when I walk a lot for long distances my
cheeks get a really bright red covering most of my face - almost like
a rash. Is that normal? Another thing to note when walking my chest
felt a bit funny but I don't know what it could have been. It felt a
bit quivery & trembly when I was breathing in & out but it went away
after a bit. I've always had red cheeks on me - permanent blush that
when as a child & teenager my classmates would always ask what was
wrong with my cheeks - why are they so red? Even mommy said that and
thought my red cheeks to be abnormal. They get really red after a very
hot and steamy bath. I blush really easily. I have a deep sharp
stabbing pain in my right lung that goes up the back of my right ear
whenever I breathe. I get this almost all the time. It's normal for me
to experience pain when I breathe - not exercise related. Yesterday
while I was cleaning and dusting I could feel my eyes get tired &
sleepy & I kept rubbing them to get the sleep out of my eyes. On the
buses on the way home there were some very strong smells including
perfume and other unidentified stuff that gave me a violent headache
and made it hard for me to breathe properly.

Sunday March 6, 2005

This morning (as usual) I woke up with really red hot cheeks. They
were flushed - like a rash - going all across my entire face and nose.
I've been coughing on and off all day long. My eyes have been feeling
itchy as well as my nose and I've been rubbing them all day long -
almost non stop to take away the itchiness. As well my nose has been
feeling slightly runny whenever I would rub it. When I went out to
London Drugs today there was some strong smell of car soap (somebody
had been washing their car next door) and made me feel ill to my
stomach. It was hard to breathe but that was short lived once I came
indoors. I bought myself a medical alert bracelet for $8 at London
Drugs today in which I will fill out and send it in for the $12 fee to
get myself registered. My instinct says to do this for myself. When I
was a child I remember once with my Omit & Opa eating some raw corn
(this was in the summer time when I would visit them in Toronto) and
throwing up and feeling ill after that. It only happened once and from
then on I only touched cooked corn. It was a good day asthma wise -
I've been feeling good with no pain breathing today.