spoke too soon...another flare

Well, spoke to soon. This last flare was a result of a cold. I thought I was doing good, the cold had come and gone..but the asthma was only just beginning!! I tried to manage my asthma symptoms with nebs as needed and managed to keep my peak flows in my green zone per my new regimen with my new doctor. I was doing ok, even thought myself this was a very, very minor cold, I have managed to dodge the bullet...this is the summer weather, which for me is better with my asthma. Well, Sunday night, went to bed and actually woke up Monday morning (because of my asthma) coughing continuously, chest hurting really bad and my lungs tightening up everywhere. I was even suprised myself when I took my peak flows and my numbers were hovering around upper 50 to 60% personal best, but my FEV 1 numbers were showing 58% obstruction...uh oh...not so good. Immediately did a neb treatment and it helped open me up some...called the doctors office when they opened left message. Heard back and started prednisone I have at home and less than an hour later, my numbers were doing much better at least in the yellow zone and not trying to go to the red zone, which is where I was headed earlier in the morning. Thankfully I was able to avoid an ER trip, because I know that's where I would have been heading had I ignored my body and my symptoms. A few days later, and I'm doing much better. Cough still there, but at least it's productive and I'm down to just a nebs every 6 hours and tapering down the prednisone. Overall feeling much better.....or is it just the steroids and meds giving me all this energy :).

Asthma doing better

Well, since I last posted my asthma is doing better. I had switched doctors about a month ago and he ordered a PFT test for me. It had been several years since my last one. I was expecting it to be much worse, but surprisingly, I was doing awesome. I think in part because he had increased my maintenance dose of Symbicort and I had noticed my breathing doing better just from that. My FEV1 was 78% premedication and 84% post. So normal breathing. It only showed that I had mild obstruction and the pulmonologist was very glad to see that. I think if it had showed moderate or severe, despite being on high dose ICS, he would have added a small dose of prednisone to my daily regimen...at least that's my guess. He even said that he thought my numbers would have been a lot worse. The only thing that was below normal was my FEF 25-75% numbers which were 34%. He basically told me that it confirmed that I had some obstruction going on, but that was about it...not to worry about those numbers too much. My gas exchange was great and my lung volumes were near normal...so he said with all that considered, I was doing great!! Anyway, some good news to report. Here's to starting off a new "school year" with great breathing. My 3 year old starts preschool for the first time next Tuesday. Yeah, she's so excited and I am for her as well....she needs friends to play with.

Been doing ok...I've been trying my hardest to follow the advice of my new pulmo and only do treatments when inhaler just isn't enough to stop the tightness. I guess he didn't like me doing them everyday :(! I've also noticed not doing the nebs, my PF's have dropped a lot, my baseline isn't as high as it used to be and I haven't hit my personal best PF in a long, long time!! It's been hard because the neb treatments I have, contain generic Atrovent and I'm beginning to think that I need that to maintain a level of control (in addition to the max dose of symbicort, rhinocort and singulair I'm already on)...where I'm not constantly using my nebs. The albuterol inhaler, just doesn't stop the tightness feeling all of the time, or the persistant, constant, cough and congestion I continually have. At least the nebs by me a lot more time. So, we'll see next month when I go in for my PFT testing how my lungs are doing and what the results look like. Hoping they are no worse for the wear compared with six years ago when I last did PFT testing.

Been awhile...

Not much else going on here...have battled a couple of flare ups..latest one at the end of June...still have cough from it. Otherwise, changed pulmonary docs..this one seems to be more aggressive with treatments. Needed somebody closer to home. Go in August for full PFT testing...haven't had one done in about 6 years...well overdue!! I'm hoping the results aren't any worse than my last round of PFT testing, but I'm not holding out much hope because of having had so many flares in the last couple of years. Interesting note though my doc said that asthma severeity can come in waves where in your 20's it will get worse, then better, again in your 30's, and finally in your 60's....oh joy. I guess I have one more round to go since I'm in my 30's. Oh well....such is life.

Off to a great Memorial Day Weekend

Well, asthma has been cooperating with me these last few days...earlier in the week, had a few dips in PF's, but I bumped up my neb treatments and seemed to have made the difference. Doing better now, PF's in the green zone, occassional chest tightness, especially when outside a lot, so take the occassional albuterol inhaler and back to normal...my normal at least :). Enjoying the long weekend with the family, it's already been super busy and it's only late Saturday night. Have a 3 yr old birthday party to attend with my daughter and a graduation party tomorrow evening for a family member, then a BBQ on Monday, so I'm feeling pretty confident that my lungs will be doing great for me this weekend. Yeah, and it's been like 97F on Friday and 94F on Saturday...tomorrow I think is more of the same. It's going to be a loooooong summer and it's only MAY!

Another Tuesday

PF's are in low 60% range, so took a neb treatment and feeling much better...popped my numbers up. Feeling better now...although, now I have a toddler fussing at me...so got to go. I need to put one of those quick updates on breathing stats on my blog...I'll have to figure that out later.

Been relatively calm lately

Haven't posted in a while, mostly because not much going on with the asthma. It's been relatively quiet, peak flows have been in lower green zone for about a couple of weeks now and haven't had to take any breathing treatments. Yes, the occassional inhaler when I feel chest tightness, but at least no nebs. It's nice that we are finally in "summer" here in Texas. My asthma does much better when the temps hit above 80 and stay there even at night only dips to the upper 70's.