Re: Introduction of new member, Kay Bowring

[Guest guest]

Hello! I'm about an hour away from you down the A50 - I am just outside Stoke on Trent. Originally from W Yorks, I'm a postgrad at Keele uni.

Jenn

Tha can tek t'lass outta Yorkshire...!

Don't brand me, don't classify me, don't tell me what to wear. I'll be who I want to be, and I'm proud to be me.

Subject: Introduction of new member, Kay BowringTo: asthma@...Date: Monday, 4 May, 2009, 1:03 PM

Hi, My name is Kay and I live in Nottingham, England at the present time. I say at the present time because I'm moving back to Canada in June, which actually is good news for me because I live a few miles away from a coal-fired power plant and am constantly sick. If there is a relationship, I don't know.I'm 54, and I'd coughed all my life. I thought that was normal. I thought it was also normally to be sick all the time in bed with repeated bronchial infections, that I had what a doctor told my parents was a sinus condition and that not spending every weekend in bed was normal. My brother has allergies, my parents got these treated because they were serious, but nothing could be done about people with weak lungs. I thought I was just sickly.I'm going to skip forward several years. In my 30's, I discovered I had asthma when I moved to Alberta. During that time I

worked in a library cataloguing mildewed books & in a plant that refined nicket, the by product of cold refined nickel is ammonia. Lots of ammonia. Naturally, I got sicker. Now, I no longer work in a library. I do online work and write. I work out of my bed a lot of the time. I live in the Trent Valley, which is not a good place of asthma. My doctor in England says I have 'brittle asthma'. I'm not sure that I do, but it is hard to predict from my peak flow metre how I'm going to be from one day to the next. My father who is 84, still says I have weak lungs and that my asthma is caused by 'stress' and that there is nothing I can do to help myself. Of course, I use beclometasone & salbutamol, but the last few times I've been sick I've been sick I've had to use predisone in larger doses.I seem to be getting sicker, I catch things more easily, and although I've had the

pneumonia shot I had pneumonia last year. My wife worries about me all the time, and I do catch things every easily. The last few times I've been sick, it's gotten worse. I probably should say I'm scared, but I'm just tired of it all at this point. No matter where I go for a business trip or a holiday trip, I go home with bronchitis or a cold which turns into pneumonia if I'm not lucky. I tired of being so tired all the time. The last time I took predisone I felt better, but I couldn't think straight. It stops me from sleeping completely, and I need several sleeping pills to get any rest at all. I discouraged. I don't know if any of the immune system boosters will help me at all, and although I have an appointment to see a specialist here in England on June 15 that's when we go back to Canada. I have pets, but I'm not allergic to them & I vaccuum alot. I am allergic to

tobacco, scents, weeds and trees but if allergies are playing a major part in this I don't know.I'm hoping this list might help give me some guidance. I know I'm not a child, and that children do the best with treatment but I think there should be something I can do other than lie down and die. I don't take the combo inhalers because they don't seem to do so well with people who've had pneumonia repeatedly. And what's with the pneumonia, I thought I couldn't get it after I had the shot. That doesn't seem to be true. I don't know, can anyone relate to this story?Kay Bowring ------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

First, welcome to our group Kay. You will find that this is a group of very knowledgeable and caring people. I do believe that your proximity to the plant could be a major factor with your asthma. I think once you move you will find yourself much better. I am not familiar with the meds you are on. They are called different things here in the US. However, you should be on a controller medication (I use Symbicort) which is a twice a day inhaled corticosteroid and a rescue medication (I am on DuoNeb - a combination of albuterol and iptatroprium bromide). I actually use the DuoNeb four times a day every day. I am classified as severe reactive cough variant asthma. I also use the DuoNeb as a nebulizer treatment rather than an inhaler. I find the nebulizer much more effective. The steroids.

Those are absolutely evil. I am on 55mg a day every day right now. I am unable to taper. Every time I get below this dose my lungs seize. So, I am off to a specialty hospital in June. The prednisone will directly contribute to immunity issues. My immune system is totally trashed. Also, your body uses amazing amounts of its resources just to breathe when your asthma is uncontrolled. I know the steroids make you feel better, but be very careful with them. Try working with your doctor to change your controller meds. I don't know how much prednisone or how often you take it, but it is very dangerous.. If you have been on it a good bit, I am not surprised that you continually seem to stay sick. I am pretty much on house arrest. I have to be very very careful in any public situation. Know that you are not alone. We are here.Madeline--- On

Mon, 5/4/09, Kay wrote:Subject: Introduction of new member, Kay BowringTo: asthma Date: Monday, May 4, 2009, 7:03 AM

Hi,

My name is Kay and I live in Nottingham, England at the present time. I say at the present time because I'm moving back to Canada in June, which actually is good news for me because I live a few miles away from a coal-fired power plant and am constantly sick. If there is a relationship, I don't know.

I'm 54, and I'd coughed all my life. I thought that was normal. I thought it was also normally to be sick all the time in bed with repeated bronchial infections, that I had what a doctor told my parents was a sinus condition and that not spending every weekend in bed was normal. My brother has allergies, my parents got these treated because they were serious, but nothing could be done about people with weak lungs. I thought I was just sickly.

I'm going to skip forward several years. In my 30's, I discovered I had asthma when I moved to Alberta. During that time I worked in a library cataloguing mildewed books & in a plant that refined nicket, the by product of cold refined nickel is ammonia. Lots of ammonia. Naturally, I got sicker.

Now, I no longer work in a library. I do online work and write. I work out of my bed a lot of the time. I live in the Trent Valley, which is not a good place of asthma. My doctor in England says I have 'brittle asthma'. I'm not sure that I do, but it is hard to predict from my peak flow metre how I'm going to be from one day to the next. My father who is 84, still says I have weak lungs and that my asthma is caused by 'stress' and that there is nothing I can do to help myself. Of course, I use beclometasone & salbutamol, but the last few times I've been sick I've been sick I've had to use predisone in larger doses.

I seem to be getting sicker, I catch things more easily, and although I've had the pneumonia shot I had pneumonia last year. My wife worries about me all the time, and I do catch things every easily. The last few times I've been sick, it's gotten worse. I probably should say I'm scared, but I'm just tired of it all at this point. No matter where I go for a business trip or a holiday trip, I go home with bronchitis or a cold which turns into pneumonia if I'm not lucky.

I tired of being so tired all the time. The last time I took predisone I felt better, but I couldn't think straight. It stops me from sleeping completely, and I need several sleeping pills to get any rest at all. I discouraged. I don't know if any of the immune system boosters will help me at all, and although I have an appointment to see a specialist here in England on June 15 that's when we go back to Canada.

I have pets, but I'm not allergic to them & I vaccuum alot. I am allergic to tobacco, scents, weeds and trees but if allergies are playing a major part in this I don't know.

I'm hoping this list might help give me some guidance. I know I'm not a child, and that children do the best with treatment but I think there should be something I can do other than lie down and die. I don't take the combo inhalers because they don't seem to do so well with people who've had pneumonia repeatedly. And what's with the pneumonia, I thought I couldn't get it after I had the shot. That doesn't seem to be true. I don't know, can anyone relate to this story?

Kay Bowring

[Guest guest]

Hi Kay,

Welcome to the group!

Alana

>

> Hi,

> My name is Kay

[Guest guest]

Madeline,

I agree with you 100%.

I had went on 40 mg -

had a massive reaction -

I don't even want to think about what would have happened if he had put me on 60

(that is what he usually puts people on for what I had)

Alana

>

The steroids.  Those are absolutely evil.  >

>

Madeline

>

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome Kay.

I am on zyrtec and singular for asmtha/hay fever. I also have emphysema. I have a spouse currently stilll in hospital for COPD troubles which now looks like he contracted encephilis while hospitalized. He is out of ICU at least. he is the combivent solution for his asmtha at home. I live in Indianapolis, IN, USA.

From: Kay <tuppencecbyahoo (DOT) ca>Subject: Introduction of new member, Kay BowringTo: asthmayahoogroups (DOT) comDate: Monday, May 4, 2009, 7:03 AM

Hi, My name is Kay and I live in Nottingham, England at the present time. I say at the present time because I'm moving back to Canada in June, which actually is good news for me because I live a few miles away from a coal-fired power plant and am constantly sick. If there is a relationship, I don't know.I'm 54, and I'd coughed all my life. I thought that was normal. I thought it was also normally to be sick all the time in bed with repeated bronchial infections, that I had what a doctor told my parents was a sinus condition and that not spending every weekend in bed was normal. My brother has allergies, my parents got these treated because they were serious, but nothing could be done about people with weak lungs. I thought I was just sickly.I'm going to skip forward several years. In my 30's, I discovered I had asthma when I moved to Alberta. During that time I worked in a library cataloguing mildewed books & in a plant that

refined nicket, the by product of cold refined nickel is ammonia. Lots of ammonia. Naturally, I got sicker. Now, I no longer work in a library. I do online work and write. I work out of my bed a lot of the time. I live in the Trent Valley, which is not a good place of asthma. My doctor in England says I have 'brittle asthma'. I'm not sure that I do, but it is hard to predict from my peak flow metre how I'm going to be from one day to the next. My father who is 84, still says I have weak lungs and that my asthma is caused by 'stress' and that there is nothing I can do to help myself. Of course, I use beclometasone & salbutamol, but the last few times I've been sick I've been sick I've had to use predisone in larger doses.I seem to be getting sicker, I catch things more easily, and although I've had the pneumonia shot I had pneumonia last year. My wife worries about me all the time, and I do catch things every easily. The last few

times I've been sick, it's gotten worse. I probably should say I'm scared, but I'm just tired of it all at this point. No matter where I go for a business trip or a holiday trip, I go home with bronchitis or a cold which turns into pneumonia if I'm not lucky. I tired of being so tired all the time. The last time I took predisone I felt better, but I couldn't think straight. It stops me from sleeping completely, and I need several sleeping pills to get any rest at all. I discouraged. I don't know if any of the immune system boosters will help me at all, and although I have an appointment to see a specialist here in England on June 15 that's when we go back to Canada. I have pets, but I'm not allergic to them & I vaccuum alot. I am allergic to tobacco, scents, weeds and trees but if allergies are playing a major part in this I don't know.I'm hoping this list might help give me some guidance. I know I'm not a child, and that

children do the best with treatment but I think there should be something I can do other than lie down and die. I don't take the combo inhalers because they don't seem to do so well with people who've had pneumonia repeatedly. And what's with the pneumonia, I thought I couldn't get it after I had the shot. That doesn't seem to be true. I don't know, can anyone relate to this story?Kay Bowring

[Guest guest]

Hi, Kay,

I'm not saying this is the case with you, but when my asthma continued to get worse, turned out I had reflux contributing to it. My gastroenterologis said many people with asthma have reflux. I hope you get some relief soon.

Debbie

[Guest guest]

Hi Kay he is right. Reflux or GERD and asthma go hand in hand. For those who had GERD first - untreated it can cause asthma. For those with asthma first, the meds can cause GERD. You can also have GERD without any heartburn or other symptoms. I have GERD which was diagnosed by a 24 hour test ( a wire with electrodes that they stick through your nose and down your esophagus - it measures how far up the acid travels from your stomach), and I never have heartburn or any other symptoms.MadelineSubject: Re: Introduction of new member, Kay BowringTo:

asthma Date: Saturday, May 9, 2009, 1:53 PM

Hi, Kay,

I'm not saying this is the case with you, but when my asthma continued to get worse, turned out I had reflux contributing to it. My gastroenterologis said many people with asthma have reflux. I hope you get some relief soon.

Debbie