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Originally Posted by HVP My brother, Carl, passed away in the early hours of Monday 9th August from an asthma attack - he was 37. Sunday 8th August was the hottest night ever recorded in London (79c), and the unbearable conditions undoubtedly affected Carl tremendously. |
I've got asthma and a heart condition. When I get an asthma attack, even a mild one, my heart also misbehaves. If it is hot, I get much worse.
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I always knew asthma was a killer, but was simply not prepared for this. But I need to know some facts. All his life Carl was on the strongest available inhaler, but he managed his asthma well. But for the previous week Carl was suffering from shortness of breath - nothing I haven't seen before, and an overnight stay in hospital on the Friday after a session on the nebuliser had cleared him out completely. I saw him on Sunday afternoon and he looked fine. 12 hours later he was dead.
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An allergic reaction can be controlled as long as you don't encounter additional allergens within the same time period. Your brother was already having asthma problems. It can take three days or more for the body to get completely over an allergy attack.
Even though the nebuliser helped restore your brother's breathing, his body was already suffering from an allergic reaction which would last for another few days. During this period, if he ate something, or came into contact with something that he was allergic to, it would add to the previous allergic load, and quite possibly make a new, much worse allergic reaction.
Did your brother eat something different? Did he come into contact with any chemicals? Did he visit someone he hadn't visited in a long time, perhaps with pets or wall to wall carpetting, or perhaps he encountered someone who was a smoker?
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How could this be? Normally the nebuliser makes him better than normal, giving him a free run for weeks without any major symptoms. Was it a case that, after 37 years his airwaves had simply reached the end of functioning properly and the nebuliser only gave him a couple more days? Or was it the weather?
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The nebuliser helped your brother to breathe, but it did not take away the allergic reaction going on in his body. It could have been a bad, tragic combination of the heat, a high level of pollen and pollution in the air, and something else new, that he came into contact with.
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I really need to know how his final moments would have been - I hate to think he suffered. His housemate heard a call in the middle of the night for help and came straight away. They were his final words. Carl had started to get dressed but by the time his housemate had come back from the phone dialling 999 Carl was half dressed and unconscious. Although the ambulance came in only 5 minutes, they couldn't save him.
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I've had very severe asthmatic reactions. During the last asthma attack I had, I sat up all night without being able to breathe at all. For hours, not one breathe came in or out. My heart was going nuts. I kept taking my rescue inhaler, but it didn't do any good. I should have gone to the ER, but I didn't. I didn't have the money, and I had never gone through an asthma attack like that, so I was confused. I am lucky that I survived the attack.
It was uncomfortable. It took an enormous effort to attempt to breath. But it wasn't painful. I kept feeling like I was going to pass out. My biggest problem wasn't the discomfort, it was the anxiety.
If I were to guess at your brother's final hours, it consisted of him dealing with a very tight chest, with difficulty breathing, no pain, and with the feeling that, perhaps in a little while it will ease up and he will be ok. He probably ended up unconscious, without the realization that the asthma attack was fatal.
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At the moment myself and his family are all suffering terribly from this tragic loss. Life will never be the same without him, Carl was so well loved and like. Over 150 people attended his funeral.
I just need to know why my brother died so young. Any info here would be a huge help into understanding why.
RIP Carl
xxx
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My deepest sympathy for your great loss. Carl sounds like he was one of those rare individuals who made people feel good just by his presence. I wish you and your family, and Carl's friends, the strength and fortitude to be able to deal with your great loss.
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