SLC punk doctor - Asthma Message Board

suzcgrove · 12-27-2007, 12:40 PM

I've had chronic asthma since I was five. I'm now 28 and my asthma has been under control since I was 20. My asthma is definitely affected by my nut allergy which I found out when I was hospitalized and intubated when I was 20. However, it is really not affected by seasonal allergies, which I do have a little of during the summer since I moved to Utah from Seattle, this past July. I'm looking for a new asthma and allergist right now. I saw one recently and she's trying to tell me all about my asthma and she hasn't asked me any questions and she was trying to put me on a bunch of new medications, when I am already on a plan that works for me. I don't have to use a rescue inhaler at all right now and I'm totally enjoying that. She wanted to see me every six months, which I felt was very unnecessary, but she said was part of her policy. I'm not rich, I don't want to spend my money to fund a blood sucking doctor. Once a year is enough for me. I just want my meds....!!! Why is it so difficult to get them? I just want to keep breathing!!! Is that too much to ask? My doctor in Seattle was always very accomodating and helpful, she has since passed away (Gail *******-we will miss you). I'm still in search of a good specialist in the Salt Lake City vicinity. If you know of one, please let me know.

Thank you,
Breathless in SLC

suzcgrove · 12-27-2007, 08:48 PM

I was a little angry when I wrote this. I would really appreciate some input and encouragement. My asthma is under control, but it wasn't always this way. It was a long battle of discovering new medications that worked for me, but now that I'm here in this safe place I'm afraid of going back to the way things used to be. Maybe you know how I feel? Now finding this website for the first time there is someone to talk to about it.... hopefully.

Thanks

Gabby2007 · 12-27-2007, 08:52 PM

You mean this thread?

I've heard of Northwest Asthma & Allergy - I think. But not Dr *******. I go to a lung doc in South King County, not an allergy doc since I don't have allergic type asthma.

I don't know any docs in SLC, although if I were in your shoes, I'd look for one connected to one of the med schools there. Seems like the university hospitals/med centers are often good....

I have persistent asthma - kind of a pain and difficult to treat. But I've got it under control now I think (I'm fairly newly diagnosed, although in retrospect, I think I've had this most of my life). I don't have any kind of plan to go back and see my asthma doc unless things get out of control. Otherwise, I guess my family doc can renew my asthma meds - my lung doc sends her updates as necessary. She'll send me back to him if she thinks it's necessary.

suzcgrove · 12-27-2007, 09:05 PM

What do you mean by persistent asthma?

Gabby2007 · 12-27-2007, 09:17 PM

"Persistent Asthma" probably wasn't the precise term for what I have (I told you I'm kind of new at this!).

The docs have a scale for symptoms: mild intermittant, mild persistent, moderate persistent, severe persistent. It refers to how often you have symptoms. I have moderate persistent, which means I have daily symptoms and kind of frequent exacerbations. So - getting it under control was a pain - took some experiments with meds and dose amounts...I have a good asthma doc, though - finally. My family doc sent me to a different pulmonologist originally; he turned out to be a loser (told me that I just had frequent bouts of extended post viral cough! Never mind that my "post viral cough" had lasted over a year at that point! snort!). We fired that doc and found my current doc - he was really thorough in looking for the right dx and treatments...and he tolerates my wierd sense of humor and kick b*tt approach to life/medical hassles!