Waiting for an appointment

[snowdrift]

Heya folks,

I'm obviously new here. In fact, I'm still figuring out this board, and so I just typed a long and detailed post which was lost. I'll try again.

I think I may have asthma. I'm pretty ambivalent about this, which is probably a normal response. I think I may have asthma because of the following:

First, I've had a cough for a year and a half. It first began on an outdoors vacation in cold weather. I got sick with a cough and other symptoms, figured some kind of cold that went to my chest. It was a light, non-productive cough. The cough went away, but came back two weeks later with another cold. Then it never really went away. I got quite ill last winter, I though I probably had bronchitis or a mild pneumonia, since I was coughing constantly and it became a more productive, infectious-like cough. I didn't really have the time or resources for medical care, and I felt like I was just overworked and overtired (I'm a law student and a parent), and I never sough medical care. The cough got milder and more intermittent when spring came, but it never entirely went away. I usually cough a little in the morning, especially if my sleeping space is too warm or very cold.

This fall, as it got cold again, I started coughing more. I got a couple of colds, and always have that cough. Although I smoked for about four years, quitting about three years ago, I've become very, very sensitive to cigarette smoke. Even being near a heavy smoker with residue on their clothing will make me cough.

Second, I think I've had some asthma attacks in the past few days. I ended up, because of a scheduling/weather problem, running several blocks in cold wintry air while very stressed about getting plans all sorted out with my family. Immediately after, I was unable to catch my breathe. I was in class, and so was trying, mostly unsuccessfully, not to cough too much. There was a lot of clear mucousy stuff, I was sweating, and it was hard to focus on anything but trying to breathe and being horribly embarrassed. It lasted through to the end of class, but eventually my coughing and choking slowed down enough that I could get home and try to be normal. Later on, I felt a bit better and tried calling a friend. Then while I was talking and laughing on the phone, it came back, much worse. I couldn't breath at all. A lot of very high pitched whistling sound when I tried to breath. I felt like I was dying. I couldn't stand. I ended up on the floor, coughing and choking clear mucous onto the floor. It was so intense I ended up throwing up.

Eventually, it got better though. I drank some water--very slowly, or it made me choke--and was able to stand and stretch my chest out a little. I had had lots of spasming pain in my chest earlier, but it helped a little stretch out. I remembered a friend with asthma leaning up against a doorframe with her arms up high to help her breathe, and that helped me.

And it ended. I could breathe. Almost normally. I coughed easily, but I could breath. I went on with my weekend. Unfortunately, this involved social events with several smokers, and I coughed a lot. My chest hurt all weekend.

Last night it happened again, just four days after the first one. Went for a walk. A cold wind was blowing. Same thing. Less intense, but it went on for hours.

It seems like in one weekend I've gone from having a mild cough to having a seriously debilitating and mysterious illness. I am afraid to out in the cold, afraid to talk, afraid to eat. Definitely afraid to breathe deeply at all. If I sit quietly, I feel mostly ok, except my chest feels raw I'm a little achy from the hours of trying to breath last nigh and all weekend. I'm afraid to do anything else. I don't feel like I can handle that again.

So, I have a dr appointment at the end of the week, with a new dr. I'm sure the first appt. will not resolve anything, and I'm afraid of feeling like this for a long time.

And I'm not convinced it's asthma. I've had anxiety/depression for a long time. RIght now it's very well-controlled without medication, but I am so used to emotional ills manifesting themselves physically that it feels like this is all one mega panic attack. It's hard to not feel like I'm being over-dramatic. And it's hard to know how I can continue to keep anxiety and depression well controlled if I can't go outdoors or do anything! It seems weird that it should go from a mild chronic thing to a massive thing like this virtually overnight. It just seems weird. And so I don't quite believe it.

On the one hand, I can't wait for this appointment, and wish it was sooner. On the other hand, I feel so silly about the whole thing, like I'm making a big deal about nothing, and want to cancel the appointment.

I'd appreciate any thoughts, comments, or suggestions. Tia.

[Vanessa74]

Tia,

I am no expert - but what you are describing definitely sounds like asthma. It also sounds like you are having a 'flare up' (your airways are very sensitive and inflammed - and you need to get some medical care ASAP as asthma attacks are very SERIOUS.

Sounds like you may need a daily inhaled steroid (Advair, Flovent, Asmanex, etc.) and some type of rescue inhaler to carry with you (Ventolin, Albuterol, etc.)

You do not want to let this go - there is help for this and for you.

I hope you find relief soon.

Vanessa

[snowdrift]

Thanks Vanessa. Actually, my name is Sara. I meant T.I.A as in "thanks is advance for any comments. Yeah, I'm still learning my way around.

Thanks for encouraging me to go in and see someone. I'm pretty shy about getting medical help.

Online information is so plentiful on some basic things and so sparse in important areas. I was just uncertain about what is going on right now. Sure enough, I went to class tonight, had a park a couple blocks away, and ended up having pretty serious difficulty breathing throughout class and really intense and painful coughing when I got home. It seems that right now, anytime I step outside, I start feeling dangerously short of breath and unable to breathe through the coughing.

I am not sure what to do until Friday. Stay indoors, I guess, as much as a I can.

Is there any hope of this "flare up" going away on its own? From other threads, it seems like there can be a long wait for meds, but feeling like I'm dying at least once a day is getting unbearable real fast.

Sara

[DITAB]

Hi Snowdrift
From the symptoms you describe I would suggest that you don't wait until Friday but go to a walk-in facility and at least get some rescue meds like Albuterol or Proventil.
After you see the doctor I'm sure that he will prescribe a preventive -- regular, daily dose med to control the symptoms.
Everything points to asthma but it's important to get a professional evaluation -- why continue to suffer?
Best,
Ditab

[snowdrift]

Ditab, honestly, the reason I was inclined to wait is two-fold. First, I'm afraid I may have insurance problems with getting my co-pay sorted out if I see two drs at once--I have a monthly co-pay and if it doesnt' get int eh system from the first visit, they will try to charge me for the second one too, and I can't afford to pay it twice.

Second, I have a lot of medical-system anxiety, and I'm afraid if I end up sitting a waiting room at an urgent care or ER, especially with cold wind blowing in the door and all that, between being out in the cold and being in a stressful place, I'll get into trouble really fast. It seems urgent cares also sometimes turn people away if they have certain more emergent systems, like breathing trouble or a high fever, and I'm afraid I'll end up getting tossed around the system all day and get really sick.

So, I'm really nervous about getting the system to work right without too much pain for me in the process.

But after just a short walk to class tonight causing problems again, I am leaning towards doing something right away.

It seems this is jsut pretty unpredictable in its severity. I'm aware that it could become very dngerous, very quickly. I'm just worried that urgent care/ER might not help. I have no idea how well-founded those concerns are. Just worried. Right now, sitting at home, I'm pretty ok. I don't want to mess with that.

This is pretty frightening.