My positive Asthma experience
Question:
I just wanted to share this with members of this group. I realize some readers may not agree with my view. That’s okay and I welcome feedback. I wonder if anyone else has had any positive experiences. As an Asthmatic child in 1980 I could not play the sports other kids were playing so my father bought me a computer. I learned a lot about computers and they became a lifelong interest. When I was older I experimented with Marijuana and got high on a regular basis. I had no direction in my life, everything centered around getting high. Then my Asthma worsened to the point that I could not function. This was what caused me to stop smoking. I turned to drinking and had the same experience. Once I could no longer take drugs or drink alcohol my life began to take direction. I resumed using my computer and got a job with this experience. I excelled at work and went from making $20,000 to making over $100,000 working for a bank in New York. My Asthma improved but never went away. My fears of getting older and having asthma and my early experiences of working for companies that were sold and having to transfer and count myself lucky if I still had a job scared me and forced me to find a way to take control of how I made money. I left my job at the bank and started a tech support and computer networking business three years ago. At this point in my life I am making a salary that is less but very close to the salary I made at the bank. Some of my friends and many other people I know of have lost their jobs and are looking for work, while my business and income continue to grow. I feel very lucky, but I also know that the paths I would have taken if I had not had Asthma would be very different. I was not one to strive, being put in accelerated learning classes twice as a child, I should have been skipped to higher grades twice and graduated two years early. I played hooky and ended up with a GED and no college education. If given the choice, I would not have this disease or wish it upon anyone, but I don’t think that choice is mine to make. I take my meds regularly and educate myself in prevention, diet, and exercise. I am still an Asthmatic and I still suffer, but I know that I might have been worse off if I did not have this disease.
Response:
Interesting viewpoint. The older and wiser (heh) I get, the more I subscribe to the concept that everything happens for a reason… everything is as it needs to be. Of course it would be hard for me to say that if my athsma was much more debilitating. My experience is that I have done lots of work to manage the disease. Meds work fairly well, but that is not good enough. They do not treat the underlying disease, which in the case of athsma, is extremely complex and varies from individual to individual. So I started to make all kinds of changes in my life: attitude, spirituality, diet (a big one and a tough one), exercise (yoga!) and have found that although my attacks are as bad as ever, I don’t need as much medication to manage the disease. And I have all these other side benefits that I may not have had without the impetous to do something about the athsma.
Response:
>If given the choice, I would not have this disease or wish it upon >anyone, but I don’t think that choice is mine to make. I take my meds >regularly and educate myself in prevention, diet, and exercise. I am >still an Asthmatic and I still suffer, but I know that I might have >been worse off if I did not have this disease.
I had undiagnosed asthma as a child as was unable to do many of the things the ordinary children were able to do. My asthma went into remission in my late teens and in adulthood I found myself doing things that ordinary people either cannot or will not do. As a result I have seen things and done things that can only be described as extraordinary. I have helped liberate a nation. I have assisted the victims of earthquake, fire and flood. I have mentored a young ’street punk’ whose father was in prison and several years later was sent a picture of his graduation – from West Point. Asthma and all – I would not trade my life and my experiences for anything. — "We are fighting today for security, for progress, and for peace, not only for ourselves but for all men, not only for one generation but for all generations. We are fighting to cleanse the world of ancient evils, ancient ills." Franklin Delano Rosevelt State of the Union Address – 1942
Response:
… and my asthma caused my father to give-up smoking, because our Family Doctor told him that he would be damaging my heath if he continued. He used to smoke about a half an ounce a day. A few years ago, he joined all old friends and comrades (in-arms) in the grave-yard. They were all younger men – who died almost exclusively of emphysema an/or lung cancer. My father just died because he got old. The day before his 89th birthday. Wouldn’t trade a single gasp
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->If given the choice, I would not have this disease or wish it upon >anyone, but I don’t think that choice is mine to make. I take my meds >regularly and educate myself in prevention, diet, and exercise. I am >still an Asthmatic and I still suffer, but I know that I might have >been worse off if I did not have this disease. > I had undiagnosed asthma as a child as was unable to do many of the > things the ordinary children were able to do. > My asthma went into remission in my late teens and in adulthood I > found myself doing things that ordinary people either cannot or will > not do. As a result I have seen things and done things that can only > be described as extraordinary. I have helped liberate a nation. I > have assisted the victims of earthquake, fire and flood. I have > mentored a young ’street punk’ whose father was in prison and several > years later was sent a picture of his graduation – from West Point. > Asthma and all – I would not trade my life and my experiences for > anything.
spot on as a child I had some crippling asthma attacks as well as huge problems with eczema…then I got given my first Alupent and was able to beat most asthma attacks in minutes…I was able to seriously take part in sports (not all that well except for swimming and tennis, but what the hell)…and I started singing, which for a while was my career because I’d grown up not being able to take some basic things for granted (I think we’d all agree breathing is fairly basic), I have, perhaps, been willing to take risks other people haven’t…it’s meant I’ve done some things that seem amazing when I look back on them…and it means I can still look at something everyone around is despairing of, and if not always successfully, at least have a go at sorting it out I’m pleased to be who I am…and asthma is one of the things that made me who I am — eric www.ericjarvis.co.uk "I am a man of many parts, unfortunately most of them are no longer in stock"
Response:
I grew up in Brooklyn with asthma during the 60’s and early 70’s, I have friends who have died from drugs an dalcohol, I didn’t do them beacuse when I trieds to smoke pot it made me cough, don’t smoke for the same reason, can’t drink much because of the fluids that build up in my lungs. Still have asthma, lovely wife, 4 children, 3 grand children, I am a Tai Chi instuctiorn, won 2 National Championships. I believe if I didn’t have asthma I would be with my friends in the grave yard. It is not wht you do, but how well you do it. Bruce Lee
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I just wanted to share this with members of this group. I realize > some readers may not agree with my view. That’s okay and I welcome > feedback. I wonder if anyone else has had any positive experiences. > As an Asthmatic child in 1980 I could not play the sports other kids > were playing so my father bought me a computer. I learned a lot about > computers and they became a lifelong interest. When I was older I > experimented with Marijuana and got high on a regular basis. I had no > direction in my life, everything centered around getting high. Then > my Asthma worsened to the point that I could not function. This was > what caused me to stop smoking. I turned to drinking and had the same > experience. Once I could no longer take drugs or drink alcohol my life > began to take direction. I resumed using my computer and got a job > with this experience. I excelled at work and went from making $20,000 > to making over $100,000 working for a bank in New York. My Asthma > improved but never went away. My fears of getting older and having > asthma and my early experiences of working for companies that were > sold and having to transfer and count myself lucky if I still had a > job scared me and forced me to find a way to take control of how I > made money. I left my job at the bank and > started a tech support and computer networking business three years > ago. At this point in my life I am making a salary that is less but > very close to the salary I made at the bank. Some of my friends and > many other people I know of have lost their jobs and are looking for > work, while my business and income continue to grow. I feel very > lucky, but I also know that the paths I would > have taken if I had not had Asthma would be very different. I was not > one to strive, being put in accelerated learning classes twice as a > child, I should have been skipped to higher grades twice and graduated > two years early. I played hooky and ended up with a GED and no > college education. > If given the choice, I would not have this disease or wish it upon > anyone, but I don’t think that choice is mine to make. I take my meds > regularly and educate myself in prevention, diet, and exercise. I am > still an Asthmatic and I still suffer, but I know that I might have > been worse off if I did not have this disease.
Response:
Related Posts