Asthma Causing Bad Memories?

We had Sunday dinner with our college-aged kids, and then Middle Son said he wanted to (prepare yourself)... watch a video with us. He never does that!

While I was standing there with my mouth open, he said that he wanted to watch Lord of the Rings. He said that he hasn't been able to watch it for the last 10 years, because it reminded him of being in the hospital for asthma (and a long, boring recovery afterward).

Bad memories

My son wasn't just in the hospital once for asthma - he was in the hospital 8 times. So, he was sick a LOT when he was little. And yes, there are things that remind him of those times.

His friends would say, "Dude - I wanna stay home and watch videos! That sounds like fun!"

Do you want to know what it's really like to miss school and stay home and watch videos?

What it's like recovering from a hospital stay

You are so weak that just walking to the bathroom is exhausting.

You cough so hard that you almost throw up.

You have to prop yourself up on the couch to sleep because it's easier to breathe that way.

You are mean, hungry, and can't sleep - thanks to oral steroids.

You are stuck in two rooms because that's as far as the tubing goes on your oxygen concentrator.

Your friends are outside riding bikes and playing with lightsabers, and you get to watch from the window.

Your mom makes you have another breathing treatment/antibiotic/oral steroid.

Your friends bring your homework after school so you don't fall behind in math.

And on, and on, and on.

Making recovery easier

Recovering from a hospital stay for asthma is NOT "fun." So if my kids want to watch videos? No problem! Lord of the Rings again? Okay!

You want ice cream for breakfast? How many scoops kiddo?

Do you have bad memories of being in the hospital? Do you re-set them by watching a video you used to watch during that time? Eat a certain food?