Life in Transition

This fall has been a whirlwind for me. I have been in a bit of transition. New work experiences, leaving the comforts of my home office and commuting again, dealing with new stresses.

All these things can impact your asthma. One of things that has posed a bit of a challenge was the change in my daytime environment. I went from a very clean, well-controlled home office, to being in a converted industrial building that was dusty, cold, and I am quite sure, had some other allergens in it. A plus though, is that there is a cooperative bakery on the ground floor and when I go to the washroom, yI can smell the yummy things being cooked for lunch. Perhaps that was a bit too much information.

Dealing with the changes and their impact on asthma

I needed to develop a strategy on how to cope with these new elements in my life. I started with my environment which I only have partial control over. Firstly, I did a bit of a clean up; vacuuming and dusting and removing things that can accumulate dust. I negotiated a comfortable temperature setting in our office and when needed I can wear a mask.

The next thing to do was commuting; there are so many sick people on the transit system. Prevention is my only defense in this: making sure that I am good hand washer, preventive measures such as flu shots, and avoidance of areas where there is a high concentration of unwell people. I have noticed that wearing a mask on transit can keep you safe but also may freak out your fellow passengers. I am still working on finding a balance for this one.

Finding my zen

Stress levels have changed and I have to stay up on my “street strategies”, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, making sure I get my lunchtime workouts in, and knowing when to not take on any more tasks. Some of these are a work in progress but are really necessary for keeping me healthy.

What I have discovered is that it is all about balance and practice. Of course, I have concerns about what if I get sick, or get that cold that everyone seems to have and it is early in the cold/flu season and other what-ifs. I am truly thankful that my asthma has been really stable however, there is always a thought that it might not last.

Making good choices moving forward

We can't hold to the fear of the unknown so it’s all about being preventative. I plan on soaking up all the goodness of life on my biologic. My clinical trial will be ending early next year and there may be a period where my asthma control may slide but I am not there yet and I plan on enjoying this good streak.

I have a whole new appreciation for living with controlled asthma. I think when you have had uncontrolled or difficult asthma for a significant amount of time, it is easy to get in a rut of thinking that things won't be better. But with the right treatment and good practice, you can maximize all the good days!