People Forget: It’s a Normal Phenomenon
I do not want to go around telling people I have asthma. But sometimes I feel I have no choice but to tell people I have asthma. In fact, sometimes I find that I even have to remind fellow asthmatics, of whom you would think would know better. But, the truth of the matter is that people forget!
People who do not have asthma forget
That is no knock on them, it is just how it is. We all live in our own bodies. We are focused on our own trials and tribulations. We have limits to our ability to remember what trials and tribulations others have to deal with.
I gave the example of my dad in a previous post. Yeah, I am picking on my dad. And this happened in the early 1990s, so a long time ago. So, dad took me to the emergency room (ER) many times for my asthma. And yet, one day, as I am driving him to work, he opens the window and lights up a cigarette. I said, “Um, dad. I can’t be breathing in your smoke.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot.”
Of course, a few days later, the same thing happened. And I gave him a friendly reminder, once again. And he, once again, respected my desire for clean air.
It is just a normal phenomenon. If you do not have asthma, you forget. And so a friendly reminder is in order.
I have a dad who respects my many reminders. And, trust me, it is not just my dad. Others in my family also sometimes need friendly reminders. It comes in handy if you have a great family.
Even people with asthma forget!
Trust me, it is not just non-asthmatics who forget. People with asthma can forget that you have asthma too. I will give you an example.
Like many of us with asthma, colds hit my asthma hard. If I get a cold, it triggers my asthma. And it could knock me down for a week, causing me to miss work. So, I decided last time this happened that I am going to make extra efforts to avoid getting sick. And it has been working, as (knock on wood) I have not been sick since October of 2022.
Today I am at work, and my coworker shows up coughing and sniffling. Despite having asthma, it did not seem to be bothering her breathing. So, perhaps, for this reason, she thought she could get through work despite her cold. But she forgot that her coworker on this day was me, a fellow asthmatic.
And I respectfully reminded her that I have asthma, and I really do not want to catch her cold. “You know what happens when I get sick!” I said.
And it impressed me that she found another office to hang out in for the duration of the day so she wouldn’t get me sick.
It feels so nice to have such a great friend to do that for me.
I do feel guilty bugging people
I will be honest: It is not easy for me to deal with people forgetting. I do not like speaking up and telling people I have asthma, let alone that they must change something they are doing. However, I have had this discussion with some of my closest friends and family members. And they tell me that they do not mind the reminders. And sometimes they have to remind me that they don't mind the reminders, because I forget.
What about you? Do people in your circle of friends and family forget you have asthma? What are your feelings about this? Please let us know in the comments below.
Community Poll
Are your spring allergies already impacting your asthma?
Join the conversation