Ever Poorly Plan a Trip Away From Home?

By John Bottrell, RRT

3 min read

Yes, I should have known better. I went on a trip across the state, and all I brought with me was the following:

2 amps of albuterol
1 albuterol inhaler with 0 puffs left
2 portable mesh nebulizers that do not nebulize very well

Yes, this caused me some self-induced anxiety and stress. It did not help that I was on the tail end of a cold and also had a cough. This combination caused me to worry that it was going to spread to my chest and trigger my asthma.

And yet, I only had access to the things listed above. How did an asthma expert and seasoned asthmatic like me allow this to happen? There are a few things I can say in my defense.

How I ended up poorly planning for this trip

First, I am a busy person. I have 2 kids. I was busy the days before, running them around to their various events. I had to make arrangements for them while I was gone. Then I had to pack my belongings in a short amount of time. I packed all my clothes in a duffel bag, and I took the time to pack my pills in a pillbox, which I stuffed in a pocket of the bag, along with my Symbicort. So, I was packed – except for albuterol.

Second, I had just worked a 12-hour shift and was tired. It was a busy shift, so by the time I finished, I was pooped. Then I had to go to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription for albuterol so I would have an ample amount on my trip. My preference was to get a new albuterol inhaler, but the pharmacy said I was unable to due to insurance. You see, I had already picked one up less than a month ago, so I had met my monthly allotment. So, I ordered some albuterol ampules instead. All I had to do was pick them up when I got out of work.

Third, I was impatient. Of course, being tired made me extra impatient. Not helping matters was that I wanted to get to my destination before too late. So, I was hoping to just run into the pharmacy, grab my prescription, and get going. Standing in the way (no pun intended) was an extra long line, which seemed to be moving along nicely until a man walked up to the counter and the clerk had no idea how to help him. I then waited for over 30 minutes until I decided to leave. It was okay. I still had my Symbicort!

Fourth, I forgot my Symbicort. Yes, it's true. After I arrived at my destination I remembered I had used my Symbicort after packing it and before leaving for work that morning. Rather than repacking it as I should, I stuffed it in the pouch of my sweatshirt. When I got to my destination, I remembered doing this. I felt my pouch for my Symbicort, and it was not there. Yikes!

So there I was at my friend's home, 2 hours from home, with only a few amps of albuterol and an empty albuterol inhaler. Yes, I should have known better. I should have planned better. I should have been patient and picked up my albuterol solution. And I should have paid attention and repacked my Symbicort.

All this resulted in unnecessary asthma anxiety and stress. I was in little mood to participate in any plans my friend and I had made.

How did I manage my asthma and stress on this trip?

To reduce my anxiety and stress, I decided to make a plan:

Pharmacy. My pharmacy is a chain pharmacy, and there was one in town. If necessary, I would go there and ask them to transfer over my albuterol prescription. (This is one of the reasons I use franchise pharmacies.)
I would go home if needed. Sure I had plans for the night and the next day with my friend. But if my asthma acted up and I ran out of albuterol, I could easily go home where I had everything I needed.
Pray. As a Catholic, I believe prayer is the best medicine. So I prayed things would work out just fine on my trip and I would not need to resort to the above options.

Interestingly (yet, not surprisingly), prayer worked perfectly. The Symbicort I already had in my system seemed to hold up nicely. My lungs stayed open and my breathing stayed easy. Sure, there were a few times I had a need for albuterol, but despite saying 0 puffs left, my inhaler had several puffs left. These puffs worked well enough to keep me going.

This was not the first time and probably not the last time I will do this. I know I'm not the lone asthmatic to poorly plan a trip!

What about you? If so, how did you get through it? Please let us know in the comments below.

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shellzoo Member
Yes, this has happened to me! Last Fall I was visiting family that live on the Leelanau Peninsula near Traverse City. I completely forgot my Advair and my Spiriva Respimat. I had my rescue inhaler but ooops! it was expired! Thankfully I was not around many of my allergy triggers and the visit was only 2 nights. I guess had my asthma flared up, I could have visited an immediate care clinic in Traverse City or their ER. When I got home, I did get a little wheezy and needed my rescue inhaler a few times but otherwise did ok. Guess I am not the only one this happens to. Next vacation, I am adding checking inhalers to my packing checklist! 
1. John Bottrell, RRT Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="shellzoo" user-id="3048639"/> That's a good idea. I do keep a list of things to take on vacations, and I think I will add "checking inhalers" to it too. And then I will just have to hope I do not lose this list too lol -- I'm prone to doing that kind of thing lol. There's an old saying that may be fitting here: You do the best you can with the knowledge you have today, and as you learn better you do better. I hope you have a great weekend. John. <a href='https://asthma.net' target='_blank'>asthma.net</a> community Moderator
2. Leon Lebowitz, RRT Moderator & Contributor
 Hi <inline-mention username="John Bottrell, RRT" user-id="3021172"/> and <inline-mention username="shellzoo" user-id="3048639"/> - I've been tuned in to this article (thanks, John), and also your posted conversations. I also have something to add. All these years, I, too, have kept extensive travel lists for proper packing. When my children were smaller, it was a very lengthy list including all family members, the pet, the house (list), for both winter and summer vacations. I thought I was very good at it, refining it after each trip, and taking into account everyone's illnesses, allergies, special needs, etc. I even updated it in the computer as the years went by. I thought I was the cat's pajamas!! Now, as we take less family vacations, all three children are all grown and their significant others live locally but not in my home, the list (for my wife, myself and the pet), has been reduced to a much more manageable size. What I now have done (in order to avoid what happened to each of you!), is to transcribe the 'computer' list to my phone! Now, I can't forget to do or bring anything, and even have the list with me, since I always have the phone with me. Do you think this might work for you, John and Shellzoo? Leon (site moderator <a href='https://asthma.net' target='_blank'>asthma.net</a>)