This Is What Asthma Sounds LikeI can write as many blog posts as I want, but it's one thing to read about asthma, it's another to hear what it really sounds like! This is also...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Activate: Meeting Your RepresentativeThree weeks after coming home from Ottawa for World Asthma Day, I met my Member of Parliament (MP) in the constituency office to talk about asthma, access to care (specific...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Treatment Options: When Things Go Differently Than ExpectedToday, I had a follow up with my doctor that did not go as planned. It was weird and awkward, I was off my game. I had come in with...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Anxiety And Asthma: What’s The Deal?Researchers have long recognized links between anxiety disorders and asthma. Here is what is presently know. Hippocrates. The father of medicine was the first to define anxiety and asthma for...Reactions0reactionsComments23 comments
Spontaneity: A Realized "Barrier" to Exercise with AsthmaWhile I am aware that it is because of asthma that I got “into” (read: semi-interested in) any sort of physical activity at all, asthma does really hinder the whole...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
A Culture of Health, Where Everyone is IncludedI have been doing a lot of thinking about all the players that are involved in healthcare. There are so many opinions, "experts", people that are involved (patients), caregivers, researchers...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
To Sleep Perchance to DreamSo in my last piece I broached the subject that sleep may have a positive effect on asthma. If the theories are correct then ‘all’ I have to do is...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
History of Asthma (Part 3): Nebulizers and InhalersIt's pretty impressive how far asthma medications have come since ancient times. I spoke of many ancient remedies and treatments in part 1 and part 2 of this series and...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Asthma GadgetsIt's no secret that we live in an age where people like gadgets, the kind that are both electrical and non electrical. I'm sure many of you would agree with...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
The Empty Inhaler Strikes AgainI take four inhalers, and only one of them actually has a dose counter on it—and after all, research and experience indicate this may not even help much. What’s ridiculous...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
It's Not About AsthmaHe wraps his recently-three-year-old fingers around the blue tag of my medical ID bracelet. Plays with my bracelet chain for a moment while smiling at something, while standing in front...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
When friends have your back before you realize it!As asthma comes in all kinds of different forms, sometimes, I forget that some of my friends with asthma actually have asthma, until I think back on conversations. I keep...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Let's Talk Pulse OximetryWe have all seen them - either the sticker or clip on your finger attached to the vitals machine. The elusive pulse oximeter. There are also small portable ones that...Reactions0reactionsComments33 comments
Where Was That Pamphlet Five Years Ago?I recently came across a pamphlet on advocating for yourself and involving patient and family advisers in your decision making and care. I could have seriously have used that pamphlet five years...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Losing My Voice to AsthmaSo asthma never fails to surprise me. The latest “fun” with asthma is that I now lose my voice when I have a severe asthma attack or when I get...Reactions0reactionsComments25 comments
History of Asthma (Part One): In The BeginningThe earliest recorded instance of respiratory distress was from china in 2600 BC. It was characterized as "noisy breathing" which could be what we know as wheezing today. There are...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Community Views: Where Do You Keep Your Inhaler When You’re Out and About?We all know inhalers play a significant role in asthma treatment. The importance of carrying your asthma inhaler at all times cannot be overstated. Your inhaler is probably one of...Reactions0reactionsComments16 comments
Alarm Fatigue: Patient EditionOn our second last Asthma Pals session this Spring, one of the kiddos asked about how to get better at remembering to take her puffers everyday. My suggestion was to pair...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Post-Secondary and Asthma: Asthma and Allergy Friendly AccommodationsI never really thought of my asthma as a disability when it came to my time in university. It’s not that asthma didn’t cause me trouble a time or two...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Past Its Prime, Medication Expiry Dates, Inhaler Inventory and HousekeepingLike most patients, there are a few items in my medicine cabinet that I have been saving for a zombie apocalypse or that failed but that I just don't seem...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments