Campfire Survivor
I had never had asthma until I was in California's most devastating fire. The campfire was one of the most intense things I have experienced. I was stuck in the fire with my elderly client who I was taking care of, for 8 hours. It took us 8 hours to escape to Chico, which was 25 miles away. Once I did escape, I noticed that I was having trouble breathing. I chalked it up that it was due to being in smoke for so long and that it would pass.
As days and weeks passed, my breathing wasn't getting better. I went to the doctors and was diagnosed with asthma, and I have to take two different steroidal inhalers daily. 18 months later it is still a daily struggle, but I'm happy to deal with asthma because things could have been so much worse.
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