Now, one might ask: Is this a mere coincidence, or is there some reason people who have experiences being short of breath like fans and a cool breeze upon their faces? I can't remember where I read this, but some magazine about ten years ago had an article about how your face has receptors that are responsive to the wind. When the wind hits these receptors your lungs dilate ever so slightly. I have never seen any information about this since. It's a nice theory of mine I like to share with my patients who "have to have a fan."

My point here is that it's an awesome feeling for any person to realize that he or she is not alone. You are not alone. Thanks to the Internet, the world is a lot smaller today compared to when I was growing up with asthma. Thanks to the Internet, to great Web sites like this, asthmatics like you and me can come together and share asthma stories. Despite this smaller word, however, I still take care of lots of chronic lungers who love it when I discuss my experiences as an asthmatic, and quite often I get that look of glee as they say, "You do that too!"

"Yep," I say. "You are not alone."

You are not alone either.