COPD and asthma, although different, do have similarities – and they tend to run in families. If you have COPD you should learn about asthma and understand that it can be serious – very serious – even deadly. This is based on a true story, told from a respiratory therapist’s perspective. The names of people and places have been changed.

It was 11:15 pm on Labor Day evening as I sat down at the conference table for respiratory therapy staff report at Lakeside Hospital. I was exhausted...