Once I had accepted my diagnosis, it was a challenge for me to learn how to live with asthma, but I slowly became more sensitive to my body and my medications. I was put on several inhalers: one to prevent inflammation and another to stop breathing problems when they occurred. The regimen I had established worked very well for me until the fall of my junior year when my health started to steadily deteriorate. I was having difficulty breathing and, well, even functioning for that matter. Nothing was making me feel better.
So I went back to the allergist and was tested for allergies. They quickly discovered that I was severely allergic (like off the charts allergic!) to everything on their list except for dogs, saline and feathers – at least there are three things in this world! As a result, I started on some new medications, took steps to reduce the allergens surrounding me, and started allergy shots.
But I still was not getting better. In fact, I was getting worse. It got to the point where I could not function at the normal daily level. I was experiencing a lot of fatigue, chest pain, and had difficulty breathing, preventing me from attending classes, playing tennis and just going about everyday life. My lowest of lows came one day in early February when I was playing a tennis match and had to default because I had an asthma attack on the court! This was very upsetting for me because it happened in front of all my teammates who were equally as scared as I was. I was also upset that I was forced to quit and I felt like I had lost control over my body. I had hit my rock bottom point. Right then and there I decided that I had to beat this thing before it beat me…
To be continued…
Read Part II of Jennifer Smith's Story Here
Visit Jane Martin at www.breathingbetterlivingwell.com
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