One of my earliest memories is of sitting in Childrenās Emergency with a mask pumping medicine into my lungs.
ļ»æIāve had asthma my whole life, and frequently spent childhood nights at the hospital while doctors tried to bring my breathing under control.
There are many types of asthma medication and not all work for everyone. I nearly died a couple of times when I was given medication with dairy products in it, causing a severe allergic reaction.
Around the time I started school we found a medication regime that worked, but for the next five years I spent every night wearing a mask that sprayed a fine mist of drugs. We called it my āmedicine machineā ā the only thing that made my symptoms manageable.
Living through this pandemic has been a sobering experience. I knew that people with asthma were more likely to be hospitalized from COVID, and my level of anxiety has been extremely high. I got vaccinated as soon as I could, and Iāve been extremely cautious about what I did and who I saw.
Then one night I noticed I couldn't smell the peppermint tea that I had made, and within an hour I had a migraine and my throat was raw. I took a rapid test and confirmed the worst.
By day four I could barely breathe and was using my puffer every few hours. I couldn't leave my bed, and was trying to care for three children stuck at home ā an incredibly emotional and challenging experience.
My breathing slowly improved after a week, but the fatigue and aftereffects lasted over a month. I consider myself lucky to have gotten through this. Having a preexisting lung condition adds an extra layer of anxiety to what weāve all been experiencing with the threat of COVID, and the possibility of very severe complications.
One in five Manitobans suffers from lung disease, and you canāt tell someoneās medical history just by looking at them. Most people who see me would never know how much asthma has affected my life. We need to be cautious, and respect each other in public. Weāre all working to get through this, and keeping everyone in our community safe still needs to be a priority.
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