Beyond Breathing

My allergy and asthma symptoms may improve depending upon the season or the type of medicine that I am taking, but they are always there in one way or the other. Fortunately, I have not been admitted to the ICU since the spring of 2018, and lately I have been joking that my asthma is cured – even though I know that this is impossible.

Even if I am breathing fine with no symptoms of asthma, it still affects me in other ways.

My mom and I went to my primary doctor this week because my wrist has been cracking and hurting when I play lacrosse or tumble on it. My doctor attributed it to growing pains. Asthma has taught me that doctors are generally correct, but sometimes you know yourself more than anyone else, so we made an appointment with an orthopedic. I have also learned that sometimes my mom knows me better than my doctors!

The orthopedic x- rayed my wrists and elbow. It turns out the cracking sound my hand had been making was due to a a slight fracture. The doctor acknowledged that my weak bones were probably a result of the oral steroids I have taken, so he suggested that we limit my use of prednisone in the future. When you are in the hospital on constant oxygen, however, there often are no other options and guess what, breathing wins.

We worry about how to effectively treat allergies or asthma, but we also need to be concerned about the immediate and long term side effects of oral corticosteroids when we are taking them.

I plan to start physical therapy to hopefully strengthen my elbows, wrists, and hands so
that I can be healthy and still be able to do the thing I love most: tumbling. I have always known I have asthma… but I would have never expected it to affect me when I am healthy, or my bones!