Sunday, July 31, 2011

The Dark Side of Asthma

Photo taken this morning 7/31/11

This is Prissy
she has Asthma.

When you see her, you see this


The happy energetic full of life young lady who sometimes coughs and needs to take a "breather".

What you don't see is what happens at night.

Taken last night 7/30-31/11

The coughing so bad that her throat tightens up, as my hubby (who also as asthma)
has described to me, 
'an Asthma attack is like trying to breath through a coffee straw stirrer while swimming.'

Last night was the mother of all attacks.

The scariest part was by the time she was coughing, she was so far into the attack she could barely breath.
When I went to check on her - her throat was tight, constricted, she was slightly delusional and kept screaming that she didn't want to be in that bed.
Three emergency puffs later I was able to release her 
(had to hold her up right while massaging her throat gently to get it to relax)
I was able to put her mask on her, add in her vial of life saving meds and start a full on treatment.

She had been so pale that it wasn't until five minutes into the treatment that her "raccoon eyes" showed up.
If you see the night time photo you will see dark, red eyes. 
Showing how oxygen deprived she was.

This is what I call a surprise attack.
She had been bathed - changed and had her allergy meds.
Nothing was a trigger, she doesn't have a cold or is sick in anyway.

Asthma while common is serious 
there are treatments but not everyone gets better.

To me, this was scary as hell, and yet just another night in life of being a mother.

There is such a difference from the light of day
to the dark of night.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Hubby has asthma though it is better since he moved to Utah I was worried that little boogie would end up with it but so far nothing. His sister though all three of her kids have it and even had to take her youngest while just a few weeks old to the emergency room due to an attack :/

Though it seems worse in Hawaii when ever there is volcano ash in the air his mom end up ins the hopsital.

Natalia said...

Prissy - You've had en eventful Summer - knock it off please, your mama can't take much more! I'm so sorry she got sick like that. I hate asthma.

highheeledlife said...

What a horrible thing to have go through ... both for Prissy and you as her mother - to have to see her in such discomfort (and life threantening). Hoping for a better day and evening for everyone. Hang in there Prissy , you are a very strong girl...xo HHL

Unknown said...

Wow, Prissy please get better quickly. I love you sweetie!
I will continue to keep you all in my prayers, I love you all, and I'm glad it didn't lead to an ER visit this time.

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