Lessons: “I listen to myself more than I did before”
Before, a slight sore throat wasn’t enough to stop me from going to football training or out jogging. Nowadays, if I have a sore throat or runny nose, I’ll cancel my training and take care of myself.
When I was 19 years old, I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. At the same time, I was diagnosed with asthma and was given medication for it. However, I didn't think that asthma was a serious condition. I smoked at the time, so I thought that was the cause of my shortness of breath. In my thirties, I cut down my smoking considerably, but left my asthma pretty much untreated.
A couple of years ago, I bought a fitness tracker that also measures oxygen uptake. I started noticing that my oxygen uptake was starting to steadily decline. At first, I thought the tracker was broken, but then I found myself having to gasp for breath when I was walking. I went for a spirometry test and the doctor said that I was not far from having COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
After that appointment, I stopped smoking completely and started taking regular medication. My shortness of breath eased immediately, and my oxygen uptake has not gotten any worse. I have not had any further periods of deterioration either since my asthma medication was adjusted. This is probably partly because I now listen to myself more than I used to. I don't exercise when I have a cold or a sore throat, I take my medication regularly and I also pay more attention to what I eat. I have now realised that you can’t take your health for granted.
Difficult moments: “I envisioned myself with oxygen bottles”
I was about to turn 40 when I had my spirometry test and heard how bad my lungs were. I had a terrible crisis about my age. I envisioned myself in a wheelchair with oxygen bottles as my lungs couldn’t take it anymore. I had already had a foretaste of this during periods when my asthma got worse. During those times, my breathing is so restricted that my walking becomes more like shuffling.
I confronted my worst fears straight away. I went through all the worst-case scenarios that my condition could lead to. This is my way of dealing with difficult situations: I process my difficult emotions for a couple of weeks and then leave them behind.
I no longer actively think about my oxygen uptake declining, but the thought is still in the back of my mind. It scares me, especially because my children are still young. There are five children in our reconstituted family and the youngest is ten. If my disease progresses to COPD, will I still be able to do things with my children? I would still like to be able to function if they have children of their own one day.
If I had taken my condition seriously in my twenties, I might be in better shape now. But I don't tend to dwell on what ifs. Smoking and not treating my asthma are in the past now and I can no longer do anything about that.
Support: “My asthma nurse is just the best”
When my asthma got worse, I talked about it a bit with my husband and a colleague. Mostly, I just chew over things on my own. There is so much information about asthma on the internet that you never run out.
The person I have spoken to most about my condition is my asthma nurse, who is just the best. I visited my asthma nurse more frequently right after my diagnosis and they used to call me from time to time when they were still working out the right medication for me. I have fewer check-ups these days. My next spirometry test will be in a couple of years.
Hope: “I have patted myself on the back for being sporty”
Although I sometimes worry about my asthma, I also think that things could be much worse. I take comfort in the fact that my lungs have remained in good condition for a year now, and that my oxygen uptake has not deteriorated. At first, I couldn’t believe that if I stopped smoking the occasional cigarette, the decline in my oxygen uptake would stop. But that is what happened.
I think the reason my lungs are in the good shape that they are is partly because I've always been very physically active. It’s my way of life, and I've patted myself on the back for that. Exercise is one way to treat asthma. I cycle, jog, go to the gym and in winter I go to spinning classes.
A couple of years ago I also started playing football. In football, we train hard, but this is possible with asthma as long as I warm up my lungs properly before training. When I also take a reliever medicine to open up my airways before training starts, I have no problems with my lungs. Sometimes I feel like I'm playing for my life, and I kind of am. Sport gives me meaning in life.
Asthma
- What is Asthma? Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the mucous membrane that lines the airways, which causes constriction of the bronchial tubes. It affects 6–9 per cent of the population. In severe, untreated asthma, the bronchial tubes can become permanently constricted.
- Symptoms. Typical symptoms of asthma are coughing, mucus production, shortness of breath and wheezing. Symptoms often occur at night and in the morning. They can be aggravated by physical exertion, cold air, allergens, air pollutants and viral infections of the respiratory tract. Symptoms typically vary, and symptom-free periods can alternate with periods when symptoms are worse.
- Treatment. Lifestyle choices are important in the treatment of asthma. Exercise, weight control and not smoking support good lung health. Basic treatment for asthma includes inhaled cortisone to treat inflammation of the mucous membrane. A medicine called a bronchodilator, which opens the bronchial tubes quickly, is used for occasional symptoms.
