For those of you who don't know, my 5 yr. old D was diagnosed with asthma when he was 18 mo. old. It was a long and difficult diagnosis. We were in an out of Dr.'s offices and the ER. We also dealt with poor and under-qualified doctors in our pursuit for answers. But I regress.
I am publishing this post not as a pity party, but as a PSA for those living with asthma. It is difficult to be the parent of a child with asthma, and have most of society not understand. The illness itself is hard. You panic at every cough (the #1 symptom) and illness worried that it will be the start of an attack. There are many sleepless nights and worried days. Aside from that there is huge lack of understanding with others.
People think that asthma means D is fragile and can't run and play like other kids. He isn't always out of breath and wheeze all the time. Like I said, the #1 symptom of asthma is a cough, a very distinct cough. Caregivers, relatives, and teachers are intimidated by his inhaler. It's not that scary, and not that complicated. He can use it himself with little supervision.
The biggest struggle with asthma is that people don't understand the medicine. It makes your heart race and you feel super jittery, like a huge caffeine buzz. So, while D is having asthma attacks and using his inhaler he is crazy. We have struggled with teacher, family members, dentists and even doctors who don't seem to understand this side effect. They think he is undisciplined or that he suffers from mood disorders. The truth is he is normally an energetic little boy, but the meds make him crazy hyper.
D spent the night on the couch last night so I could listen to him all night. And although he had very little sleep due to coughing, he is bouncing off the walls. So what is the point of all this, if you know a child or a family who struggles with asthma, be patient. And if your child has lots of coughing, especially at night, consider seeing a Board Certified Allergist or Asthma specialist (careful there are lots of pretenders out there).
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