Annelie's travels & more: Asthma

One year use

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:37:13 GMT

Now I have had my occupational asthma for one year (12 months). In this time I have used at least 12 Symbicort Thurbohaler 160/4,5. But I do not think this is all of them. I think I have thrown some in the trash. Each can holds 120 dozes. How many Cetrizin pills and Ventoline I have used I have no idea. But it is a lot. Only one 3-pack of Symbicort Thurbohaler is 500 NOK ( USD 71) at redused price. That is 2000 NOK or USD 285 for 12 Symbicort only. In addition to these I have to buy both Cetrizin and Ventoline. And this is appr. only one year use. Lets say I live until I am 90, and the price stays the same (unlikely but anyway). (2000 NOK x 49 years = 98 000) (781 x 49 = 13 965) So in 49 years I will use at least 98 000 NOK or 13965 USD on Symbicort only. Expensive getting sick from work.

Luckily I have gotten permission to get all money I use on asthma medicin back from the Social Security system in Norway. But I have to pay from my own pocket first, and then claim the money back later. But if I at one point decide to move back to Sweden (unlikely but anyway) then I am not so sure that I get my money back from the social security system in sweden. Then maybe I will have to pay for it all from my own pocket.

/ Annelie

What is asthma?

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:39:13 GMT

What Is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing.

Asthma affects people of all ages. As an example in the United States, more than 22 million people are known to have asthma. Nearly 6 million of these people are children.

Overview

The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of your lungs. People who have asthma have inflamed airways. This makes the airways swollen and very sensitive. They tend to react strongly to certain substances that are breathed in.

When the airways react, the muscles around them tighten. This causes the airways to narrow, and less air flows to the lungs. The swelling also can worsen, making the airways even narrower. Cells in the airways may make more mucus than normal. Mucus is a sticky, thick liquid that can further narrow your airways.

This chain reaction can result in asthma symptoms. Symptoms can happen each time the airways are irritated.

Figure A shows the location of the lungs and airways in the body. Figure B shows a cross-section of a normal airway. Figure C shows a cross-section of an airway during asthma symptoms. (Click img for bigger picture.)

Sometimes symptoms are mild and go away on their own or after minimal treatment with an asthma medicine. At other times, symptoms continue to get worse. When symptoms get more intense and/or additional symptoms appear, this is an asthma attack. Asthma attacks also are called flareups or exacerbations.

It's important to treat symptoms when you first notice them. This will help prevent the symptoms from worsening and causing a severe asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks may require emergency care, and they can cause death.

Outlook

Asthma can't be cured. Even when you feel fine, you still have the disease and it can flare up at any time.

But with today's knowledge, medicins and treatments, most people who have asthma are able to manage the disease. They have few, if any, symptoms. They can live normal, active lives, and sleep through the night without interruption from asthma.

For successful, comprehensive, and ongoing treatment, take an active role in managing the disease.

What Causes Asthma?

The exact cause of asthma isn't known. Researchers think a combination of factors (family genes and certain environmental exposures) can interact to cause asthma to develop, most often early in life. No more than one factor is needed, but more than one factor together can be the cause. These factors include:

An inherited tendency to develop allergies, called atopy (AT-o-pe)
Parents who have asthma
Certain respiratory infections
Contact with some airborne allergens or exposure to some viral infections.
Non-inhereted asthma is developed by for example tobacco smoke, chemicals, dust, compounds in home décor products, sprays, damage caused by damp in houses, mould, cold and more.
Some people develop asthma because of exposure to certain chemical irritants or industrial dusts in the workplace. This is called occupational asthma.

If you got asthma exposure to airborne allergens (for example, house dust mites, cockroaches, and possibly cat or dog dander, chemicals) and irritants (for example, tobacco smoke) make your airways more reactive to substances in the air you breathe.

Different factors may be more likely to cause asthma in some people than in others. Researchers continue to explore what causes asthma.

Most, but not all, people who have asthma have allergies.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Asthma?

Common asthma symptoms include:

Coughing. (Coughing from asthma is often worse at night or early in the morning, making it hard to sleep. But it also occur in daytime or when you are exposed to things you are sensitive to.)
Wheezing. Wheezing is a whistling or squeaky sound that occurs when you breathe.
Chest tightness. This may feel like something is squeezing or sitting on your chest.
Shortness of breath. Some people who have asthma say they can't catch their breath or they feel out of breath. You may feel like you can't get air out of your lungs.

A lung funtion test, done along with a medical history (including type and frequency of your symptoms) and physical exam, is the best way to diagnose asthma for certain. Your doctor will use a test called spirometry to check how your lungs are working. This test measures how much air you can breathe in and out. It also measures how fast you can blow air out. Your doctor also may give you medicines and then test you again to see whether the results have improved. If the starting results are lower than normal and improve with the medicine, and if your medical history shows a pattern of asthma symptoms, your diagnosis will likely be asthma.

If your suspect your asthma is work related it smart to make separate tests at home and at work to see if there is any difference in your lungcapasity between them places. This helps determine if your lungs works best at home or at work. Other tests that may be taken by your doctor is allergy testing.

One messure the lung capasity and also forces an attack to break out the check if there really are asthma. A test to measure how sensitive your airways are. This is called a bronchoprovocation test. Using spirometry, this test repeatedly measures your lung function during physical activity or after you receive increasing doses of cold air or a special chemical to breathe in. (This one is a real nightmare. I got so tight throut that I could not breath. Had to inhale a lot of medicin after to be ok again. I never want to do that again if I can help it. It took all afternoon the get my strength back. Annelie's comment)

The types of asthma symptoms you have, how often they occur, and how severe they are may vary over time. Sometimes your symptoms may just annoy you. Other times they may be troublesome enough to limit your daily routine.

Severe symptoms can threaten your life. It's vital to treat symptoms when you first notice them so they don't become severe.

With proper treatment, most people who have asthma can expect to have few, if any, symptoms either during the day or at night. But it is important to avoid what makes your asthma break out if possible. It is also very important that the people round you is considerate to help you do that when necessery.

(September 2008 I have had my asthma for one year. In November 2008 I have had an astmaattack that made me have to go the hospital and get connected to a machine that gave me asthma medicin to inhale for 15 min. I coughed very hard and had a tight chest. I got weak and had trouble breathing and got sick leave. Annelie's comment)

What Causes Asthma Symptoms To Occur?

A number of things can bring about or worsen asthma symptoms. Your doctor will help you find out which things (sometimes called triggers) may cause your asthma to flare up if you come in contact with them. Triggers may include:

Allergens found in dust, animal fur, cockroaches, mold, and pollens from trees, grasses, and flowers
Irritants such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, chemicals or dust in the workplace, compounds in home décor products, and sprays (such as hairspray)
Certain medicines such as aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and nonselective beta-blockers
Sulfites in foods and drinks
Viral upper respiratory infections such as colds
Exercise (physical activity)

Other health conditions—such as runny nose, sinus infections, reflux disease, psychological stress, and sleep apnea—can make asthma more difficult to manage. These conditions need treatment as part of an overall asthma care plan.

Asthma is different for each person. Some of the factors listed above may not affect you, other factors that do affect you may not be on the list. It is very personal what triggers asthma and how much you react to them.

Source: nhlbi.nih.gov, Norges Astma- og Allergiforbund NAAF, egne erfaringer.

Annelie

Much better

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:51:53 GMT

Much better today.

/ Annelie

Boring being sick

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:19:23 GMT

Another boring day home sick in asthma and cold. Nothing to do, inhaling Ventoline (asthma medicin) to keep the attacks away. Keeping my nose clean and watching tv. I hope I get well soon.

I read the newspaper and saw that there has been a flood just 150 meters from my house! And I did not know about it before today. I have not been out of the house since last night (had to go shopping for some food), and the flood was yesterday morning. Click the link to view the movie.

http://www.smp.no/section/VIDEO/1225&id=416

/ Annelie

Cold and asthma

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:53:03 GMT

Since Friday I have been feeling ill. I have waited some time for a cold to break out and yesterday I think it did. The whorst is that when I get a cold I also get it really bad with my asthma. I had trouble breathing freely and coughed badly. I felt weak. I got really bad. I should have been working tonight but had to go to the hospital. The doctor gave me pennicillin for the infection and connected me to a machine and I got asthma medicin to inhale for 15 minuites. After that I felt much better from my asthma but still weak. After inhaling the asthma medicin from the machine, my coughing got much better and I felt more relaxed. When one get an asthma attack one tightens up, the breathing muscles workes all the time without break, when one can not get enough oxygen one get tired and weak. After getting medicin I felt much better. She also prescribed an increased doze of my asthma medicin I use at home while I am sick. It is possible that all that negative stress I have had to go through this last 1-2 weeks made the situation whorse. Stress is not good for a person with asthma. It can actually make a asthma attack break out. But I do not know. One can not messure that. I said to the doctor that I can not work being so ill. She agreed with me and I got sick leave for the rest of the week.

I am very thankful to the doctor at the hospital. She made a cleaver decision.

/ Annelie

Sad and crying

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:17:20 GMT

I have worked for two years in the washing hall, and it is one year since I changed job to driving bus instead, and that is because I got my asthma from working there. For one year I did not go there visiting them in the washing hall, even though I sometimes missed them. But now I feel a bit better after have been on medicins for my asthma for one year and are not so exposed to chemichals that makes me sick. And on good days when they have not used so many chemichals in the washing hall, I can even pass there without getting an asthma attac from it (mostly that is when it is no activity and the doors are open). Smoking is one of the worst chemicals for me. I can get any symptom from hard coughing to heavy breathing problems and not get any air at all. The hard coughing is rather that I can not get air, rather than a cough that is from a cold. It is a hugh difference. But I can get it from any chemical I get exposed to such as parfume, washing liquid or powder, dissolvents, exhost, cooking, and many more.

Since I have been feeling better I have visited them a bit ofter lately. Not everyday, but now and then. I even brought cace some times. It is not often I even have the possibility to see them. My working hours are very different from theirs. It is only a few shift a month that I can come visiting for more than 1 min. And visiting them when they are not at break I just hinder them from working. Plus one can not really chill and talk properly when people are working.

I was there yesterday, eating my sandwish and having my coffee. Today I was lucky I felt, because I had my break at the same time as them in the washing hall. So I thought to myself that I should take my sallad and go eat together with them. I did not even reach the room before I met one of them, in fact one of the bosses. And he gave me the notice that: "- I do not think you should come eating your lunch here. The guys must be able to smoke their cigarettes as they are used to. If you are here they cannot do that."

I just wanted to have my lunch together with my co-workers, and I got brushed off like a dog. I just moped at him. I went back to the cantina to eat together with the drivers. I did not show him how I felt, because as it is with me it often comes after. But sitting in the cantina, I almost started crying. But I had to keep it inside I felt, because I did not want everyone else to see me crying. I did not succeed totally. Some noticed it. And I felt angry and hurt, and I called him on the phone to tell him how I felt about it. I told him that I think he should leave it up to me to deside when and how long I could be there because of my health (I am the best judge of that), and that he should leave it up the others to tell me if they are bathered by me because they can not smoke when I am there, it is not my fault that I got sick. He said that it is still his piont of view that I should not come, and then he hung up on me. How rued and unsesitive. Later in the bus driving, I could no longer hold back the tears. But I had to press them back and made it after a while. But when I came home it all came. I cried water falls. I feel unwanted. Could they not leave the smoke 2-3 times a month when I come visiting? We have all been working together for 2 years!

Since he hung up on me I then the morning after sent him a sms and told him my mind. I said: "I am not welcome. You said it yourself. I am not welcome to talk to my co-workers for 2 years because I have become ill in asthma from work. I was happy yesterday before lunch. I am not happy anymore. Have the damned smoke of yours since it is more important than to meet me. I am the only one that is not welcome in the washing hall anymore and that is because I got sick. You are some egoistic bastards that can not show me respect and consideration 2-3 times a month when I come visiting. I think that that shows how little I mean to you." (how I feel) "I get showed the door and brushed off like a dog. What have I ever done to deserve that? ... And above all that it is forbidden by law to smoke at work, and you show me the door! I just wanted to meet my collegues."

I just wanted to eat my lunch together with them. But it seems it is more important to them to smoke than meet me. I do not feel welcome there anymore. And that just because I got sick with asthma and can not be in a room where people smoke. I feel unloved and brushed off like a dog. I feel like they do not care so much for meeting me that they can skip the smoking about three lunches per month. And I have worked together with them for two whole years.

On top of that it is as I just said, it is forbidden by law to smoke at work. But do I make a case of it? No. I just feel that they could show me some consideration when I come. I could have brought the Labour Inspection Authority to stop it a long time ago. But I have not. And why? Because I want to be a good pal. But what do I get in return? I am told I am no welcome to visit them because they should be able to smoke.

I do not go where I am not wanted. I will not go there anymore.
Seems like I am the only one not welcome there anymore, and that is because I got sick.

That is a friend for you.

/ Annelie

Heavy smoker

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:48:10 GMT

Friday at work I was driving bus as usual. Then at the bus station when I stopped a man entered the bus. His fingers were yellow and black at the fingertips. A heavy smoker, I thought to myself, even though I had not seen him smoking. He entered the bus and asked for a ticket to the city. After just some 20 seconds I felt my lung capasity drop, and this time I was about to have a bad asthma attack. I felt my throuht tighten. I felt it coming, so I held my breath to avoid breathe it in 'til I had given the man his ticket and change. Then I hurried to open the side window to get some fresh air. The attack stopped.

You smokers. If you only knew what pain your pleasure is to other people. It is not only ordinary discomfort. It is not only that "others think smoking is a nasty habit". It is also a health problem to some. For me it can also be a hazard to my health. Everyone knows what happens if you can not breathe... right? For me the problem comes when smokers and people drowned in parfume standing close up in front of me. Some meters away, or seated in the back of the bus the smoker or parfumed is no problem. I have no problem when I am sitting alone in my drivers seat driving. Because then I am not in contact with the substanse that make me sick. And then I feel I am just as healthy as anyone.

It is not only the smoke that is a plague. For us with asthma it is enough to get in touch with the chemicals that stick to you. Smokers breath, smokers clothes, parfume a.s. For others it can also be animals, or just about anything else.

Well, mostly you can't help giving me trouble. And the passenger with the chemicals do not know I got asthma. Then I mean such people that give me asthma problems cause of their breath or parfume. So one can only forgive them. But those people that enters the bus or any other place and blow the smoke on other people. In this case me. They could really do something about it. Sometimes people smokes outside the bus, throws away the cig and enters the bus blowing the smoke out inside the bus. I get the smoke in my face, or in the air around me, and I get sick by it. It is rude and uncaring to others. Every day I have to tell some smokers not to smoke in front of the bus doors, and not to blow out smoke in the bus. I hate to be a nag. Nagging, actually that is not really me. I am not a nagging person. But they who smoke in a uncaring way make me become such a person.

As a bus driver I also have the responsibility for the passengers well-being and having a nice trip. Not all like smoking, and also there can be people with asthma onboard among the passengers. So what can you as a smoker do to help us?

Do not smoke before you enter the bus, in front of doors, inside buildings, at bus stops a.s.
Keep the smoke away from other people.
Change clothes everyday.
Maintain a good personal hygiene.
And do not smoke so much (if you can help it).
If you use parfume. Remember that less is more.

You think I am a nag? Well, I am not. I just want to be able to do what everyone else takes for granted. To breathe easily.

/ Annelie

(Other things that can make my asthma popup is when in contact with tobacco, parfume or other chemicals).

Dishes

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:43:40 GMT

Yesterday the dishwashing machine was broken at work. Cups and plates covered the bench, and the cabinettes was empty. I thought I'd better do the dishes. Filled water and washing liquid and started dishwashing. It did not take long before I got trouble breathing. Can not even wash the dishes without getting trouble breathing. One can not really get clean plates and cups a.s without washing liquid, and that contains chemichals. And chemicals give me trouble breathing. Asthma sucks. But anyway, my co-workers can have their coffee now.

Pleasure

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:25:23 GMT

One persons pleasure is another persons pain.

You smoke around me,

I can not breathe then.

Your pleasure

Is my pain.

Frying vs. asthma

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:58:03 GMT

Today I wanted lamb shops for dinner. I started frying them in the frying pan. After just half a minute I got trouble breathing. I can not even make myself dinner anymore without getting sick. It has happened many times now since I got my illness. I had to take my meds, both Ventoline and Symbicort Turbohaler 160/4,5, and go outside to take some fresh air to bread better again. I have opened the windows in my apartment but still I feel the bad air from the frying. Will take some time before I get all well.

It is not fair. Life sucks sometimes.

/ Annelie

Granted

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:52:26 GMT

Yippi!!! The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration has granted and acknowledged my asthma as an illness caused by my work! I will now get free health care for my asthma, free medicines and I may get some out of the insurance.

This is important to me.

/ Annelie

I've found out

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:39:58 GMT

I've found out that asthma is unpredictable. At least it is how I feel. Some days I am not as sensistive even though I get affected, and other days only the slightest thing gives me an asthma attach. Problably it is because some days I get more exposed to more of the things that make me sick than other days. And maybe that is just the way this illness works. And maybe a combination of the both? I think I should ask my doctor about that...

Anyway, I always try to avoid things that make me sick. The sad thing is that I have to avoid some people too. If I see a group of people standing together having a nice time, and they are smoking, I have to avoid going there to talk to them. The smoke makes me sick. Also I have to avoid entering doors where people stand smoking in front of the door. If i is possible it is better for me to find another way in.

This week I parked the bus in front of the bus wash so that they could wash and fill it. It was a terrible weather out so I walked through the wash and garage. And as always when I walk through the bus wash and the garage at Nettbuss I get problems. Yesterday when I walked through there and got to the lunch room I got an asthma attach, and had to use Ventoline. A co-worker saw me coghing and said - It's food here in the kitchen, suggesting my coghing should spread a cold or such. I assured him it was asthma and took my Ventoline. The cogh and wining breathing stopped.

A friend later on walked by and I got an asthma attach from his aftershave, and the rest of the day I had problems with my asthma all the day driving. People came in to the bus after smoking, wearing parfume a.s. All day I had problems and had to take medicine several times.

Today I am tired.

I always get tired after a bad asthma day.

/ Annelie

Flew to the doctor

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:30:44 GMT

Thursday 14.02.2008 I had an appointment with the doctors at St. Olav Hospital in Trondheim. I was going to a specialist in work related injuries to determine if my asthma is caused by working in the bus wash at Nettbuss for two years. It is very far away, over 15 km, but in Norway they got great service for people who need to travel far to health care. We get booked on a private airplane, and we are transported to the plane by coach! And we get this both ways! Absolutely fantastic!

So at 0720 in the morning I travelled by bus to the airport and flew to Trondheim. In Trondheim we were picked up by a mini bus, and If I might say - a really handsome and very nice driver , and got off outside the hospital. All for 120 NOK one way (about 20 USD at a 6 USD rate)! Only bad side was that the noice in the plane cabin was so loud that hearing protection should be included in the price, that was a downer. But we got coffee and chocolate .

Image from the plane.

The specialist said that my asthma is probably work related so I hope that it will get stated as such.

And on my way home later in the afternoon about 1545 the same driver picked us up again. So I got to look at the looker again. Niicccee!

Happy Valentines

/ Annelie

Bus driver / asthma

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:28:18 GMT

Being a bus driver and asthma

Now I have been a bus driver for about three weeks. I still like it. It is actually one of the best things I have done in my life. But then, I have always liked driving... wether it is a car, fork-truck, construction equipment, moped... This last week I have been driving the Service bus. It is a bus that goes outside normal routes to pick up elderly people at retirement homes and such. They are always smiling and very happy for any service they get. I like the fact that I can help them. Most of them cannot walk so well, and some do not see very well.

And what is more, in my job as a bus driver I seldom get troubles by my astma! I have not used more than two dozes of Ventoline spray in one month! Great!

But yesterday I wanted to say hallo to my colleges in the bus wash and the bus garage. But I shouldn't have done that. I was only there for two min. and got asthma problems. Fast out of there, to use Ventoline to clear my throut.

So far I have only problems with my asthma driving busses when smokers enter the bus when newly smoked a fag. When this happens I get a critical asthma attack. Luckily it does not happen that often, at least not so far.

But still I have to use Cetrizin Hexal and Symbicort Turbohaler everyday (Symbicort twice a day) to function. If I miss to take Cetrizin Hexal and Symicort Trubohaler I get troubles breathing (even when not at work). When driving bus I only use Ventoline when I get an acute asthma attack, like when a smoker comes to near.

More about my asthma (experiences in general)

Private I have not so much trouble with my asthma. It is mostly when enjoying other peoples company I can experience asthma attack's. I have become extremly allergic to tobacco smoke and chemichals, and I can not even sit near someone that has newly smoked a fag. I have to back off and take some steps back to get away. People that see that (who do not know my problem) must think I am strange. Also painting gives me asthma. I have moved and had to paint a shelf. This was no good idea, since I got asthma by it. Cooking also gives med trouble sometimes, especially when frying, frying hot spicy food is even worce. Parfumed products is no longer a good idea, and smog in tunnels, sented cadles a.s. is bad news. This is what I have found out so far, but I will probably find more situations that give me asthma troubles in the future.

Smoking is forbidden in my house, and I cannot visit people smoking in their homes. Restaurants and pubs is a NO! NO!, because even if it is not allowed to smoke there people smoke outside the front door, where I have to pass to get in. And as I have told you before I get sick by even sitting beside a smoker.

Dating a smoker, will NOT EVER happen.

Fresh air is my best friend.

/ Annelie

Becoming a bus driver

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:39:44 GMT

The 16-17th of August I got so ill in asthma that I had to go to my doctor. My whole body said, stop! I got so ill at work with asthma that I cannot perform normally. I actually had to take extra breaks and take a walk to get som fresh air to be able to get through the day. I could not get enogh air, and my throut got so tight. My breathing sounded like rasping, and I coughed over and over again because my body tried to open my throut to get air. To be able to get through the day I have had to overdoze my asthma medicin, Ventoline, and because of that I got sick by that to. I was allowed using up to 12 dozes per day, but I actually used more than that just to manage to work. I've been sitting in the bus stairs crying because I have been so ill. Last weeks have been terrible. Even my private life got affected by my asthma. I got home at 3 a.m and have been so tired that I have had to take a nap. I have slept until dinner, ate my dinner, and fell asleep again. That is no life for a person.

My doctor gave me sick leave for a month and prescribed to get a new job. She even wrote a note to my employer and asked them to give me a new job. The following week on sick leave have been wonderful ! I have not felt so good for two years! And I have not used more than 3 dozes of Ventoline in a whole week! Before, at work, I used over 12 dozes a day. Life is wonderful when being able to breath freely!

On Monday 3th of September I will start in my new occupation as a bus driver. Since my astma prohibit me from continuing in my former profession my doctor, me, and my bosses at Nettbuss have come to an agreement that I will begin as a bus driver starting Monday.

It was on August 8 I got my drivers license for large bus, and the same week I applied with the Police and The Ministry of Transport and Communications to get what we in Norway call "kjøreseddel". It is a license one need to have to be allowed to work in transportation of people in Norway. One have to apply for it and it is not a surtenty that you get it. One only get it if the government sees you fit.

Well I am happy now , I no longer have to work in the bus wash. Yippie! And I look forward to learning my new profession .

(If you do not know what Ventoline is, it is a medicin that helps open the throut and enable you to breath.)

Asthma

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 04:37:10 GMT

During the two years I have been employed with Nettbuss in the Buss wash I have developed Asthma, allergic asthma, against chemicals and tobacco. The job means working a lot with chemicals and they have been smoking a lot in our department office.

Now I have taken PEF messurements for some time and at work I am as low as 245 - 400. PEF messures your lung capasity. Normal is between 400-600. At home and other places I messure 400-525.

Yesterday I was at my doctor and got sick leave for a month, and ordered to change occupation from week 35.

I have applied with Nettbuss for job as buss driver. Lets see how this goes.