I realise that not every autoimmune condition need be an allergy, but at least everybody knows that the roots of the problem isn’t Freudian.

Homicidal? No. I don’t actually want to hurt anyone over their ignorance or stupidity; in fact I rather come down to the opinion that all suffering is bad and I should inflict as little of it as possible.

I will admit there are limits, though - sometimes it is simply necessary to point out that someone is being an ass, and doing that may indeed cause some suffering. I try hard to insure that in such cases what I dish out is deserved. So I would say that, yes, I occasionally want to make pointed remarks to ignorant or stupid people. You know, basically what I mean here is, sometimes I want to talk to people in real life the way I occasionally vent on this blog.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Not to make light of a very serious condition — well, OK, I suppose I *am* — but you know me, J., I can never resist tossing in a clever comment when the opportunity presents itself. And we *both* know you could totally kick my non-asthma-suffering ass in any sort of cardio/long-distance challenge if it ever came down to that.

I’m forwarding this to my Dad, who was only very recently diagnosed with asthma.

That said I’ve spent undue hospital time from doctors who didn’t bother to read the charts or listen when I pointed things out to them. I’ve argued with doctors over medications they’ve prescribed me for things like strep throat (things that are already known to be totally ineffective), only to have them trick me with an off brand name of the same thing. Surprise, I’m either back in their office a few days later (worse off) or in one case directly to the hospital with a throat on the verge of swelling shut.

As a child I also spent several weeks in the hospital with pneumonia after various forms of penaccillan were useless.

I made it through, added it to the list of experiences, and consider it minor. I have a friend who was confined to a wheelchair for about a year when his flavor of immune problem attacked his joints, making them extremely swollen and painful to move. Good news is he’s doing quite well now, and plays a mean guitar.

Occasionally I’ll get a flair up and have a hard time doing some day to day things (you tend to stay away from your engine building hobbies when your joints ache to move), and I’ve also been told that it was “in my head,” because a guy my age “can’t have joint pain.”

This line was awesome. I want a t-shirt.

Great article, and some scary stuff. I find my moods change quickly when I haven’t even noticed right away that my lungs are slowly constricting. Perhaps there is something specific about air intake and mood as well? Often, I am cranky and irrational. It doesn’t seem like a big stretch to depression and suicidal thoughts.

When I’ve had prednisone in the past to help with bronchitis-asthma tag teaming, I get all weepy. My wife hates when I’ve been on that stuff.

I wasn’t aware that some school nurses hold inhalers! That shocks me. It’s an outrage. My 6 year old nephew knows when to ask for his, and it’s in his knapsack while he’s in class.