Posted 2/26/2010 11:51 AM (GMT 0)
Hey honey, I know its really scary at first. I've had a few really scary attacks too. You know a trick I learned might help you. Talking. During a really bad attack you cant talk. If you can not say a complete sentence then call 911. I'm going to show a few examples of attacks I've had where I've called 911 or went to the ER. These are times when to worry. Right now, your just a little anxious cuz your scared and not quite sure about things. Its ok hon. Take a deep breathe, go take a relaxing soak in the tub. (hot vapor will help open your air way too)
1. Waking up in the middle of night with a complete choking feeling, gasping for air, my inhaler isnt quite enough help. I called my doctor and during my conversation he pointed out I pause for a few seconds in between words instead of one steady sentence. He said to call 911. By the time I hang up, I realize I'm actually not able to talk right, I'm pausing too much to gasp for air. I called 911 and it took me 3 minutes just to tell them my own name and 5 minutes where I lived (why the heck did I have the cell phone near my bed instead of the home phone was beyond me). I put myself in shock position in case I passed out. Paramedics came and treated me right in bed and transported me to hospital.
2. I was on a city bus. People with smoke clingy clothes all around me. I start gasping for air, my inhaler wont work. I can barely talk. Instead of going home, I stayed on the city bus to go back to the station to go to hospital because I started mini blackouts. I passed out for a few seconds, it is barely noticable to people. I get on the next bus, the black outs are coming faster and closer together. I know I'm in need of major help, so my adrenalin kicks in I get off the bus at the hospital. I know I'm going to black out and a lot longer, I feel it coming. I get in the ER, to my relief someone is in scrubs looking around. He asks me if he can help me, so I put my inhaler in his hands. Then I blacked out. I can only assume he caught me, because when I came to I was in a wheelchair in the waiting room with a doctor and 5 nurses, oxygen thru my nose, blood pressure cuff on, pulse ox meter on, and something smelling wretched, yep, they had to wake with me smelling salts. Now, as soon as I wake up, I'm more stable. I get pushed fast into a near by room where a respiratory team is already there with my nebulizer (if you had medical training like I did, you'd know the odds of that happening, there of I knew for a fact with my training I had been out for at least a whole 5 to 10 minutes if not longer and possible brain damage from lack of oxygen). I instantly took my treatment and felt tons better. I was told that night, if I came in 30 minutes later I would of died and there would of been nothing they could do to save me. I was not able to talk at all during this. I've been to the ER many times since with friends, and other reasons myself, but I've never seen that guy again. My guardian angel that night. If he had not been standing in the waiting room and saw my scared look, I would of been found dead in the ER waiting room. I did find out he was a Nurse though, and I was blessed to have him in an unusual location, right next to the ER doors.
So I want you to just relax. I can absolutely guarantee you that if your doctor did not get you anything started that very day in his office right in front of him that you will be fine. I also have anxiety, I get a double attack sometimes, double as in an asthma attack and anxiety attack at same time. You got to just relax and focus on your breathing while keeping your mind off the problem that you can't breath. I know, harder than said. But just relax hon. And coughing that up is fine, your just loosing your chest mucas. Its ok. Also you can ask your doctor to see a pulmonologist, its a breathing doctor. He or she can help you set a plan just for you during attacks. I have a flow peak to, and if I fall under a point on it, I gotta call and tell him then I'm put on medication. You can get a plan hon. Just relax.