I managed to nurse for a few years. The difference was breathing and almost not breathing even with regular inhaler.

I imagine I should go see a lung doctor sometime when I am bad but that is not an easy thing to do when my asthma that bad is triggered by a virus that triggers an autoimmune reaction that is then activated by an allergy. Perfect storm.

I already spend too much time across from specialists who ask "why are you here?" when I just spent the three months before in agony, or debilitated waiting for my appointment but then got better. If I go to the emergency room they want to throw my butt in the hospital for tests (due to multiple overlapping conditions) but back up care for my Aunt takes about two weeks to arrange and her condition would go down hill fast if she was afraid she would be left in nursing home care by my "condition".

I just left a new PC doctor (who was an expert in one of my conditions) for that reason. "No, I cannot not take care of my Aunt, period. Deal with it, I do." But stop asking why I cannot stay on an exercise routine you dufus .

Rinse repeat. No wonder caregivers are the ones to drop dead. "The system" almost insures it.

I've been nagging my son since he was 14 about taking care of himself and upping his meds when his asthma kicks in - now I know where he gets it. I think the real problem is that so many people in my family have some form of asthma that i don't really think it's strange to be having coughing spasms!

Nothing is worse than struggling with something, then getting that little burst of adrenaline and/or relaxation when you finally see the doctor, and seeing your symptoms fade a bit!