Each year for the past 5 years, I've unfailingly fallen sick and had to spend money treating bronchitis or pneumonia. The surprising thing was that I rarely left my house and did not exert myself so much in the cold--or so I thought. Something just found me when winter and summer came(yes, I suffered from this even in this warm season) and I would have to either take days off work or school and spend time getting injections because it had progressed to become chronic bronchitis and eventually received the diagnosis of bronchial asthma and COPD which stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.
a photo of me sitting in the doctor's office. It was shot with my smartphone
For someone who is young, hearing the doctor say that it doesn't get better from there and I have to take meds to manage the condition was sickening and demotivating. I realized from his questions and from the spirometry test results that I was also responsible for how my health had deteriorated. I was largely living a sedentary lifestyle, so my lungs were not exerting themselves or growing stronger. This meant I could fall sick at the drop of the hat whenever I came in contact with the bacteria and viruses that made me ill. My old family home did not help matters with the dust and old things and general aura. The flat I'd rented also did not help as it was very humid and had mold grow in some places. Basically, all the elements in my surrounding were out to get me.
So I began to identify as a COPD sufferer. I was out of breath when going on walks and I thought this was feminine frailty and could be excused without any action from me. I would take my drugs religiously like a good student because I like to think I'm well behaved. All these I did until I decided in February that pharmaceuticals were making money off my sickness. Very rarely would the specialists who saw me ask me to try alternative treatment or a more holistic approach. With the exception of a cardiologist I'd got to see because they suspected I might be suffering from arrhythmia, no one said 'exercise' or change your diet. There was very little interest or plan even from the one testing me for summer allergies. After reading about the long term side effects from these drugs, I decided enough was enough.
a photo of a sample of drugs I was used to taking. picture taken with my smartphone
Thankfully, my job pays for my insurance and they have always chosen the best types for us, so I have not had to spend money on my meds as before. However, the days off due to sickness and the general lack of wellbeing from having to cough a dry cough that never became productive no matter how much water I drank made me upset and really affected my daily life. I was self conscious of laughing because such a trigger would soon have me coughing and causing those I was talking to to show too much concern which is nice but becomes a bother when you hear the same 'sorry' which 1 min intervals. I was just not living and that frustration led to action.
First of all, I decided not to refer to myself as a COPD sufferer or say 'asthma'. Those things exist but I don't have to personalize them and hold on to them till they become an accessory or my identity. I decided to see myself as fully healed and if I suffered symptoms, I saw myself as on the way to full recovery soon. I then thought of ways to improve my lung capacity. To build this organ I use to breathe and also help my body fight against inflammation by eating right.
I started to do exercises like swimming which is excellent for asthma sufferers. I learnt to hold my breath in the water and I gradually built stamina to swim to the end of the pool. I also started going to the gym and exercising. So from approximately Feb/ March when I saw the doctor for the last time, I have not fallen sick enough to require antibiotics or other serious med. I have taken over the counter drugs for a cough that lasted a day or two but that was it.
a photo of me at the swimming pool. photo taken with my smartphone
Other things I have done have been to cut down on caffeine. I use to drink a lot of tea in my family home and very little water. That's dehydrating especially since they were not herbal teas. I no longer have those heart palpitations and I feel more energetic. I also began to eat foods that I read helped with asthma, such as buckwheat, grains like bulgur, bananas to help with delayed onset muscle soreness after working out and I try to stay away from processed foods.
gif of my exercise routine a couple of days ago. shot on my smartphone
Because I felt better, I began to slack in my responsibility to my health and I have decided to get back into action. I started exercising again and I want to draw up a food plan that includes more fruits and vegetables because I started ordering food from restaurants too much in recent times. Cooking takes a lot of time, no doubt but I think it saves money especially if you do it right. I have involuntarily cut out meat from my diet because I don't have the time to cook that, and it made me research more about a plant based diet. These are things that are ahead of me to try in this year.
I want my good lung health and general wellbeing to be a permanent thing this year, so that is what I will be maintaining.
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