Can't Breathe

"Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing." (granfury) 03/19/2016 at 16:16 • Filed to: None

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Being poor sucks. In the last few weeks I’ve developed what appears to be rather severe asthma issues. Back when I was a teenager I was told that I have asthma, but I never needed treatment or an inhaler. Things have changed in the ensuing decades, and now I find myself laboring to breathe most days. Coughing, wheezing, chest pain and pressure, etc. - it all seems to fit.

I stopped by Walgreen’s the other day at about 3:00 in the morning, attempting to find something to help. I guess I must have been in pretty bad shape because the employees repeatedly offered to call an ambulance for me. I managed to find some Primatene tablets that have been giving me a little relief, but not enough for me to be as productive as I once was. Walking up a flight of stairs is enough to make me completely exhausted and gasping for breath, something I’m not used to since I normally walk at least 10 miles per week. Taking out the trash has been put on hold, and it’s now collecting inside the house.

My pulse oximeter showed SaO2 readings ranging from 88 to 94 (higher on good days), so my situation isn’t exactly critical, but those numbers do indicate a problem. Only recently did I discover an insurance plan in my town for the poor, but they wanted 4-6 weeks before I could come in for a visit. Since I’m in rough shape they put me on the accelerated approval list, so I should have an answer in about two weeks; hopefully I’ll still be alive then. I guess I could go to an ER somewhere, but I’m already in enough debt and don’t need another $10-20K added to it for what will probably be a few minutes of oxygen and an inhaler. My state didn’t expand Medicare, with one wonderful politician ever so helpfully stating that we are free to move to another state if that’s something we want. Yeah, right - the poor are the least likely to be able to pack up and move, numbnuts.

On the bright side, I had a job interview the other day, and I think it went quite well. Unlike interviews I’ve had in years past, I was confident and outgoing and did a solid job of telling them why I should be hired. In years past I usually got a case of cotton mouth and started stuttering, essentially wrecking any chance I had of getting the job. One thing that did seem quite positive was when I was asked where I lived and what route I would use to get to the office. The job is pretty much what I’ve been doing for the last 12 years, namely finance in the commercial aviation industry, so I should be able to step right in and get to work.

Leon711 > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 03/19/2016 at 16:23

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Oh man, that sucks. I too am asthmatic, I started off pretty bad but managed to grow out of it. I know how awful it is, I don’t know how I would have coped without the NHS over here because I’m from a poor family too.

My thoughts are with you and I hope you get well soon.

Stef Schrader > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 03/19/2016 at 16:29

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Ouch. Good luck getting that job, dude. Wish I had better advice, but I’ve never had asthma and don’t know any good tips or workarounds.

I will never understand how our healthcare “system” works, though. That approval system is completely mad. :(

Xyl0c41n3 > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 03/19/2016 at 16:45

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Do you have a doctor you traditionally go to when you can afford it? If so, go to them. The out-of-pocket $50-100 will suck, but ask them if they have any samples they can give you. I once got pneumonia while unemployed and uninsured. My family doctor gave me two sample inhalers free of charge. One had enough doses for 60 days, the other for 30 days. It was no burden to her since pharmaceutical reps give doctors these samples exactly so that they can hand them out to patients. It won’t permanently solve your problem, but it might be enough to tide you over until you get this job and hopefully get insurance.

Also, talk to your doctor about paying on a sliding scale. Most doctors will be willing to work with you. Talk to the doctor about it, NOT their front office staff. The staff won’t give a rat’s ass that you can’t pay; they’ll try to charge you the full uninsured rate. But the doctor may be more lenient.

Please, please try to see if you can get samples. The longer you wait, the more your organs and tissues will be starving for oxygen and the more inflamed your bronchioles will become, which will lead to more expensive medical problems.

If you’re a member of a church, or if your parents are or even just a good friend, talk to them. Ask them if their church family can help you out. There is no shame in asking for help. The shame lies in not realizing that there are people out there who care about you but may not realize you need help.

Good luck.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 03/19/2016 at 17:08

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I have had asthma all my life and if that is what you have, I’ll tell you what most people don’t know about it: It involves an allergy and a trigger. You can’t have an attack until you’ve been exposed to something that causes mucus to build up in the airways. A trigger, like cigarette smoke, exercise, or some other things, will cause rapid inflammation that restricts the airways. If there’s mucus coating those airways, you’ll have an attack from the trigger.

So if you take allergy medicine, it usually reduces the symptoms a bit. Then it’s just a matter of learning what triggers you and avoiding it (avoiding the initial allergen is also helpful).

Chasaboo > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 03/19/2016 at 17:16

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Sorry to hear that. I’ve had it my whole life. When I was young, and my parents found out I had asthma, they made me join a swimming team. The theory was that it would help me to develop my lungs. It helped. As I’m getting older now, I can have shortness of breath but on the whole I’m doing well.

Best of luck to you, and I hope you find out what works to keep your breath.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 03/19/2016 at 17:23

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Thanks to all for the good words. I’ve had to stop visiting a friend of mine because of this ailment; even though he smokes in another room with a fan blowing the smoke away from where I’m sitting, the whole house reeks of it and I cannot be around it anymore.

I hope exercise isn’t a trigger since that’s the one thing that’s kept me sane the last few months. Plug into an iPod and walk a few miles is the best way to get things back into perspective, and now that I can’t do that I feel somewhat trapped. My house could use a little cleaning and vacuuming, but I’m in no condition to do it. I have been popping some generic Claritin-D in hopes that could prevent a trigger from doing its thing.

I haven’t been to my regular doctor in a few years. I think I’ve got her business card around somewhere and will have to see if I can get in contact with her. Any samples would be great right now - anything to get me through the waiting period until I get some, any, insurance.

Svend > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 03/19/2016 at 17:53

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When I was an ambulance tech.. anyone with an SpO2 level less than 95% without a pre-existing respiratory condition would be taken in to Accident & Emergency for assessment.

I hope you get sorted soon fella.