Oh Asthma...

*written on Dec 8, 2014, on our family website (www.stucrewfun.com)

I'm not sure what people in general really know about it. I feel like people say "Oh yeah, I have that too sometimes." Or "My [insert random relative or friend] has that." Or it's just a blank stare.

I was diagnosed at age 5 with it. I am fuzzy on all of the details, because I was 5 years old. But I do know that my pediatrician sent me and my mom to Gardens Hospital one morning and I was kept for nearly a week. There I had the great pleasure to meet Dr. John P Faraci. He was, for half of my life, the most important doctor. When I was little, my asthma was a direct result of allergies. I am off the scale allergic to dogs and top of the scale allergic to cats. There are other triggers too, but for me, those are the quickest way to land in the ER.

For about 10-15 years, I did allergy shots regularly. I think my ER visits were minimal, but you'd have to ask my mom.