Belinda

Age at interview: 53

Age at diagnosis: 1

Brief Outline: Belinda, age 53, was diagnosed with asthma aged 1. She is white British, married and works as an actor and writer. She is also a Humanist Funeral Celebrant. Belinda has not had an asthma attack for ten years, but now has a condition with symptoms similar to those of asthma, called Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA).

More about me...

Belinda was born in London in 1958 and diagnosed with asthma as a baby. The doctors suggested that she would benefit from living by the coast, and when she was five the family moved to a coastal resort. Belinda’s parents both smoked and she knows looking back that triggered her asthma. She was frequently admitted to hospital due to asthma as a child. Belinda attended residential schools for asthmatic children until she was 13, and was also sent to a sanatorium in Switzerland for three months. She completed her education in a mainstream school back in Britain.

As an adult, Belinda says that asthma has never stopped her doing things she wanted to do. She has travelled abroad extensively and always makes sure she has her medication with her. Her last asthma attack happened ten years ago, but she has since developed Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA). This allergy to the aspergillus fungus has similar symptoms to asthma. Belinda uses inhaled steroids and an anti-fungal medication called itraconazole daily, plus the anti-biotic azithromycin every other day. Belinda’s triggers include aerosol sprays and cigarette smoke. If she feels particularly wheezy during the pollen season she takes antihistamine tablets. Belinda says that steroid use over many years has caused her to gain weight and she thinks she would benefit from increasing the amount of exercise she does. She has never smoked, and says it is important to know your own asthma triggers, but that it includes exercise and she is allergic to chlorine in swimming pools.

Belinda says she has experienced both disappointing and excellent care in hospitals, and now has regular check-ups relating to ABPA. She carries, and suggests other people with asthma would benefit from carrying, an Asthma UK card, available from the charity. On this card you can write your details, so that people will know how to help you should you need it. Also, she stresses the importance of ICE (In Case of Emergency) numbers on mobile phones.

Belinda attended a boarding school because of her asthma, but every time she returned home in the holidays her asthma got worse because her parents smoked in the house. [TEXT ONLY]

When I was about five the doctors at the time, I think it was in the [hospital name], suggested that for the sake of my health it would be a good idea for me to go down to, for the family to move to the coast. So we all moved down the coast.

The problem was that my parents came too [laughs] and they were smokers, and it was the smoke that was making me ill. . It was very clear quickly no clear but I was still very, very sick, and although I went to an infant school I was in hospital a lot of the time in [place]. So the doctors at the time sent me to a boarding school for asthmatics. This was called [name of school] I stayed in [place], boarding schools until I was 13 or so. I would come home for the holidays, my parents would smoke and then, I’d go to hospital for the holidays

Were your parents or people at that time probably maybe might not have been quite so aware of the effects of smoking or would you… think they were?

I would say they were. I don’t think they will ever watch this, so I can say that there was a lot of ignorance, even though there was an exhibit in the room of a child who could not breathe, and yet they would smoke and blow the smoke in the opposite direction to the child. Now you know that still goes on now, you see it in the street. And although parents or some people say, “Oh no, we don’t’ smoke at, at home, we smoke outside”, well, the kid’s still there… in the vicinity. My parents, hmm. My parents were very, they cared a great deal for me, but not enough to give up smoking. 

Belinda was sent to a ‘school for delicate children’ and remembers worrying that each breath could be her last. [AUDIO ONLY]

It must have been strange as a child to know that you had a condition…

A life-threatening…

…that is life-threatening?

Yeah, because you’re aware that other kids didn’t have that and you were also aware that other kids had it, at different levels. To get to that boarding school you had to be quite acute, you know, chronically ill, it was actually called a ‘School for Delicate Children’ but I’d say 90% of us were asthmatics. Asthma is an absolutely awful condition because we all take breathing for granted until you can’t breathe. To not be able to breathe and actually it can also hurt, it so, [touches microphone] I’m so sorry, it can also be painful for your chest is terrifying, and you just sometimes think, “Well, if the next one doesn’t kill me the next one might. The next one after that might. I’m not enjoying life right now”. And my mate died in the holidays “I really wish this would end” because you’re also made aware that there’s no cure.

And the amount of times people, especially doctors in, insensitively would say, “Oh, you know, most kids grow out of this, you’ll have grown out of this of this by the time you’re, you’re 14 or 15”. And I thought, “Well, that’s bollocks for a start” [laughs] because you knew that, you know, there were kids in the school who were, you know, in there and 16 or 17 sometimes who were still really ill and they hadn’t grown out of it.

Belinda says it’s important to recognise that different things are triggers for different people. [AUDIO ONLY]

There’s just so much rubbish being talked about asthma. People who, you know, say, even professionals will say, “Oh well, you must get rid of all plastic bags, all cats, all dogs, all feather-filled pillows, all plants because of the mould, all, everything.” And obviously no carpets. Well, I’m not allergic to house dust mite. So, that would be a waste. And I remember being a kid and my mate, or some other kid in the school, had been told that they must get rid of their dog because when they go, go home for the holidays their dog gives them asthma. Well, I don’t know how it happened but the, the parents got rid of the dog so the child had an asthma attack because he was stressed…

He was stressed…

…Yes.

Yeah.

It wasn’t the dog at all.

Belinda suggests carrying an asthma attack card on you to give people around you information on how to help in an emergency, and put an ICE (In Case of Emergency) number on your mobile phone. [AUDIO ONLY]

Two things. For medical health professionals and for other asthmatics, and anyone who suffers from a long term complaint, always carry an asthma card which you can get from the Asthma UK charity. And health professionals, look for that asthma card, and on the back it should have your name, address, your triggers and what helps you.

And also carry an ICE, in case of emergency number on your mobile ‘phone in case you’ve collapsed.

What’s an ICE?

In case of emergency.

OK. Hmhm.

ICE. Put it on your mobile ‘phone’.