Lisa
Age at interview: 23
Age at diagnosis: 11
Brief Outline: Lisa, age 23, was diagnosed with asthma at age 11. She is white and works as a clerical officer. During the last year of primary school, Lisa found that she was out of breath during P.E. lessons and shortly after was diagnosed with asthma which she describes as mild to moderate. Lisa says that she did not really understand what asthma was at the time, but the nurse explained it to her and gave her a DVD to watch. Lisa found the DVD, with young people talking about asthma on it, very helpful. As she has become older Lisa feels she has become more knowledgeable about asthma.
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During the last year of primary school, Lisa found that she was out of breath during P.E. lessons and shortly after was diagnosed with asthma. Lisa says that she did not really understand what asthma was at the time, but the nurse explained it to her and gave her a DVD to watch. Lisa found the DVD, with young people talking about asthma on it, very helpful. Lisa used to compare herself to friends without asthma when she was younger, finding asthma ‘annoying’ and restrictive, but she has now adapted to living with it.
As she has become older Lisa feels she has become more knowledgeable about asthma.
Lisa found her first and most major asthma attack ‘scary’ as she did not think she would be able to take another breath. She uses a bricanyl reliever inhaler and a pulmicort preventer inhaler. Lisa says that she does not take the preventer inhaler as regularly as she used to, but increases her use of it if she has had a cold or before exercising. Cold weather is a trigger for Lisa, and her asthma is worse during the winter. Lisa is reluctant to take her bricanyl reliever inhaler as it causes her to shake – she describes this as an unpleasant, internal shaking, and thinks it may be partly to do with the panic and adrenalin of an asthma attack.
Lisa finds that exercising makes her asthma slightly worse initially, but feels that the day after and in the long-term, it is beneficial. She takes her preventer inhaler before exercising. Lisa experienced a period where she had recurrent chest infections and was told she may need to take steroid tablets. She told the doctor that she was reluctant to take tablets for her asthma and fortunately the infections cleared up. Lisa sees the asthma nurse once a year, but can visit more regularly if she wants, or can telephone to speak to someone. She keeps an inhaler in her handbag and in her car, and her employer and colleagues know she has asthma. Lisa once forgot her inhaler when going to the gym, and took two hours to recover from an asthma attack. She says that she coached her breathing, taking deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth. However, the asthma nurse reminded her that the technique is for use in an emergency, and not a substitute for using an inhaler. Lisa would not use someone else’s inhaler in an emergency because it is prescribed for someone else, and may not be suitable for her use.
Lisa has had asthma plus another health condition since she was a child, and is very aware of potential illnesses and her future health. She feels that awareness of the dangers of asthma should be raised more widely amongst members of the public. Lisa says she keeps up to date on the latest asthma news and research through using the internet. She urges people with asthma to be aware of their condition, take care of themselves and to take the medication that they are prescribed.
As she has become older Lisa feels she has become more knowledgeable about asthma.
Lisa found her first and most major asthma attack ‘scary’ as she did not think she would be able to take another breath. She uses a bricanyl reliever inhaler and a pulmicort preventer inhaler. Lisa says that she does not take the preventer inhaler as regularly as she used to, but increases her use of it if she has had a cold or before exercising. Cold weather is a trigger for Lisa, and her asthma is worse during the winter. Lisa is reluctant to take her bricanyl reliever inhaler as it causes her to shake – she describes this as an unpleasant, internal shaking, and thinks it may be partly to do with the panic and adrenalin of an asthma attack.
Lisa finds that exercising makes her asthma slightly worse initially, but feels that the day after and in the long-term, it is beneficial. She takes her preventer inhaler before exercising. Lisa experienced a period where she had recurrent chest infections and was told she may need to take steroid tablets. She told the doctor that she was reluctant to take tablets for her asthma and fortunately the infections cleared up. Lisa sees the asthma nurse once a year, but can visit more regularly if she wants, or can telephone to speak to someone. She keeps an inhaler in her handbag and in her car, and her employer and colleagues know she has asthma. Lisa once forgot her inhaler when going to the gym, and took two hours to recover from an asthma attack. She says that she coached her breathing, taking deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth. However, the asthma nurse reminded her that the technique is for use in an emergency, and not a substitute for using an inhaler. Lisa would not use someone else’s inhaler in an emergency because it is prescribed for someone else, and may not be suitable for her use.
Lisa has had asthma plus another health condition since she was a child, and is very aware of potential illnesses and her future health. She feels that awareness of the dangers of asthma should be raised more widely amongst members of the public. Lisa says she keeps up to date on the latest asthma news and research through using the internet. She urges people with asthma to be aware of their condition, take care of themselves and to take the medication that they are prescribed.
Lisa was diagnosed aged 12. The asthma nurse gave her a DVD which helped because she could see other children talking about having asthma. It helped her to get used to the idea.
Lisa was diagnosed aged 12. The asthma nurse gave her a DVD which helped because she could see other children talking about having asthma. It helped her to get used to the idea.
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So you were about eleven.
Yeah.
And how did you feel when you were told?
I wasn’t really too sure what asthma was. I just knew I couldn’t breathe properly [laughs]. That was really it until it was just when I got older, and went in the secondary school and more people had it, and I realised, you know, that it was actually quite dangerous but I think then I panicked a bit more but, you know, when I was first diagnosed it didn’t really didn’t really annoy me [laughs].
Okay and were you told at the time what it was?
Yeah, the nurse one of the nurses, you know, explained what it was, but when you’re when you’re young, you know, it was in one ear and out the other, but yeah, she said, the nurse like explained it in quite a lot of detail.
And gave me pictures and a wee DVD or video of what it was, and different children with asthma and...
So was it sort of children talking about asthma and telling you what it was like?
Yeah.
Right.
And it was, you know, it was just showing the different activities where your asthma could affect you. It was showing…
Okay.
Say children playing football or like skipping, stuff like that.
Sort of physical exercise and…
Yeah.
...activities. Yeah. And was it good to have other children telling you about what it was like?
Yeah, ‘cause, you know, if they’re if they’re a similar age, it’s easier for you to understand than, you know, a nurse telling you but, yeah, it was it was a lot easier for me to like understand and to say, “Oh, well, that’s exactly what it is.” Instead of just saying, you know, what I’ve been told, actually understanding was, so easier for me.
And so did the children on the video talk about it then?
Yeah, talked they just talked about how often their asthma affects them and if it, you know, other family members had it, just stuff like that.
Yeah. Okay, and so at that time, what, yeah, what kind of things did the nurse tell about what asthma was?
She just said that it was a condition to do with your breathing and she just really said that sometimes if I feel a bit tight in my chest, that’s when I should be taking an inhaler and explained why I was taking my inhaler, you know, and just that was really it.